I recently returned from Las Vegas where, if I’m honest, I had a fairly torrid time at the poker tables. Cold decks, bad beats and, admittedly, some bad play prevented it from being the pay-for-my-entire-Vegas-holiday-with-poker- winnings trip I’d envisioned.

But as with all experiences at the poker table, it’s essential to learn from your mistakes. In this case, I realised I’d been playing too high, and in turn too scared; that my live play is nowhere near as good as my online play; and that despite my life revolving around poker, I still haven’t acquired anywhere near the experience (in terms of hours played) that many of the American college kids and live Hold’em veterans have.

As I was in Vegas with an American friend who plays poker for a living, I got introduced to a lot of high stakes players from California and Vegas, a lot of them still shy of 30, and asked them how they made their living.