Private schoolboy turned uni student ditches his education to work at a pub for $25-an-hour – but his next move earned him $100k in just three months
- Malcolm Trayner dropped out of Macquarie University to become a poker player
- The 20-year-old worked in a pub before his debut, winning $90k in one event
- He competes in tournaments online and in person and is disciplined with money
- ‘When you’re going through long losing streaks, you’ve got to trust your ability’
A Sydney private schoolboy dropped out of university to work in a pub before earning $100k playing poker in just three months.
Malcolm Trayner is now a professional player who turned his back on university just one month into his degree and instead embarked on a lucrative gambling journey.
The now 20-year-old went to the prestigious Barker College on Sydney’s North Shore and started an applied finance degree at Macquarie University in March 2018, but soon realised it was poker that made him tick.
Mr Trayner worked in his local RSL for $25/hr before making his poker debut in October 2018. The gamble paid off.
He earned $100,000 in three months, with his meteoric rise including a $90,000 paycheck at the World Series of Poker tournament at the Star Casino in Sydney.
Malcolm Trayner dropped out from an applied science degree at Macquarie University to become a professional poker player
‘The big win really got the ball rolling,’ Mr Trayner told news.com.au.
He has since gone on to compete in high stakes tournaments in person and online and make more money on average than he loses, but is aware of the fleeting nature of gambling for an income.
‘I definitely have losing days, weeks, even a month. But when you’re going through long losing streaks, you’ve got to trust in your ability … as long as you’re not the unluckiest person in the world,’ he said.
Mr Trayner enlisted the help of another professional player as a mentor to help him get the most out of his hands on the table, and manage his losses to keep as much of his money as possible in his pocket.
Malcolm Trayner (pictured with a friend) says he definitely has losing streaks in his poker career, but knows to trust in his ability to turn his losses around
His parents were reluctant to celebrate his bold career choice, with Mr Trayner aware he needs to stay disciplined to maintain his income.
Mr Trayner knows he can’t afford to make mistakes, or he may be back chasing his university degree in the future.
‘A lot of people are delusional. They tell themselves they’re a winning player but they never win. Who knows, maybe I could be one,’ he said.
Malcolm Trayner plays tournaments online and in person, with his greatest paycheck coming from the World Series of Poker tournament at the Star Casino in Sydney where he won $90,000