A Blackheath man’s gamble of giving up his life working in a Chinese takeaway to become a professional poker ace has paid off.

27-year-old Ning Lu used to run a small business in Blackheath after coming over from China to London for college as a teenager.

Fast-forward eight years and he has just taken home more than £70,000 in a poker tournament in Stratford.

He said: “My business was quite a small business, only three to four people. I didn’t make too much money from it.

“I played poker on phone apps and on the computer. I saw there were a poker tournaments so I slowly, slowly I started to win games.

“I only started fully one and a half years ago when I stopped working in the Chinese takeaway. This is the largest amount I have ever won”

Ning entered the three-day 888Live Festival London poker tournament, alongside 427 other people, for his share of the pot.

After a gruelling three-day tournament, Ning took home the second-place prize of £72,142.

Last year in the same tournament he came second where he took home £9,790, and he says he’s planning to go one better again next year.