A novice poker player has walked away from an elite competition with £78,825 – shattering his previous record of just £300.

This was the second tournament Rapinder Cheema, or “The Rookie” as his opponents nicknamed him, had ever played in. In fact, he had not played any poker at all for two years.

Yet he managed to bluff his way through three days of non-stop play to become the champion of the PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour – a professional competition attracting the world’s straightest poker faces.

The 34-year-old underdog – who lives with his parents, wife and five-year-old son in Dartford – has only been playing for around four years.

He told the Messenger: “I think that it’s finally sinking in now. At the time I didn’t realise how big it was. Even just thinking about it I get lost for words.

“You know when you have got a list of things you want to do? I always watched poker on TV and I always wanted to have a go. I just wanted that experience.

“I started playing about four or five years ago in £10 to £20 tournaments in casinos just for a bit of fun. I went on my birthday and things like that. Prior to the competition I hadn’t really played for over two years.

“I wasn’t too aware of how big the tournament was at the time. Everything just came together on the night. It’s taken a few days to digest it all.

Over 700 people from around the country entered the London-based contest from Friday to Sunday, including seasoned professionals from Sweden and Spain.

“It is a long tournament,” Rapinder said. “The first day I went it was quite overwhelming because there were so many people playing.”

The newcomer played non-stop from Friday to Sunday until it came down to a final of eight. It was here where he raked in sky high winnings of almost quadruple the average yearly salary.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to make it that far at all. I am not used to playing for such long hours. I was really tired on Friday because of how long it went on and how unfamiliar everything was.”

While a bit of luck always helps, Rapinder puts his win partly down to his ability to read people. “I was playing the people on the table more than the cards,” he said. “A lot of these guys knew each other really well but I was a fresh face.

“You need a little bit of luck, but there were guys watching me who said that I was playing quite a solid game. This isn’t a lottery – you can’t get lucky more than once or twice.

“What was surprising was that everyone on the table was so polite. I thought that there might be one or two idiots there, but everyone was so nice.”

A player surely couldn’t ask for a better start to their professional career, but now Rapinder is in two minds of whether he can deal with the big leagues. He said: “This was a one off. I might play again but right now I just want to live in the moment.

“I’m not sure whether playing in such a big league again is on the cards. I need to see if I’m good enough.”

However, the poker star seemed to be talking himself back to the table: “I’m pretty confident actually,” he said. “I think I can play and I have proved that, but I want to prove that it wasn’t just luck.”

Rapinder hasn’t got any plans to splurge the cash just yet, and has already put half his winnings towards his parents’ mortgage who he lives with.

However, a holiday in Dubai may be on the cards for the family after his son breaks up from school in the summer.