A YOUNG poker player from Kingswood has been crowned champion in a national student poker competition.

Ben Foxwell, 21, won the UK Student Poker Championships (UKSPC) in Coventry on Friday, March 29.

He played his way to victory over two long days of competition at the Ricoh Arena, beating off 468 other entrants.

Mr Foxwell said he’d been playing poker for a few years.

The second year Sport and Exercise Science student started playing the game at Cardiff Metropolitan University with friends.

"I've had a couple of $1,000 wins online," he said. "But nothing as big as this."

He’s now netted himself a cool £3,450 in prize money, as well as £2,000 entry into a Grosvenor UK Poker Tour grand final – having paid just £30 to enter the student championship.

He said it had been a great event to play in.

"I was pretty confident as the structure was very slow, but knew there would be some great players there," he explained.

"I thought I may be in with a chance early evening on the second day, when I became chip leader for the first time, although shortly after lost a couple of pots."

Despite his success, he told the Gazette that he wasn’t really considering poker as a future career, instead thinking of it as a fun –  and lucrative –  hobby to accompany a possible career in cardiology and sport science.

"I also work in Tesco," said the talented student. "So it’s nice to have some extra money."