And it came as no surprise when the 24-year-old was snapped up by Bodog.com as one of its sponsored players.

The world series was really quite draining. It was hard to just play and think poker for 12 hours a day. There were some moments when I felt really tired and it was a little hard for me to stay focused all the time. But I think the excitement of being in the main event and of going as far as I did really helped me to focus.

I pretty much turned pro right after I graduated from college. There was a definite shift in mindset.