A LAWYER has quit his job to make his living playing poker.

Alasdair Smith, 28, turned his back on a career as a litigation lawyer after finding he could make more playing poker online.

He now makes four times what he once earned - coining more than £100,000 a year - and is saving to pay for an £80,000 course to become an airline pilot.

Alasdair, from the Western Isles, is flying next week to the Bahamas to play in the Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure, a competition worth more than $1million.

The former employee of Glasgow firm Canonn's won his way to that competition online after beating hundreds of players from around the world.

Alasdair said: "I enjoyed my job but, after I took up poker, I found I could make a lot more cash playing online than I ever would as a lawyer.

"I have my heart set on being a pilot and this is my gateway to taking the course in Oxford.

"It costs £80,000, which is like a second mortgage really. The way things are going, I hope to be able to pay for it in cash pretty soon."

Alasdair started playing professionally a year ago, taking on mostly American players in the early hours four days a week.

He said: "The trick to making decent money in poker is good discipline and knowing how to play good cards once you've got them.

"My lifestyle is a bit strange but I've become used to it. My girlfriend knows what it's all about and she is supportive. I've come to regard it like a profession, just like any other."

Alasdair denies being flash but already has plans to buy his own Ferrari if he manages to win a big competition, such as the event on Paradise Island, near Nassau, on January 4.

He said: "I'm into accumulating money and am being quite prudent but, if I won a million dollars, I'd have to think about spending some of it."

Alasdair has been playing poker for four years in total, starting off on low stakes before stepping up.

Alasdair, who earned about £25,000 a year in his job, said some of his friends originally thought he was mad to pack in his legal career.

He said: "The very nature of the job makes it a gamble.

"On some nights, I can play steadily for five hours and the cards just don't fall for me.

"When I wake up the next day, my bank balance may be thousands of pounds down but you have to take it on the chin.

"I always feel confident that I can make up any losses and that I will be a winner in the long term.

"I had worked hard to become a lawyer and some people thought I was throwing it away.

"But I thought long and hard before making my decision and am glad that I did."

He added: "My brother is really into poker, too, and he does quite well on lower stake tables.

"I've been encouraging him to up the stakes because I think he can do very well.

"But he seems happy to keep things the way they are for now.

"I don't think I'm being a bad influence because he's big enough to make his own mistakes.

"I'm determined to get my pilot's licence - but I'll keep playing poker."