The World Series of Poker this year’s initial field of 6,844 players has by now decreased to less than two hundred who managed to outlast a number of renowned poker pros, such as Cunningham, Hansen, Jeff Madsen and some others. As for 23-year-old college graduate from Pennsylvania Nicholas Sliwinsky, he keeps on going.

It’s been a huge gap between two-months-ago situation when Sliwinsky had to live on couches of college friends figuring out how to go on with his psychology degree, and these days, as last Friday Nicholas began Day 5 at WSOP Main Event with 1.4 million chips. Not too surprising he’s already decided on his future career – he’s about to become a poker pro.

Sliwinsky has got his first endorsement deal at WSOP already - it was an agreement to wear an All-In Energy drink patch.

Initially parents of Nicholas, both teachers, did not approve of poker popularity boost, but his elder sister introduced him to the game five years ago when she started bartending and dealing charity poker games in an around Allentown, Pennsylvania. This summer, Nicholas won two satellites and chopped a third for the $28,000 after moving out to Vegas, Melece said. That's when he decided to buy into the Main Event.

By the end of last week, Nicholas Sliwinski had picked up 1.45 million chips and jumped from 55th into to 13th on the leaderboard.