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An amateur poker player from Melbourne who won $1.6 million from an initial $130 investment has described the experience as a "mad dream".
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Shurane 'Shaz' Vijayaram knocked out the competition to win the Aussie Millions Poker Championship on Monday with just a pair of fives in hand.
"My coach told me at the start of the tournament that at the end of the day, the pros are just people like us and they have to get cards just like us," he told AAP.
"At the moment I've got a $200 kayak, so I think a boat is definitely on the cards. Will do some renovations around the house and take my family for a holiday."
He said choosing to match a 3.2 million chip bet in the final hand - that won - was the "toughest call of my baby poker career".
Most of Mr Vijayaram's playing was in pub cash games in suburban Melbourne until he scored one of 725 seats in the main draw.
Mr Vijayaram was guaranteed $215,000 just by making the fifth and final day but was still seated on the 169th hand.
With a pot of 7.5 million chips and two fives in hand, he called a 3.2 million bet - and beat his opponent Ben Heath's no pair hand.
