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Michael Niwinski is a certified poker player, although not the sort you might have heard of, until today.

Today, the 25-year-old psychology grad from Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada who grinds online cash games for a living, finds himself in uncharted territory, deep within the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event, creating a name for himself within the top element of the chip counts heading into the dinner break.

Niwinski is considered one of thousands of players quietly eeking out a living playing online poker in parts of the world, clear of the key tournament spotlight, where it's legal to take action. After graduating from the University of British Columbia in 2015, his part-time poker career was going so well, he decided to take a shot at doing it for a living. Since then Niwinski are available playing six-max cash games at stakes that range from $2/$4 to $10/$20, on sites including 888poker, and partypoker.

"Anywhere that I WILL BE ABLE TO play really, and i am playing five days a week, grinding, studying, and just seeking to live a balanced life," he said.

Niwinski got some coaching from an excellent friend in 2011, and was crushing online profit those mostly under-the-radar stakes ever since. He says the time required for the web multi-table tournament grind is just too much for him, but he decided to provide the WSOP a shot this summer. He spent every week out here to begin out, booking one small profit a $1,500 buy-in event before taking every week off. When he returned, Niwinski played a whole schedule of no-limit hold'em tournaments.

"It went OK," he said. "I DID NOT make money, but that's the way it is in tournaments sometimes. So if I'm here, I figured after all I'LL play the principle Event. That is actually my first time, so the sensation of creating this deep run in my first time, it's honestly indescribable."

So far, things have gone strangely similar on a daily basis within the tournament, and within the first few levels today, Niwinski exploded into chip lead position.

"The theme for every day for me has roughly been the same," Niwinski described. "It starts out fantastically after which roughly fades out. On Day 3 I doubled up immediately with aces over kings. On Day 4 I shot my chip stack immediately up from 500,000 to 1.1 million, after which today I shot it up from 1.2 million to 5.7 million, after only a few key hands that were huge pots. No real strategies. I CANNOT let you know the way it happened, it's just awesome."

Basically, Niwinski got paid off with a whole house winning an enormous pot to climb into contention. Then he moved into the highest spot of the counts getting an opponent all in with the nut flush draw and a gutshot versus top two pair. Niwinski turned the flush and faded all trouble at the river to transport as much as 5.8 million.

Finally, within the level before dinner, he collected soul after shorter-stacked soul, becoming the primary player over eight million in chips.

Niwinski says he's concerned about playing his game right now, but despite having a point in psychology, it isn't that aspect of the sport he focuses on.

"I initially started with an engineering degree for one semester, but that load was too heavy," he said. "I'm definitely more of a mathematically oriented guy. Whenever I tell someone that my background is in psychology, they ask if that helps with poker. I WANT to think it does a little, because I do just like the mindset of having into someone's head and looking to determine what is going on on, but for probably the most part I'M a math player, I'M a web based player, and that i feel like that's where my biggest edge comes from."

Now playing on one of the vital feature tables, in front of the ESPN cameras for the primary time, Niwinski is just seeking to remain composed under what seems to be the ever-mounting pressure of his Main Event moment.

"When I've actually been playing I DO NOT BELIEVE the nerves have got to me at all," Niwinski said. "Certainly when I HAVE BEEN on break I'bve been feeling like it is all so overwhelming. That is all happening so fast, and that i didn't expect it. Only time will tell how I WILL BE capable of handle it all, but for now, it's only one step at a time, cope with the sport after which whatever happens, happens."

As the 2016 WSOP rolls on, remember to stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage, dropped at you by our sponsors, 888poker.

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