DAVIE, Fla. -- A South Florida man has turned his hobby of playing poker into a moneymaker, and his gamble paid off in spades.

Jason Mercier's rise to the top of the world of professional poker had humble beginnings.

"I want to not have to work ever again," Mercier said.

The 22-year-old Davie man turned the online hobby into a full-time empire from the computer in his bedroom. He has parlayed tens of thousands of online winnings into victories in big-money live tournaments, including a jackpot in Italy in 2007 that netted him $1.3 million.

"I've always had a very keen understanding of statistics and probability and stuff like that, and that definitely factors into calculating odds and making quick decisions," Mercier said.

Mercier is also a multitasker, evidenced by the way he can play several, sometimes dozens, of hands at the same time. Mercier said he played about 2 million hands online in 2007, experience that pays off when real money is on the line.

"If you were to play 40 hours a week live, you'd probably only get in 100,000 hands, 150,000 hands in a year, so I was able to get 20 years of experience in one year," Mercier said.

Mercier graduated from Sheridan Hills High School in 2004, and despite a full academic scholarship to Florida Atlantic University, he decided college was not in the cards for him. In 2006, he turned pro.

His parents were less than thrilled with the gamble their youngest son was taking with his life.

"I told him, 'What, are you crazy? You're going to try to make money playing cards. That's what you're going to do for a living?" said his dad, Richard Mercier.

But his parents said Jason Mercier quickly proved he could support himself playing online, and winning those big-money tournaments convinced them they had an ace in the house.

Jason Mercier seems to understand the easy come, easy go nature of his profession, and he has set aside a good portion of his winnings that will never be used for gambling. He knows that someday his luck may run out and said he'll be smart enough to fold 'em while he's still ahead.

"You know, I have to be smart about it and make the right decisions with my money," Jason Mercier said. "But for now, I don't see myself stopping anytime soon."

In December, Mercier plans to travel to Las Vegas to compete in the "World Poker Tour" event, in which the payout, if he wins, will be nearly $1.5 million.