Poker champion Joe Hachem, 40, is spending the next few months preparing to defend the world series title that netted him $7.5m (£4m) last year.

The former mortgage broker — who also did a 13-year stint as a chiropractor — has only been competing in poker competitions full time since 2004 after honing his skills on the internet. But that didn’t stop the Australian from scooping the poker world’s biggest jackpot in Las Vegas last year.

Since then, he has become a well-known face in America, with appearances on chat shows, including Jay Leno’s.

When not travelling the world playing poker, Hachem lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife, Jeanie, 35, and their children, Anthony, 16, Justin, 13, Daniel, 11, and James, 10.

How much money do you have in your wallet?

I don’t carry a wallet, but I have about £300 on me. Usually I carry a bit more — maybe between £500 and £1,000 — because I prefer using cash where possible.

Poker’s a cash game and I also got used to dealing in cash when I worked as a chiropractor between 1989 and 2002.

Do you have any credit cards?

I have three credit cards but I try not to use them too much because it takes such a long time to buy anything with them. I can’t be bothered waiting for my card to be swiped all the time.

Are you a saver or a spender?

I’m a spender by nature. I never saved a penny until a few years ago. In fact I lived in a constant cycle of getting into debt, paying it back and then doing it all over again.

I’ve started being a bit more responsible with money in the past three years or so, but I still can’t come back empty-handed when I go abroad and I’m always the first person up to pay the bill when I go out to dinner with friends.

How much did you earn last year?