Annand Ramdin, or "Victor" as he is known, has an impressive repertoire of poker accomplishments. It may not be as long as many of the established professionals, but when you consider that Victor only learned to play in 2002, it is nothing short of amazing.

Originally from the South American country of Guyana, Victor was a taxi driver, and in an interview with PokerListings.com, recalled being so poor that his main priority was putting food on the table and having working tires on his taxi.

Ramdin immigrated to the U.S., an opportunity he feels blessed to have had, and settled in the Bronx, New York, where he opened his own business and began purchasing real estate.

A family man with a wife and two kids, Ramdin began playing poker after watching some of his friends play a casual game in a local bar. In no time at all, Victor had evolved and improved to the point where he began entering major poker tournaments and exploring variations beyond Texas Hold'em.

In his first year of playing live tournaments he cashed in four events and won an Omaha Hi-Lo tournament at The Orleans, earning $24,550. His biggest achievement to date though came at the 2006 WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic where he outlasted the field to take home more than $1.3 million. Later that year he came excruciatingly close to the final table at the WPT Championship, busting out in eleventh place and taking home close to $150,000.

Although Victor was formerly a "friend" of Full Tilt Poker, in the summer of 2006 he signed on as a full member of Team PokerStars. Victor was happy to be recognized by the poker room and to be given the chance to learn from the wealth of knowledge possessed by the team, which includes three world champions. The PokerStars team, for their part, were delighted to welcome him both for his skill at poker and for his commitment to philanthropy.

Unlike many poker players who blow their money on extravagant lifestyles and sports betting, Victor is committed to using his newfound wealth to make a difference for the people living in his native Guyana.

A long-time member and now vice-president of Guyana Watch, a group which provides medical care to those who would otherwise go without, Ramdin donates both his time and his money to help the disadvantaged.

He once gave $100,000 to Guyanan First Lady Varshnie Jagdeo to enable her to take 13 children and four adults to India to receive special medical treatment. Ramdin has also collaborated with fellow poker philanthropist Barry Greenstein, each making donations to the other's charity in an effort to raise awareness about these important causes.

Victor is a modest yet generous family man, one of many in the game today who are helping to redefine the stereotype of the gambling poker player. Although he describes himself as semi-pro with aspirations to turn pro some day, it's difficult to reconcile this with his over $2 million in tournament earnings to date.

Having only been playing for such a short time it will be interesting to see how Ramdin's game will evolve in the years to come. Win or lose though, it's great to see someone like Victor setting such a solid and admirable example for all the new players entering the game.