Poker players, even the most successful ones, don’t necessarily intend on sitting at the felt until their bodies start to wilt. Some have left after only a few years of winning, while others, like Doyle Brunson, become an icon of the game. Vanessa Selbst retired at the beginning of this year, only to return a month later to participate in a tournament.

There are a number of reasons why players make their choices—they lose interest, the lose sponsorships or they lose the lifestyle. One player left the game and found a great deal of success in the tech industry.

French poker pro Ludovic Lacay was a regular at live tournaments for a number of years, participating often in the WSOP and the EPT. He earned more than $3.2 million in cash between 2007 and 2013 with his best win coming at the EPT San Remo tournament in 2012 where he raked in just over $918,000. His luck seemed to change in 2014, though, earning a mere $38,053 after winning a minimum of $170,000 in each of the previous seven years.

After the downturn, Lacay weighed his options and decided it was time for a change. He dropped a sponsorship deal with France’s Winamax poker site, boxed up his cards and walked off into the sunset. He never looked back—almost never.