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Tag: Kunal Patni

  • Indian aces call the shots at WSOP 2025

    Indian aces call the shots at WSOP 2025

    MUMBAI: India’s high rollers and card sharks just raised the stakes on the global stage. At the 56th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) – held at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas – Indian players went all in, pulling off one of their best runs yet. From final tables to gold bracelets, Team India’s performance wasn’t just impressive, it was a royal flush.

    This year’s WSOP shattered records with 100 live tournaments, drawing thousands of players from across the globe. Amidst the buzz and billion-dollar pots, Indian players made their presence known, notching up seven final tables and even a bracelet win.

    Leading the pack was seasoned pro and former WSOP champ Aditya Agarwal, who clinched India’s only bracelet of the season in the WSOP Online NLHE Championship. Not far behind, Laksh Pal Singh cashed in on eight events and reached the final table in the Poker Hall of Fame Bounty. A familiar face in the Indian poker scene, Laksh is also a game ambassador for PokerBaazi.

    Ankit Ahuja, ranked India’s Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year—twice over—grabbed seven cashes, including a final table in the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship. Zarvan Tumboli battled it out across six events, placing 119th in the prestigious Main Event and shining in Omaha. He took reps at PokerBaazi, flying the flag for Maharashtra and the National Poker Championship.

    Former bracelet winner Aditya Sushant added four cashes to his name, including a deep run in the PokerNews Deepstack Championship. Meanwhile, Santhosh Suvarna – already a two-time WSOP bracelet winner – made three strong finishes, including a 16th-place run in the High Roller and a title win at the Wynn Classic.

    And it didn’t stop there. WSOP vets like Nipun Java, Abhinav Iyer, and Kartik Ved returned to form, joined by crowd favourites like Kunal Patni, Nishant Sharma, Shrey Maheshwary, Tarun Goyal, Bhargav Kakani, Gaurav Sood, and many more. Whether representing PokerBaazi or gunning for solo glory, the Indian contingent didn’t just ante up—they dominated.

    Even beyond the WSOP tables, Indians were busy stacking chips across Vegas. Breakout star Gunisha Sinha, the dentist-turned-poker pro from Delhi, stole the spotlight with a cracking win at the Resorts World Las Vegas 2025 Summer Series in the $360 NLHE – PLON Ladies tournament. Gunisha, now the latest PokerBaazi game ambassador, also clinched a title in The Circuit: Season 3, proving that when it comes to poker, she’s no novice.

    Closing out the series in style, Florida’s Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi took home the WSOP Main Event crown, his eighth career bracelet and a cool $10 million payday. That win also earned him a coveted seat in the Poker Hall of Fame.

    India’s performance at WSOP 2025 isn’t just a blip, it’s a bold declaration: the country is no longer an outsider in global poker. These players aren’t here to watch—they’re here to win.

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  • Dabur’s Amit Burman-backed Poker Sports League to launch on 24 May in Goa

    MUMBAI: So looking at sports these days we have a national league for each and every game let it be cricket, football, hockey, basketball, badminton, kabaddi and many more. Now you can add poker to that list. Come 24 May, the Deltin Royale, which is anchored in the Mandovi river in Goa, will see the launch of the Poker Sports League (PSL) – the first of its kind in India.

    The purpose of the PSL: “To promote the tournament aspect of poker across India and to provide every poker enthusiast an opportunity to play for the pride of winning. To promote responsible poker.”

    With a prize money of Rs 3.3  crore, 12 teams consisting of nine players each, the tournament will be held in the largest poker room on board the five storied Deltin Royale over five days. The  teams which were formed after a player draft include:   Bengaluru Jokers, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Panthers, Goan Nuts, Gujarat Acers, Haryana Hunters, Kings Hyderabad, Kolkata Royals, Mumbai Anchors, Pune Sharks, Punjab Bluffers and Rajasthan Tilters.

    The PSL – the brain child of Dabur scion and vice-chairman Amit Burman,  – has attracted a clutch of well known entrepreneur businessmen to become team owners: 

    Team Delhi: Rishi Kajaria, joint MD, Kajaria Ceramics and Ruchiransh Jaipuria of Jaipuria Group, Leela Jewels Abhishekh Jain, and Dhampur Sugars Gaurav Goel

    Team Mumbai: Mehul Shah, original promoter of Anchor Electrical;

    Team Bengaluru: Kunal Shah, cofounder of FreeCharge

    Team Hyderabad:  Amit Shah, Karan Bhagat and Yatin Shah of IIFL Wealth Management

    Team Gujarat: Harish Bahl,, Manish Vij and Gopikaa Davar of the Smile group and Mukesh Agarwal of VITWO.

    Team Kolkata: Ankkit Bahadur of Playboy, North India and Taarun V Jain of Legend Group

    Team Goa: Gaurav Mohan of Eventwala

    Team Chennai:  FreshDesk cofounder Girish Mathrubootam  and CaratLane cofounder  Mithun Sancheti

    Team Harayana:  Citrus Payment (PayU) cofounders Amrish Rau and Jiendra Gupta

    Team Pune: Rishabh Jhunjhunwala of Bhilwara Group, Shamit Khemka of Synapse India, Chetan Kajaria of Kajaria Ceramics and Sachin Goel  

    Team Rajasthan: Purrshottam Bhaggeria of Filatex

    “This will ensure that the league becomes a success going ahead,” Burman had said during the announcement of the league a few months back.

    Each team has a captain, or mentor, and two professional and four amateur players who were chosen from the thousands competing in online and offline events over the past five months.

    A gaggle of professionals have also decided to take part  Jaideep Sajwan, Zarvan Tumboli , Vidwath Shetty, Manoj Pentakota, Vinod, Megalmani, Aman Dhamija, Vivek ‘ik’ Rughani, Tarun Goyal, Abhinav Iyer. Bhavn Nainani, Pawan Bansal, Alok Ranjan, Madan Kumar, Sangeet Patni, Sahil, Mayank Agarwal Nishant Sharma, Karthik Ved, Deepak Batr, Sharad Rao, Sumit Sapra, Ratul Steves, SAhil Chutani and Siddharth Singvi.

    It has also attracted a handful of sponsors in year one: Jet Airways, Bira, Real Activ and John Jacobs.

    According to one of the team mentors Kunal Patni, the idea is to sportify the game in year one.  “We have the RFID tables and hole card cameras,” he told Radio One. “the idea is to have audiences know what’s going on and have them participate from the comfort of their homes.”

    All the matches are to be shot and filmed and a seven- part series is to be created, even as the matches are live streamed online on its facebook page. Sources indicate the series will also be telecast on a TV channels.

    Patni believes that the PSL will only grow from here and the sport which is taught in Harvard Business School will soon get the status it deserves, among India’s denizens.