2024 WPT Cambodia Passport to the World Championship: Karan Sitlani & Somashekar KN Lift WPT Trophies

The World Poker Tour (WPT) has returned to its beloved stomping grounds at NagaWorld Integrated Resorts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for another thrilling poker festival, aptly named “WPT Cambodia—Passport to the World Championship.” This series offers players a chance to win a coveted package to the prestigious year-end showdown at The Wynn Las Vegas and seats to the Prime Championship.

The excitement is palpable as the poker world is still buzzing from the recent conclusion of the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP). With Jonathan Tamayo‘s stunning $10 Million Main Event victory fresh in everyone’s minds, many players (especially Asians) returning from Vegas are making a beeline at Phnom Penh to keep the poker party going.

Organized by Connaissance Management Limited, WPT Cambodia kicked off on July 12 and will run until July 23. The festival boasts a packed schedule of 41 events, catering to all levels of players with buy-ins ranging from a modest $200 to a high-stakes $5,000. With the series past its halfway point, 21 players have already claimed their WPT trophies, adding their names to the tour’s impressive history.

India has been a dominant force in the live poker circuit throughout 2024, and their success has continued at WPT Cambodia. Coming off a phenomenal WSOP performance with over 200 cashes, eight final table appearances, and two bracelet wins, Team India has been absolutely crushing it in this series. So far, they’ve racked up an impressive 38 cashes, including a remarkable 17 final table appearances, two titles, and three runner-up finishes.

Karan Sitlani and Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva are flying the Indian flag high. They have both already claimed victory in their respective events. What’s even more remarkable is that both events ended in heads-up deals with fellow Indian players, highlighting the incredible talent and camaraderie within the Indian poker community.

For Karan Sitlani, this was his first-ever poker trip outside of India, and boy, did he make it count! He snatched his first live title in Event #10: $800 8 Max Survivor 1.5K Bounty, securing a seat in the WPT World Prime Championship and a whopping $40,330 (~₹33.72 Lakhs) in prize money. This win came after a strategic ICM deal with Amit Kaushik, another seasoned Indian pro and recent WPT Cambodia Championship finalist, who walked away with $40,960 (~₹34.25 Lakhs) from the same deal.

Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva, already a WPT title holder, added another feather to his cap by winning his second WPT title in Event #7: $350 Bounty. He skillfully outmanoeuvred a field of 180 entrants to collect $8,136 (~₹6.80 Lakhs), following a heads-up deal with compatriot Gagandeep Singh Malik, who earned a respectable $7,500 (~₹6.23 Lakhs) as the runner-up.

Karan Sitlani Wins Maiden Live Title in Event #10: $800 8 Max Survivor 1.5K Bounty ($40,330)

Karan Sitlani, the “High Roller Specialist” of the Indian online poker scene, made a splash in his very first international outing at WPT Cambodia. Sitlani, known for crushing it online with over ₹3.50 Crores in winnings, mostly accumulated in the last 20 months, showed he’s no slouch in the live arena either. He took down Event #10: 8 Max Survivor 1.5K Bounty, navigating a crowded field of 439 entrants to claim his maiden live title and a career-best $40,330 (~₹33.72 Lakhs) after a heads-up deal. A cool $10,500 of that came from his impressive bounty haul of seven eliminations.

The final heads-up battle was a showdown between Sitlani and Amit Kaushik, the formidable 28-year-old poker dynamo from Kurukshetra and a familiar face at the WPT, having reached the final table of the WPT Cambodia Championship in January. Kaushik, who started the final table as chip leader, didn’t go home empty-handed, securing a slightly larger slice of the prize pool at $40,960 (~₹34.25 Lakhs), which included his own $10,500 in bounties.

Sitlani’s journey to this victory has been anything but ordinary. While he’s a beast online, his live tournament experience has been limited. His first foray into the live scene was back in 2019 at the India Poker Championship ₹15K Head Hunter, where he placed 12th for ₹62,300. He only had one other live cash until the start of this year.

However, Sitlani had been building momentum with two deep runs in the DPT May 2024 edition in Goa, finishing fourth in the Mini High Roller (₹5.93 Lakhs) and 18th in the High Roller (₹2.59 Lakhs). This victory not only marked his first live title but also earned him a seat worth $1,100 in the prestigious WPT World Prime Championship in Las Vegas this December.

The heads-up duel was a nail-biter, with Sitlani starting with a 1.6:1 chip lead. After a tense 30-minute battle of wits, the two friends agreed to an ICM (Independent Chip Model) deal, ensuring a fair share of the prize money for both while leaving the coveted WPT trophy and the $1,100 WPT World Prime Championship seat up for grabs. At this point, Kaushik had a slight edge in chips, locking in $30,460 (excluding bounties), while Sitlani secured $29,830. But Sitlani dug deep and ultimately came out on top, claiming the title and bragging rights.

This victory represents Sitlani’s second cash of the series, having previously placed 11th in Event #7: $350 Bounty, bringing his total earnings to an impressive $41,125 (~₹34.39 Lakhs). This is only his sixth recorded live tournament score, but it’s a significant one, boosting his live tournament earnings to over ₹45 Lakhs.

Reflecting on his win, Sitlani exclaimed, “It’s unreal! This is my first international poker trip. I had to make some adjustments to my game, even though I play online 24/7. At the final table, I focused on putting ICM pressure on everyone, especially when I had the chips. I knew that’s what I had to do. I guess it was my day!”

Sitlani, primarily an online player, has proven he can transition seamlessly to live poker. “I was hesitant at first,” he admitted. “The WPT is a big deal, and I wasn’t sure if I could compete with all the seasoned pros and sharks. I’ve only been studying and playing professionally for two years. But I came in with the right mindset, focused on playing my A-game and trusting the process. I’m here to play poker, not chase results.”

Speaking about his heads-up opponent and friend, Kaushik, Sitlani said, “He’s a great friend, and we play online together a lot. I knew he had more experience here, but I was determined to give it my all. I play the man, not the cards.”

The $800 buy-in event, with its $150,000 guarantee, attracted a massive 439 entries across three starting flights. The prize pool swelled to $174,998, with an additional $130,500 in bounties. The top 56 players made it to Day 2, each guaranteed at least $839.

Along with Sitlani and Kaushik, eight other Indian players had a strong showing in this event. Gagandeep Singh Malik (20th for $4,675), Harsh Dev Jhirmiria (28th for $2,657), Raja Sekhar Puttamsetty (31st for $4,157), Pradeep Nudurumati (36th for $3,953), Vikaash Shah (37th for $953), Young Gun Siddharth Karia (46th for $839), Jatin Sablani (52nd for $839), and Nikesh Chawla (54th for $839) all made it into the money.

Final Table Results (USD) (Including Bounties)

1. Karan Sitlani – $40,330*
2. Amit Kaushik – $40,960*
3. Se Han Park – $15,731
4. Woojin Kim – $24,104
5. Junzhong Loo – $14,151
6. Dan Erik Sebastian Larsson – $9,770
7. Trung Ha Nguyen – $8,670
8. Xinglong Huang – $9,076
9. Santiago Soriano Ramos – $7,987

*denotes a heads-up deal

Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva Secures Second WPT Title in Event #7: $350 Bounty ($8,136)

Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva, a name that’s been popping up on the Asian poker circuit lately, snagged his second WPT title this past Sunday. He took down Event #7: $350 Bounty at WPT Cambodia, outlasting a field of 180 contenders to claim the top prize of $8,136 (~₹6.80 Lakhs) after striking a deal with fellow Indian player Gagandeep Singh Malik.

Nahadeva has been making waves since he first burst onto the scene in August 2022 with a victory at WPT Prime Cambodia Event #11. This recent triumph is not only his first cash in the ongoing series but also a significant boost to his lifetime live winnings, which now stand at an impressive $68,887.

Gagandeep Singh Malik, a seasoned pro with two WPT and DPT titles, also had a strong showing in Event #7. After the heads-up deal with Nahadeva, he finished as the runner-up, adding $7,500 (~₹6.23 Lakhs) to his impressive poker resume. Malik has been on a hot streak at the current series, already boasting three cashes worth $12,725 (~₹10.65 Lakhs), pushing his live tournament winnings to over ₹1.28 Crores.

Event #7: Bounty, with its affordable $350 buy-in, proved to be a popular draw. It generated a healthy $54,126 prize pool, ensuring that the top 23 finishers walked away with some cash, with the minimum payout set at $343.

Final Table Results (USD) (Excluding Bounties)

1. Somashekar Nahadeva – $8,136*
2. Gagandeep Singh Malik – $7,500*
3. Patrick James Standen – $3,703
4. Alain Van Dinh – $2,252
5. Jun-Ren Chen – $1,739
6. Mark Wayne Williams Jr – $1,441
7. Shimpei Tominaga – $1,228
8. I-Sheng Chen – $1,080
9. Santiago Soriano Ramos – $936

*denotes a heads-up deal

Content & Images Courtesy: World Poker Tour and SoMuchPoker

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