Coronavirus Lockdown: An Update From Poker Pros in Delhi

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic’s devastating impact on the global society shows no signs of slowing down as the number of confirmed cases crossed the 735,000-mark, with the worldwide death tally inching towards 35,000. India had 1,071-recorded cases as on March 30, while 29 citizens have already lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus.

The deadly infection has also forced industries across the world to halt operations. On March 24, India, too, imposed a 21-day nation-wide lockdown to break the chain of the spread of the COVID-19. Since then, the online poker sector has witnessed a sudden boom, with the majority of the poker players increasing their volume of play on the digital felts!

In our previous feature, we caught up with some poker pros located in the ‘poker capital of India’ – Goa. Poker superstar Aditya Agarwal, former WPT champion Dhaval Mudgal, PokerGuru Ambassador Kartik Ved, and renowned poker coach Abhishek Goindi shared their experiences from Goa during the lockdown.

In this feature, we shift our focus to the fifth-most affected state in the country, India’s capital – New Delhi. The state, as of March 30, has logged in 72 confirmed cases with 2 casualties. Several notable poker pros are based in the national capital state, including the likes of WSOP bracelet winner Nikita Luther, Sahil Mahboobani, Young Gun Arsh Grover, PokerStars India Team pro-Muskan Sethi, the 2020 India poker champion Rubin Labroo and Shashank Jain.

We reached out to them to find out how they have been spending their time, and from the responses we got, it looked like most of them have been doing a lot to keep themselves occupied. Leading by example, Sethi has immersed herself in social work. Luther has also been putting in decent volume online even though she confessed she was missing playing live tournaments. Online crushers Grover and Labroo have been working out to stay fit while making concentrated efforts to put in more volume online. This is just a brief glimpse of what these pros have been up to. To know more, read on…

Nikita Luther

India’s first female WSOP bracelet winner has a live MTT record only a few others in the country can match! While clearly, live MTT`s is her forte, she made heads turn last month when she finished fourth in one of the most prestigious online tournaments in the country, Spartan Poker’s Millionaire Legends, winning a hefty ₹24.13 Lakhs. Luther, who plays under the moniker ‘Pterodactyl’ on Spartan Poker, is presently at her home in New Delhi with her family during the lockdown.

“To be honest, I haven’t been playing much. Only Sundays for now. My family is dealing with some challenges due to the lockdown. So I am busy taking care of my parents and helping out at home. I plan to increase the volume considerably in April,” Luther said, sharing her poker routine.

She added, “The current situation doesn’t affect poker players or our routines much. Since we are on a default work from home mode. If anything, our workload has probably increased, given the increased participation in poker tournaments online. The pros should be putting in more volume at this time to realize their edge vs. fields with a higher ratio of recs. So no, no time for recreational activities. Just the regular workout plus study plus grind routine through the week.”

She is obviously missing the vibes of a live poker tournament. “The main way the lockdown has affected me is that I won’t be able to play live events. Live is how I started out in poker, and it is where I am most comfortable. I find it much easier to crush live, and not being able to travel – possibly for a very long time now – is making me very sad.”

That said, she’s gearing up to be more active on the virtual felts. “I am looking at this as an opportunity to capitalize on the wide variety of MTTs now available to play online in India with great guarantees. I haven’t put in much volume online in the past, and it is time to try and change that.”

The lockdown may be stifling for many, but as Luther put it, “We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Being isolated means we are spending more time with ourselves than we ever have. Use this time to reflect, to introspect, and to really think about what is important to you and what is not. To think about the kind of principles you want to lead your life by. Think about what is really going to bring you fulfillment and lasting happiness and not just short term pleasure. There has never been a better time to understand yourself. Come out of this with immense clarity on the kind of life you really want to lead, what values you want to live by, and what kind of a person you really want to be!”

Muskan Sethi

Muskan Sethi is a role model for many aspiring female poker players in the country. The proud recipient of the ‘First Ladies’ award for being ‘India’s First Woman to Play Professional Poker’ by the Honorable President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, Sethi has had a long professional poker career already. In all this time, she has won herself an impressive ₹70.85 Lakhs in live tournaments and ₹19.62 Lakhs in recorded online MTT`s.

Staying in Delhi with her family and beloved pets during the lockdown, Sethi speaking of her daily schedule, said, “To be honest these days I just eat, sleep, play, REPEAT! Mostly playing, studying, or watching poker around the clock.”

She acknowledged that the COVID-19 has impacted her daily routine and also shared how she is dealing with the same. “The state of mindset has changed with the series of tragic events and headlines, and I am very vigilant of the global situation amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Words may not suffice to express the heartfelt sorrow that I feel for the passing of the victims of this deadly virus. I am managing social work and doing every bit I can from home, especially in these trying times. I am practicing yoga and meditation.”

“I was watching some movies, reading, extreme decluttering, painting, and exploring music. I finally got down to set up my grinding station, and I love it! I have been putting in extra work and volume online. Spending more time with family is blissful. Lockdown with loved ones for loved ones is not such a bad thing after all,” she added.

Talking about the changes she has implemented in her day-to-day life, Sethi revealed, “I support social distancing and will cooperate, no matter how long it takes to ensure everyone’s safety. Together we will get through this. This is the least we can do for those who are risking their lives for us. As professionals, we are accustomed to this sort of ‘work from home’ lifestyle thanks to online poker. Players are now all online and avoiding any gatherings until everything gets under control. We are in this together! Precaution is better than cure.”

Sharing some insightful words of advice, Sethi said, “I hope poker players are doing everything in their capacity to ensure social distancing but essentially helping out those who are under the economic pressure and finding it impossible to make ends meet. Power comes with responsibility, and I urge you to take charge. A big thanks to those who are doing their bit to make a difference! Stay indoors; stay safe. All the best!”

Rubin Labroo

Delhi-based Rubin Labroo has been making the most of the heightened activity on the virtual felts since the lockdown began. “Generally, I play only tournaments in the evening, but I have been playing cash games too at night. A lot of action on these days, so I’m playing a lot more than usual,” Labroo confessed.

The 31-year old pro has an enviable record of online and live scores. Labroo`s most recent claim to fame was winning the IPC Main Event in January that fetched him the 2020 India Poker Champion title. Along with the ₹61.80 Lakhs first-place prize, Labroo also landed himself a one-year sponsorship deal from Spartan Poker worth ₹20 Lakhs.

The live poker scene may have halted, but as Labroo confirms, the lockdown isn’t affecting online players much. “In fact, it’s better because guarantees are huge, and this is the time to be focused and play your a-game. These 21 days could be a gold mine if you want it to. I have been working out a little and reading a lot more and catching up on things I’ve been wanting to do. I have started studying and also completed a mindset course.”

“I mean for an online reg it’s great because the guarantees are exploding every day. Each day is like playing a Sunday, so the longer the lockdown is extended, the more opportunities you have to hit a big score daily.”

He’s certainly putting the time he’s spending with his family to good use! “It’s a good time to spend time with family, just some activities together. I’m planning on teaching my family chess and poker.”

On a parting note, he stressed, “It’s important to stay mentally fit as you can get burned out very soon. Keep yourself busy the rest of the day, but don’t exhaust yourself. Apart from this, just take breaks. Go for walks on your terrace or your society. Catch up on things you’ve been meaning to do or have been procrastinating for any reason. Study more and introspect. It’s a great time and be safe.”

Sahil Mahboobani

Better known on the virtual felts as ‘HomelessOnWiFi,’ ‘ImHighIshove,’ and ‘inaboobham,’ Sahil Mahboobani is one of the more respected regs on the circuit today!

The 2018 WPT Main Event runner-up is living out the lockdown at home in Gurgaon. Like most other pros we spoke to, Mahboobani, too, has increased his online volume. “I have been dedicating 8 to 9 hours for 6 days a week now,” Mahboobani said, though he pointed out that not too much has changed in his daily routine because of the Coronavirus outbreak. “Everything has remained pretty much the same. Although spending more time at home now, I have been trying to study on work and my game. If there’s one thing the lockdown hasn’t changed, its online poker. It is excelling.”

He acknowledged that it could get frustrating if the lockdown gets extended. “I hope for the world and everyone’s sake that things will become stable as soon as possible. But I will continue to grind online as my life doesn’t change much again,” Mahboobani said.

His advice to fellow pros? “Stay indoors, eat healthy meals with proper timings, and to take care of themselves and families, and hope for the best soon.”

Arsh Grover

Like most of us, the young MTT-specialist Arsh Grover may be cooped up at home, but that hasn’t kept him from his online grind. Grover has been following a pretty active fitness regime as well. “I spend most of my day playing, studying, and coaching poker – anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a day,” he informs us. “I think it comes down to adapting and adjusting, just like in poker. There is change, but it’s about getting used to it. I’ve been pretty active at home finding creative ways to work out to get a good sweat in. I miss the gym and boxing, but you have to stay disciplined as it’s easy to give up on your goals in a time like this. I have had more time to read books, catch up on some old stuff, and spend quality time with my family!”

He is also enjoying the family time the lockdown has brought on. “We’re going through a time in history which we’ll never get back again, time to spend with our loved ones, to reflect and improve. We should cherish these moments.”

Did he have to change much in his routine? “No…Not too many changes. I’ve been social distancing for over a month now (since late February), so getting used to it. All domestic and international poker stops are canceled. I was really looking forward to the WSOP in the summer. I don’t see international borders opening before a year. Online poker has been positively affected, which is a huge plus for us poker players during this time.”

He feels that the lockdown is likely to continue. “I don’t see the curfew being lifted before June, and I’d recommend mentally preparing yourself for at least another couple of months.”

Advising players to find strength in the fact that the entire world is going through this together, Grover said, “Use this time to improve, add new habits, reconnect with old friends, stay disciplined, motivated, eat clean, work on yourself. If you can.”

He also emphasized on the importance of doing one’s bit to contribute towards COVID-19 relief efforts in the country. “This is a time where the vulnerable are in dire need of our help. Especially in a country like ours, where most of our population is going through an extremely tough time. So chip in if you can and be appreciative of the position you are in. Everyone’s contribution can help feed families. The amount doesn’t matter, intent does.”

Shashank Jain

Another prolific MTT specialist from New Delhi we spoke to was Shashank Jain. Last October, Jain proved that he’s just as adept in handling the challenges of big field online tournament, as the hurdles of a tough live FT when he stormed past 271 online entries to reach the final table of the PokerBaazi Premier League High Roller. The final table was played at the PokerBaazi LIVE poker room just before the BPT series and no points for guessing that it was Jain who came out on top to win ₹15.46 Lakhs.

Since the lockdown, he has shifted all his poker volume online. “The basic change is that I have been playing only online while earlier it was 50- 50 live and online. Also, for some time now, I won’t be able to travel for cash games or tournaments.”

What are his plans for the lockdown? “I have mostly been playing 8-10 hours a day some big tournaments and mostly cash except Sundays where I’m gonna be playing 7 to 8 tournaments over the session. Just gonna be able to put more volume playing online and just continue following this routine.”

He shared that he’s been working out for an hour on most days and is happy that he’s been able to spend some more time with family because of this crisis. “Just eating home food…no other hobbies as such maybe sometime soon,” Jain informed.

He emphasized how important it was for players not to lose their minds at this difficult time. “Be strong, spend some quality time with family, and focus on playing your ‘A’ game and getting better and better however possible by putting more volume or by online courses or watching videos – whatever works!”

That’s all for our update from Delhi. But do check back for more updates from other cities!