NPS India 2025 Day 18 Recap: Prahlad Nilange, Ankit Bajaj, Himanshu Arora & Abhineet Singla Grab the Most Coveted Gold Medals on a Firecracker Wednesday

While the country preps for Holi, the festival of colours, at the National Poker Series India 2025, it’s all about a different kind of spectrum: Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals, mountains of cash, and the sweet taste of poker glory! Day 18 of this gargantuan ₹100 Crores guaranteed poker festival was another powder keg detonating with six adrenaline-drenched tournaments. And that’s not even counting the satellite melees for the colossal ₹5 Crores GTD NPS#147 Mini Main Event (Qualifier 5), the ₹2 Crores GTD NPS#134 HighRoller (Qualifier 3), and the ₹1 Crore GTD NPS#127 Value Mine (Qualifier 6 – Turbo)—all igniting a firestorm on the PokerBaazi tables.

The poker community didn’t just show up—they charged onto PokerBaazi like a Holi colour bomb! A whopping 7,107 entries flooded the virtual arena, driving the day’s total prize money to a jaw-dropping ₹2.61 Crores—a staggering 11% above the promised ₹2.35 Crores.

The numbers are screaming: a breathtaking ₹57.29 Crores in prize money has already been handed out in just 18 days – a massive leap over the ₹51.45 Crores that was on the line for this period. What we’re witnessing isn’t just huge—it’s history in the making, unfolding before our very eyes.

NPS India 2025 will take a brief but much-deserved pause on March 14—giving players a chance to catch their breath, recharge, and prepare for the next onslaught of poker madness! And a heads-up to our loyal readers: PokerGuru won’t be reporting on today’s events due to the national holiday. But fear not—we’ll be back in the trenches on March 15, bringing you all the high-stakes drama, the leaderboard upheavals, and the championship moments as they happen!

A new dawn brought a fresh wave of champions, both familiar and new, with five players snatching their first Gold Medals of the series and one adding a second Gold to their collection! But the one who truly stole the show was Prahlad Nilange, who etched his name into the NPS annals with a career-altering victory! He stormed through the NPS#120 Wednesday Volley, conquering his first-ever NPS medal (a Gold, no less!) and a colossal ₹9.62 Lakhs—obliterating his previous best by nearly 3.5 times! Nilange didn’t just top the charts as the day’s biggest NPS earner; this was also his second career title and first of 2025, ending a nearly nine-month title drought. This breakthrough made him the 22nd player from Maharashtra to claim Gold this year—a serious feat in one of the country’s toughest poker proving grounds. His victory sent him soaring to #12 on the state leaderboard.

In an all-Maharashtra final battle in the Wednesday Volley, Vishal Ojha, a seasoned poker warrior and 2023 USOP Main Event champion, finally added an NPS medal to his resume this edition. He finished runner-up, collecting ₹6.62 Lakhs and the Silver Medal (his second overall NPS medal). He also crushed the final table of NPS#119 Deepdive and Adda52’s Maverick. And still, he added scores in three other NPS tourneys (cashing in all five events he played) for a total plunder of nearly ₹9.01 Lakhs – his biggest haul of 2025 so far. Mohit Mehta, already flaunting a Bronze and Silver from earlier in the series, was on the prowl for more medals, and he found it in the Wednesday Volley, grabbing another Bronze for ₹5.14 Lakhs—his fifth career NPS medal. This feat placed him among only 16 players with three or more NPS India 2025 medals and boosted him to #6 on the Haryana State Leaderboard. Grinding like a machine, he cashed in four more events, bringing his total Wednesday take to over ₹5.65 Lakhs and climbing to #18 on the NPS Series Leaderboard.

Ankit Bajaj is making this winning thing look way too easy! Just days after pulling off a mind-blowing ₹1 Crore Mystery Bounty on Natural8 India (landing him in the top three of the 2025 POY rankings), this former two-time NPS Gold Medallist struck gold again, taking down PokerBaazi’s NPS#119 Deepdive for ₹4.76 Lakhs after a heads-up deal – his second-largest NPS score ever. This win catapulted him to #3 on the Gujarat State Leaderboard. Mukesh Surana, a two-time NPS Gold Medallist and a former The MoneyMaker champion from Chennai, also had his long-awaited breakthrough of the series in the Deepdive, grabbing Silver and ₹5.72 Lakhs, rocketing to #11 on the Tamil Nadu State Leaderboard.

Himanshu Arora was another online stalwart who penned his comeback story. A battle-tested warrior with show-stopping wins in prestigious events like The MoneyMaker and Masters#23 Mini HighRoller, Arora conquered his first flagship title in six months, shipping the NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive. The win netted him ₹4.39 Lakhs, his second career NPS Gold (first medal of the series and fifth overall), boosting him to #5 on the Karnataka State Leaderboard. He kept the momentum roaring with three more deep runs, including a podium finish in Adda52’s Bounty Madness, bringing his total Wednesday earnings to a sweet ₹5.42 Lakhs. Delhi’s ‘pjprateek‘ came this close to their own breakthrough, finishing runner-up in the Megadive. Though Gold remained elusive, they grabbed their first NPS Silver and a site-best ₹4.10 Lakhs. With two more cash finishes, their Wednesday winnings soared past ₹4.48 Lakhs.

Abhineet Singla was another shining star of the day, doubling his Gold Medal count by conquering the NPS#118 Knockout (KO) for ₹2.94 Lakhs—becoming one of only eight players this season with two Golds. He stacked up a total of nearly ₹3.36 Lakhs for the day, soaring to #2 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard, setting up a fierce showdown with fellow double-Gold winner Vikhyat Ahlawat. Runner-up ‘goldenbhai‘ made the most of a single entry, claiming their first-ever NPS medal—a Silver—and ₹2.07 Lakhs. This was their second-biggest career score and a major bankroll boost, wiping out nearly 20% of their past losses in one glorious run.

Among the day’s other Gold Medal victors, West Bengal’s Harsh Bubna sprinted to the finish line in the NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT, pocketing ₹2.84 Lakhs and his second career Gold Medal (first this series). Delhi’s Sanchit Anand dominated the NPS#117 Marathon, taking home ₹2.78 Lakhs.

Over on the NPS Series Leaderboard, it’s still the Bhanu Prakash KC show. He’s the player to beat, thanks to his sheer consistency and dedication, now boasting a staggering 24,940 points from 97 cashes. However, Vinay Rajpal is still lurking within striking distance, with 23,080 points from 105 cashes. PokerBaazi Team Pro Laksh Pal Singh is keeping the pressure cranked up, still holding strong in third place with 21,960 points from 89 cashes. These relentless grinders are undoubtedly looking forward to that well-deserved Holi break on Friday after a tenacious and tireless grind.

Looking at the state-by-state breakdown, Delhi dominated Wednesday’s medal count, leading this chart for the fifth time in 18 days, seizing four more medals, including a crucial Gold, keeping that neck-and-neck race with Maharashtra red-hot. The National Poker Champion (India) Leaderboard remains a battlefield, with Maharashtra clinging to the top. They lead with 72 medals (22 Gold, 22 Silver, and 28 Bronze). But Delhi is refusing to yield, staying close with 63 medals (20 Gold, 24 Silver, and 19 Bronze). Uttar Pradesh remains a distant third with 39 medals (13 Gold, 16 Silver, and 10 Bronze).

Despite all the fireworks at NPS India 2025, the day’s biggest score exploded on Natural8 India, with Anant Purohit, the 2024 POY runner-up, outlasting a monstrous 6,637-entry field in Bounty Hunters Circuit Edition 54, claiming his third title of the year and a whopping ₹27.88 Lakhs payday—his biggest score of 2025 and fourth-largest ever on the platform, keeping him firmly entrenched at #2 in the 2025 POY rankings!

Mayank Maruka and Yash Patwa conquered the Wednesday flagships across the other major platforms!

Here are the Wednesday highlights!

PokerBaazi

NPS#120 Wednesday Volley – ₹80 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹8,625

Entries – 535

Re-entries – 471

Prize Pool – ₹80,00,000

Places Paid – 167

Day 18 of the gargantuan ₹100 Crores GTD National Poker Series India 2025 was another powder keg exploding with high-stakes poker mayhem, spread across six adrenaline-pumping tournaments. And that’s before you even factor in the satellite skirmishes for the colossal ₹5 Crores GTD NPS#147 Mini Main Event (Qualifier 5), the ₹2 Crores GTD NPS#134 HighRoller (Qualifier 3), and the ₹1 Crore GTD NPS#127 Value Mine (Qualifier 6 – Turbo) – all lighting up the PokerBaazi tables.

The poker community responded with a thunderous boom. A mind-blowing 7,107 entries slammed into the PokerBaazi virtual felt, driving the day’s total prize money to an eye-watering ₹2.61 Crores – more than 11% above the ₹2.35 Crores promised. Nearly every single event was a guarantee-obliterating success.

Let’s pause for a second to absorb this: a colossal ₹57.29 Crores in prize money has already been dished out in just 18 days. That’s a massive jump from the ₹51.45 Crores that was initially on the table for this period. This isn’t just a big series; it’s a legendary one, being written in real time.

And for those with an insatiable appetite for more, there’s plenty more coming. Quick note: NPS India 2025 will take a brief, well-deserved break on March 14 for Holi, letting players recharge and rejuvenate before diving back into the poker pandemonium.

The state rivalry is a captivating drama unfolding within the larger spectacle. Maharashtra remains the top dog, their players flaunting a majestic 72 medals (22 Gold, 22 Silver, 28 Bronze). But Delhi is a tenacious rival, hot on their heels with an impressive 63 medals (20 Gold, 24 Silver, 19 Bronze).

Delhi dominated the day’s medal count for the fifth time in 18 days, seizing four more, including a crucial Gold, keeping that neck-and-neck race with Maharashtra burning hot. But, while Delhi might have conquered the day’s medal count, it was a Maharashtra player who walked away with the night’s biggest prize. Prahlad ‘Clutchg0d’ Nilange, a PokerBaazi regular since September 2023, had a true moment of poker glory in the day’s flagship event, the ₹80 Lakhs GTD NPS#120 Wednesday Volley.

Nilange’s run in the 7 PM Wednesday Volley was the stuff of legends. It was a brutal, nearly 9.5-hour marathon against 1,006 total entries (535 unique), with cards and chips flying in a chaotic ballet. But in the end, Nilange’s efforts were rewarded with his first-ever NPS Gold Medal and a life-changing ₹9.62 Lakhs – almost 3.5 times his previous best, making him the day’s top earner at the NPS. This is also his second title and first of the year on the platform, ending a nearly nine-month dry spell. This victory made him the 22nd player from Maharashtra to strike Gold this year, rocketing him to #12 on that brutally competitive state leaderboard.

Prahlad Nilange’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹48.25 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹26.32 Lakhs | Moves to #12 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹17.72 Lakhs

The Wednesday Volley’s final duel was a Maharashtra-only showdown. Prahlad Nilange found himself head-to-head with the fearsome Vishal ‘Darky’ Ojha, a renowned live and online pro, equally determined to claim his first NPS Gold. Ojha, the 2023 USOP Main Event champion, the 2023 People’s Poker Championship finalist, and a key player in Kolkata Wizards‘ runner-up finish in Pocket52 PSL Season 6 went all-in, firing an incredible six entries in his Gold hunt. He came heartbreakingly close, ending up with the Silver (his first medal of the series and second overall, following a previous Silver in the 2022 NPS#17 Hyper SPRINT. But there were no tears here. He still banked a sweet ₹6.62 Lakhs – his biggest score of the year, launching him to #26 on the ultra-competitive Maharashtra State Leaderboard.

Ojha was a one-man wrecking crew. He also crushed it at the final table of NPS#119 Deepdive and Adda52’s Maverick. And if that was not enough, he also added scores in three other NPS tourneys (cashing in all five events he entered), and his total Wednesday winnings ballooned to an incredible almost ₹9.01 Lakhs. That epic run also catapulted him to #26 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY Leaderboard.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#120 Wednesday Volley for ₹6,62,400

> 5th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#119 Deepdive for ₹1,76,202

> 8th in Adda52’s Maverick for ₹25,964

> 27th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹17,100

> 36th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹12,366

> 120th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#118 Knockout (KO) for ₹6,500

Vishal Ojha’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹6.39 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹1.83 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #2 | Moves to #26 on the Maharashtra State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹32.11 Lakhs | Moves to #26 on PokerBaazi’s POY Race

Adding even more spice to the NPS#120 Wednesday Volley was the ever-present Mohit ‘thejoker’ Mehta, another highly respected online grinder. He’s been relentless since his WPT#45 (7-Max) Turbo win last December, always on the prowl for another major score. And while that massive win has eluded him, so far, Mehta’s consistency is something else.

Already sporting a Bronze (NPS#52 PLO-6) and Silver (NPS#90 Slamdunk) from earlier in this series, Mehta added another medal to his overflowing trophy case, snagging another Bronze in the NPS#120 Wednesday Volley for a striking ₹5.14 Lakhs – his fifth career NPS medal. This boosted him to #6 on the Haryana State Leaderboard and placed him among the elite – one of only 16 players to have grabbed three or more medals at NPS India 2025!

Living up to his reputation as a poker-playing machine, Mehta didn’t limit himself to a single deep run. He played the full schedule and cashed in four more NPS events for a total Wednesday take of over ₹5.65 Lakhs! These scores also sent him to #18 on the NPS Series Leaderboard, with 18,671 points accumulated over 81 cashes. He’s played in every single one of the 121 tournaments scheduled so far – a staggering 100% attendance rate. Mehta is a force of nature, always in contention.

> 3rd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#120 Wednesday Volley for ₹5,13,600

> 48th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive for ₹20,083

> 39th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#118 Knockout (KO) for ₹16,000

> 146th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#119 Deepdive for ₹10,207

> 167h in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹5,400

Mohit Mehta’s NPS stats: Moves to #14 on the Haryana State Leaderboard | Moves to #18 on the NPS Leaderboard| NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold, 1 Silver & 3 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹56.54 Lakhs

The NPS#120 Wednesday Volley’s final table was a reg fest, featuring other poker talents: Anil ‘Anil1986’ Sharma (4th for ₹3.87 Lakhs), Co-founder & CMO of Sportsbaazi and NPS#18 Marathon Silver Medallist Puneet ‘neo1’ Dua (5th for ₹2.78 Lakhs), NPS#17 Deepdive Bronze medallist Puneet ‘HEROCALLSBRO’ Sachan (6th for ₹2.08 Lakhs), Gunisha ‘obimikel’ Sinha (7th for ₹1.57 Lakhs), and the four-time medallist this series and NPS Series Leaderboard #1 Bhanu ‘Chennaino1’ Prakash KC (8th for ₹1.28 Lakhs).

Despite the packed schedule and massive guarantees across the day’s events, the ₹8,625 buy-in NPS#120 Wednesday Volley was one of two NPS flagships to see a slight overlay, falling just ₹4.55 Lakhs short of its whopping ₹80 Lakhs guarantee. The top 167 players still walked away with at least ₹14,400, proving that the action and rewards continue to flow in this groundbreaking series.

Final Table Results

1. Prahlad ‘Clutchg0d’ Nilange – ₹9,61,600
2. Vishal ‘Darky’ Ojha – ₹6,62,400
3. Mohit ‘thejoker’ Mehta – ₹5,13,600
4. Anil ‘Anil1986’ Sharma – ₹3,87,200
5. Puneet ‘neo1’ Dua – ₹2,78,400
6. Puneet ‘HEROCALLSBRO’ Sachan – ₹2,08,000
7. Gunisha ‘obimikel’ Sinha – ₹1,56,800
8. Bhanu ‘Chennaino1’ Prakash KC – ₹1,28,000

NPS#119 Deepdive – ₹50 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹4,600

Entries – 681

Re- entries – 662

Prize Pool – ₹53,72,000

Places Paid – 226

The engines are roaring at NPS India 2025, and Wednesday, Day 18, was no different, packed with six flagship tournaments and those all-important Qualifiers! With a breather coming up on Holi (March 14), players were grinding hard, squeezing every last drop of action before that well-deserved day off. This opening stretch of the series has been a wild ride, full of highs, lows, and everything in between!

Wednesday saw give players grabbing their first Gold Medals of the season while another snagged a second. Two others saw another medal grace their trophy case on a day when guarantees were smashed left and right (except for two tiny blips)! While everyone’s attention was on the ₹80 Lakhs GTD NPS#120 Wednesday Volley, the 7 PM headliner, the ₹50 Lakhs GTD NPS#119 Deepdive, starting just a half-hour earlier, was the appetiser before the main course.

And this is where Ankit ‘Psycorp’ Bajaj wrote another chapter in his incredible story. This guy’s been on fire this month! He started by hitting the jackpot in Natural8 India’s Mystery Bounty Kick-Off 108, yanking out a jaw-dropping ₹1 Crore Mystery Bounty (₹1.02 Crores total). That single score made him the sixth Indian player to ever hit an eight-figure payday, landing him in the top three of the 2024 POY rankings, chasing the seemingly unbeatable Tarun Goyal and the blazing-hot Anant Purohit (who himself scooped up another ₹27.88 Lakhs just last night!).

But Bajaj proved that this streak he’s got going is no fluke by etching his name onto the NPS India 2025 champions list. He’s a player with a pedigree, already sporting two Golds (2022 NPS#15 Deepdive and 2022 NPS#20 Freezeout) and a Bronze from previous NPS editions. He added a third Gold to his collection last night, conquering the gigantic 1,343-entry field (681 unique) in the 6:30 PM NPS#119 Deepdive. After almost ten gruelling hours, a heads-up deal saw him pocket a sweet ₹4.76 Lakhs.

This latest win is his second-largest score at the NPS to date, close behind his deep run in the NPS#41 Mega Rush last year. It also shoots him up to #3 on the Gujarat State Leaderboard.

Ankit Bajaj’s NPS stats: Moves to #3 on the Gujarat State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 3 Gold & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹34.27 Lakhs | Ranked #3 in the 2025 Leaderboard Standings (Total Cashes)

Chasing down Bajaj till the end was Mukesh ‘Guruuu’ Surana, a two-time Gold Medal winner and a former The MoneyMaker champion from Chennai. He’d been putting in serious work at NPS India 2025, grinding through 54 events and cashing in 12. Finally, the breakthrough arrived. He crashed through the NPS medal barrier for the first time this series, firing two entries in the NPS#119 Deepdive and locking in a runner-up finish, bagging his first Silver Medal. The heads-up deal boosted his bankroll by ₹5.72 Lakhs, getting him the lion’s share of the prize pool. While a third Gold remained just out of reach, this performance launched him straight to #11 on the Tamil Nadu State Leaderboard, contributing to the state’s climb in the national rankings.

Mukesh Surana’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹3.69 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹94.21 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #3 | Moves to #11 on the Tamil Nadu State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold & 1 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹21.01 Lakhs

Delhi’s ‘rj81295’ completed the NPS#119 Deepdive podium, snatching their first NPS medal (a Bronze) and a personal-high ₹3.31 Lakhs – more than tripling their previous best. That erased almost 40% of their accumulated losses from the past four years in a single, glorious night!

The NPS#119 Deepdive final table was filled with familiar faces, all fighting for a piece of the prize. Satyam ‘AnakinSkywa1keR’ Verma (4th for ₹2.43 Lakhs), fresh off a Silver in yesterday’s NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT, nearly grabbed another medal. The formidable Vishal ‘Darky’ Ojha (5th for ₹1.76 Lakhs), who took Silver in last night’s NPS#120 Wednesday Volley, was also in the mix, alongside Subham ‘subh1210’ Ruia (6th for ₹1.29 Lakhs), and Goan ace Myron ‘priyankAAchoprAA’ Pereira (8th for ₹76,820), who finished on the podium in this week’s Sunday Head Hunter.

The ₹4,600 buy-in NPS#119 Deepdive was another guarantee-crusher, generating a whopping ₹53.72 Lakhs prize pool, thanks to the massive participation. The top 226 finishers got a payday, with a min-cash worth ₹7,521, highlighting the ongoing success of this record-breaking series.

Final Table Results

1. Ankit ‘Psycorp’ Bajaj – ₹4,76,338*
2. Mukesh ‘Guruuu’ Surana – ₹5,72,277*
3. rj81295 – ₹3,31,452
4. Satyam ‘AnakinSkywa1keR’ Verma – ₹2,42,814
5. Vishal ‘Darky’ Ojha – ₹1,76,202
6. Subham ‘subh1210’ Ruia – ₹1,28,928
7. Fridaythe13th – ₹98,845
8. Myron ‘priyankAAchoprAA’ Pereira – ₹76,820

*denotes a heads-up deal

NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive – ₹30 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹4,600

Entries – 422

Re-entries – 624

Prize Pool – ₹41,84,000

Places Paid – 167

Silence is a rare commodity for a poker player with a track record like Himanshu ‘pokerbrat7’ Arora. A player whose profit graph has been a relentless climb for seven straight years, a predator who thrives on the thrill of victory, the weight of Gold—he had been missing that familiar rush for months now.

Sure, smaller wins on PokerBaazi, like the (300X) and Turbo two months ago, were bread and butter. But for a player of Arora’s standing, those were mere appetizers. His name is synonymous with online poker dominance, a legend forged with show-stopping wins in prestigious events like The MoneyMaker and Masters#23 Mini HighRoller. His NPS trophy case already glittered with a Gold (2024 NPS#87 Run-Up), a Silver (2022 NPS#71 Friday Deepdive), and two Bronze medals (2024 NPS#32 Slamdunk and 2022 NPS#60 Heavy Weight PLO-5). But a major title, a flagship victory, had eluded him since his WTF takedown in September 2024. But Wednesday night, the lion roared again.

The ₹30 Lakhs GTD NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive was his battlefield, with 422 contenders (1,046 total entries) all craving that coveted NPS Gold. But Arora was different. He had already sent a warning shot with a fourth-place finish in NPS#25 (PLO-4). He was on a mission, a player with over ₹9 Crores in tracked online earnings and four seven-figure scores. He knew his way around a PLO table and was ready to remind everyone.

He plunged into the deep end of the 9:30 PM NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive, the last NPS event of the day. He chipped away, relentlessly building his stack, and after nearly nine hours of poker warfare, he struck Gold. A heads-up deal earned him ₹4.39 Lakhs, his second NPS Gold (and his first medal this series), and his biggest score on PokerBaazi this year. This victory also sent him soaring to #5 on the Karnataka State Leaderboard.

But he still pursued more. Arora, charged with momentum, almost took down Adda52’s Bounty Madness a few hours earlier. He fought through a 174-entry field, finishing third for ₹78,507 (₹48,629 in bounties) – a hair’s breadth from a double victory. Three more NPS cashes were added to his already epic night. When the dust finally settled, his Wednesday winnings totalled over ₹5.42 Lakhs – his most explosive performance of 2025, a resounding declaration of his return to form!

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive for ₹4,38,853* (heads-up deal)

> 3rd in Adda52’s Bounty Madness for ₹78,507

> 20th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹21,300

> 166th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹3,463

Himanshu Arora’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹9.38 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹3.22 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #4 | Moves to #5 on the Karnataka State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold, 1 Silver & 2 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹41.04 Lakhs

Breathing down Arora’s neck was Delhi’s ‘pjprateek’—a player shrouded in enigma, their anonymity only amplifying their threat. Their own title drought stretched back to February 2023, a victory in the (7-Max) Afternoon Boost, a fading echo. The hunger for another win was burning.

Last night, they came within a whisper of glory. Deep in the NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive, ‘pjprateek’ fourth their way to the final showdown. The coveted first NPS Gold was within reach, but it slipped away. They had to settle for the runner-up position.

Yet, it was far from a defeat. A personal-best ₹4.10 Lakhs payday from the heads-up agreement and their first NPS Silver Medal (second overall) significantly fattened their bankroll. ‘pjprateek’ scored in two other NPS events, bringing their Wednesday haul to over ₹4.48 Lakhs, a financial injection, erasing past setbacks, and arming them for the battles ahead.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive for ₹4,10,499* (heads-up deal)

> 25th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹21,300

> 68th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#119 Deepdive for ₹16,653

pjprateek’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹19.46 Lakhs | Site Winnings: ₹2.19 Lakhs | Moves to #37 on the Delhi State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Silver & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹9.68 Lakhs

Then there was Maharashtra’s Abhishek ‘AbsDeDabs’ Negi, a satellite specialist who had been practically dormant with a single event played in the last four months. He chose the fiery crucible of the NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive for his return, firing two bullets and proving that skill never truly fades. Negi battled his way to a third-place finish, claiming his first-ever NPS Medal (a Bronze) and a site-best ₹2.69 Lakhs – effectively erasing almost all his past losses in one fell swoop.

Abhishek Negi’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹7.62 Lakhs | Moves to #50 on the Maharshtra State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹3.02 Lakhs

The NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive final table was a gathering of familiar players, including Nikhil ‘blastupinside’ Arora (4th for ₹2.03 Lakhs), Tuesday’s NPS#111 Megadive Gold Medallist Akhilesh ‘Ikka5’ Chauhan (5th for ₹1.46 Lakhs), and Prashanth ‘mcp1212’ Chandrasekhar (6th for ₹1.09 Lakhs).

The ₹4,600 buy-in NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive proved to be another smashing success for the NPS India 2025, crushing its guarantee and building a scorching ₹41.84 Lakhs prize pool – nearly 40% above the initial promise. The field was tough, but the rewards were plentiful, with 167 players making the money, each earning at least ₹7,531, a clear sign of the growing popularity of PLO in this legendary series.

Final Table Results

1. Himanshu ‘pokerbrat7’ Arora – ₹4,38,853*
2. pjprateek – ₹4,10,499*
3. Abhishek ‘AbsDeDabs’ Negi – ₹2,68,613
4. Nikhil ‘blastupinside’ Arora – ₹2,02,506
5. Akhilesh ‘Ikka5’ Chauhan – ₹1,45,603
6. Prashanth ‘mcp1212’ Chandrasekhar – ₹1,08,784

*denotes a heads-up deal

NPS#117 Marathon – ₹30 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,875

Entries – 505

Re- entries – 588

Prize Pool – ₹30,00,000

Places Paid – 186

Wednesday, Day 18 of the colossal NPS India 2025, delivered another dose of poker pandemonium, with seasoned pros and upcoming stars alike carving their names into NPS history. Among them was Delhi’s Sanchit ‘Choker6’ Anand (opted out of our tracking), a former The MoneyMaker runner-up, who finally seized that elusive first NPS Gold! Anand, already a 2022 NPS#71 Friday Deepdive Bronze Medallist, didn’t just win PokerBaazi’s ₹30 Lakhs GTD NPS#117 Marathon; he obliterated the competition.

The 4 PM flagship, the traditional starting gun for the second NPS battle of the day, drew a swarm of 505 players (swelling to a field of 1,093 with re-entries). And a marathon it truly was, a relentless, nine-hour-and-14-minute slugfest! When the dust settled, and only two remained, a deal was brokered. Moments later, Anand delivered the final blow, claiming the coveted Gold (his first medal of the series and second overall) and a hefty ₹2.78 Lakhs top prize. With that knockout punch, Anand plants his flag firmly at #17 on the Delhi State Leaderboard.

This former Summit HighRoller champion and BSS SuperStack podium finisher also pocketed a small consolation prize in NPS#119 Deepdive (211th for ₹7,520), boosting his total Wednesday plunder to nearly ₹2.86 Lakhs.

Sanchit Anand’s NPS stats: Moves to #17 on the Delhi State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹12.77 Lakhs

But Anand wasn’t the only one making headlines. The unyielding chase for NPS glory saw mid-stakes juggernaut Abhijeet ‘ERROR404’ Kumar, the NPS#8 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT Gold Medallist, add another medal to his growing collection – this time, a Silver. Thanks to the heads-up deal, Kumar actually walked away with the biggest chunk of the prize pool, a handsome ₹3.28 Lakhs, and ascended to the throne of the Bihar State Leaderboard.

Not content with just one deep run, Kumar also cashed in another NPS event, his total for the day swelling to a respectable nearly ₹3.40 Lakhs. He even managed to bag and tag and will return for Day 2 in the NPS#127 Value Mine.

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹3,27,958* (heads-up deal)

> 48th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#111 Megadive for ₹11,997

> Made Day 2 in PokerBaazi’s NPS#127 Value Mine (Qualifier 6 (Turbo))

Abhijeet Kumar’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹3.92 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹1.34 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #2 | Moves to #1 on the Bihar State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Gold & 1 Silver | NPS Winnings: ₹18.99 Lakhs

‘YNWA1892,’ a true poker gladiator and the 2024 NPS#70 Deepdive Silver Medallist, added a Bronze to their expanding trophy case, finishing third in the NPS#117 Marathon and scooping a delicious ₹1.90 Lakhs – their second-biggest score on the platform. They are now at #2 on the Uttarakhand State Leaderboard!

YNWA1892’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹40.76 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹78633 | Moves to #2 on the Uttarakhand State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Silver & 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹11.94 Lakhs

The final table of the NPS#117 Marathon was like a poker all-star team. Among the standouts were Tuesday’s NPS#105 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT Bronze Medallist Mayank ‘mayhem97’ Kajala (4th for ₹1.42 Lakhs), last month’s Maverick champion Habil ‘Habz420’ Jiruwala (5th for ₹1.03 Lakhs), Dev ‘rucharth’ Mittal (6th for ₹76,200), NPS#97 Sunday Kickoff Gold Medallist Nitesh ‘batmanpok’ Katiyar (7th for ₹57,000), and NPS#59 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT finalist Dhaval ‘Faizal1506’ Doshi (8th for ₹46,200).

On a day of widespread success at NPS India 2025, the ₹2,875 buy-in NPS#117 Marathon was a rare outlier, experiencing a ₹2.68 Lakhs overlay. Nevertheless, the guaranteed ₹30 Lakhs prize pool showered riches upon the top 186 players, each receiving at least ₹5,400—nearly doubling their initial investment, making for a pretty sweet mid-week payday for many in this epic series!

Final Table Results

1. Sanchit ‘Choker6’ Nag – ₹2,78,043*
2. Abhijeet ‘ERROR404’ Kumar – ₹3,27,958*
3. YNWA1892 – ₹1,89,600
4. Mayank ‘mayhem97’ Kajala – ₹1,42,200
5. Habil ‘Habz420’ Jiruwala – ₹1,02,600
6. Dev ‘rucharth’ Mittal – ₹76,200
7. Nitesh ‘batmanpok’ Katiyar – ₹57,000
8. Dhaval ‘Faizal1506’ Doshi – ₹46,200

*denotes a heads-up deal

NPS#118 Knockout (KO) – ₹25 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,875

Entries – 581

Re-entries – 664

Prize Pool – ₹31,12,500

Places Paid – 201

The NPS India 2025 isn’t just about the mountains of cash and the shiny medals – it’s also a breeding ground for incredible stories. While fresh faces are bursting onto the scene, the top-tier pros are delivering performances that are simply breathtaking! The scramble for those Gold Medals is pure insanity, and while this groundbreaking series has been a launchpad for many first-time champions, we’ve also witnessed some epic repeat victories.

We already have Mohit Bohra, who became the first (and the only one yet) to snatch a phenomenal five medals this year, and he’s joined by Advait Rajguru in a lethal duo, each boasting three Gold Medals! Seven other players had already grabbed two Golds this season, and last night, an eighth name got etched into this elite list with Abhineet ‘abbubro’ Singla grabbing his second Gold in a blaze of glory!

Singla, a Uttar Pradesh player who has been popping up on the MTT scene from time to time since November 2019, was still buzzing from a career-defining win in Saturday’s NPS#91 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT, where he snagged his first NPS Gold. Last night, he doubled down, crushing PokerBaazi’s ₹25 Lakhs GTD NPS#118 Knockout (KO) for his second NPS Gold Medal of the series (and third NPS medal overall, adding to a Silver from the 2023 NPS#94 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT).

The 5:30 PM NPS#118 Knockout (KO) saw Singla unleashed. He fired three bullets and outplayed a monstrous field of 580 other players, which ballooned to a staggering 1,245 entries. After a gruelling, 9-hour-and-18-minute poker war that tested the limits of endurance, he stood alone at the summit. His triumph earned him a spectacular ₹2.94 Lakhs (₹5,250 in bounties) – his second-biggest career score, trailing only that previous Gold!

Singla’s Wednesday was a poker clinic, punctuated by deep runs in three other NPS events. His total loot for the day reached nearly ₹3.36 Lakhs. This stunning performance has rocketed him to #2 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard, where he’s now locked in a fierce duel with fellow double-Gold Medallist Vikhyat Ahlawat!

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#118 Knockout (KO) for ₹2,94,250* (₹5,250 in bounties)

> 59th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#120 Wednesday Volley for ₹28,800

> 69th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹9,300

> 207th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹3,460

Abhineet Singla’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹48.80 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹10.10 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #2 | Moves to #2 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold & 1 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹12.42 Lakhs

But the NPS#118 Knockout (KO) almost witnessed a major upset. The enigmatic ‘goldenbhai’ from Haryana, sporadically active since March 2018, capitalised on a single entry, collecting their first-ever NPS Medal (a Silver!) and a substantial ₹2.07 Lakhs (₹4,750 in bounties) – their second-largest platform score, wiping out almost a fifth of their previous losses!

goldenbhai’s PokerBaazi’s stats: Site Winnings: ₹23.52 Lakhs | Moves to #17 on the Uttar Pradesh State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹12.38 Lakhs

And, to add even more drama to the unfolding narrative, Singla and ‘goldenbhai’ were joined on the NPS#118 Knockout (KO) podium by ‘rishu1293’ from Delhi. Playing in only their 21st tournament on PokerBaazi, they added their first NPS Medal (a Bronze) to their budding collection, pocketing a cool ₹1.58 Lakhs (₹3,000 in bounties) and leaping into profitability on the platform.

rishu1293’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹1.90 Lakhs | Site Profit: ₹1.39 Lakhs | Moves to #49 on the Delhi State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 1 Bronze | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹1.80 Lakhs

The NPS#118 Knockout (KO) final table was a shark tank featuring a slew of heavy hitters (most, unfortunately, opted out of our tracking): NPS#6 Marathon Bronze Medallist Debneil ‘ChhotaDon’ Mukherjee (4th for ₹1.20 Lakhs), Utkarsh ‘Sam20542’ Srivastava (5th for ₹89,750), NPS#55 (7-Max) SPRINT Bronze Medallist Dinesh ‘Daddu26’ Singh (6th for ₹64,250), and NPS India 2025 three-medal winner and recent NPS#108 Monday Medley finalist Tarush ‘Busterr’ Gupta (8th for ₹38,250).

The NPS#118 Knockout (KO) was a straight-up banger, generating a monstrous ₹31.13 Lakhs prize pool, obliterating its advertised ₹25 Lakhs guarantee by nearly 25%! The top 201 finishers scored at least ₹4,500, plus those sweet bounties for every knockout.

Final Table Results

1. Abhineet ‘abbubro’ Singla – ₹2,94,250
2. goldenbhai – ₹2,07,250
3. rishu1293 – ₹1,58,250
4. Debneil ‘ChhotaDon’ Mukherjee – ₹1,19,750
5. Utkarsh ‘Sam20542’ Srivastava – ₹89,750
6. Dinesh ‘Daddu26’ Singh – ₹64,250
7. DragoNoX – ₹53,500
8. Tarush ‘Busterr’ Gupta – ₹38,250

NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT – ₹20 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,070

Entries – 606

Re- entries – 768

Prize Pool – ₹24,73,200

Places Paid – 226

There are your everyday poker players, then there are the pros, and then there are those elite, battle-hardened veterans – and Kolkata’s Harsh ‘harsh1327’ Bubna is a card-carrying member of that last group!

This is a man whose reputation roars – a former Patni Millionaire champion with two The MoneyMaker championship bracelets. He’s been attacking the NPS India 2025 like a relentless machine since returning from a whirlwind trip to the WPT Cambodia Championship, grinding through a mind-boggling 116 tournaments and cashing in 82 already. Despite a string of deep runs, that elusive final table, that podium finish, had remained just out of reach. But you can’t keep a poker beast caged for long, and last night, the story flipped spectacularly.

Bubna finally broke through in PokerBaazi’s ₹20 Lakhs GTD NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT, snatching his career-second NPS Gold Medal (his first medal of this series) and a cool ₹2.84 Lakhs. He was already rocking a Gold Medal from the 2024 NPS#65 Slamdunk and now has added another gleaming piece of NPS hardware to his overflowing poker trophy case!

The 2:30 PM NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT, the opening act of the day’s NPS drama, drew a monstrous field of 1,374 runners (606 unique), setting the stage for another day of poker frenzy! Bubna needed a second chance after an early bust-out, firing a second bullet. But once he got rolling, there was no stopping this freight train! The turnout was so massive that despite the relatively fast structure, it took over 7.5 hours before, just past 10 PM, Bubna stood alone as the champion!

As the seventh Gold Medallist from West Bengal, he’s now rocketed to the top of the state leaderboard, with the state ranked #11 overall nationally – still very much in the running to snag one of those final 12 spots. Bubna is now a serious threat to become the National Poker Champion in Goa next month.

Bubna’s Wednesday was a poker masterclass, with his total winnings almost touching ₹3.30 Lakhs from five cash finishes, four from NPS events. He has now climbed to #17 on the NPS Series Leaderboard.

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹2,84,418

> 51st in PokerBaazi’s NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive for ₹20,083

> 119th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#119 Deepdive for ₹10,207

> 37th in Adda52’s Maverick for ₹7,915

> 110th in PokerBaazi’s NPS#117 Marathon for ₹6,900

Harsh Bubna’s NPS stats: Moves to #1 on the West Bengal State Leaderboard | Moves to #11 on the NPC Leaderboard | Moves to #17 on the NPS Series Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 2 Gold & 1 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹40.61 Lakhs

Not far behind was Satyam ‘AnakinSkywa1keR’ Verma, who is on a serious roll at NPS India 2025. A decorated player with a history of crushing it at this grand stage – he won his first medal of the series (a Gold) in the NPS#41 (6-Max) SPRINT last week! And he came out swinging last night, almost claiming his second Gold Medal of the series—coming incredibly close, twice in a single night! Verma fired four bullets in the NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT before settling for his second-ever Silver Medal (his fifth NPS medal overall) and a neat ₹1.98 Lakhs.

Verma continued his rampage in the NPS#119 Deepdive, finishing agonizingly close to the podium in fourth place for ₹2,42,814. And still, he wasn’t finished. He added cashes in the NPS#120 Wednesday Volley (15th for ₹81,600) and the NPS#121 (PLO-5) Megadive (62nd for ₹15,062), bringing his total Wednesday bounty to a mouth-watering, near ₹5.38 Lakhs.

These dominating performances have catapulted Verma to #2 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard, where he’s now hot on the trail of NPS legend Shagun Jain (who has 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze already in this series)!

Satyam Verma’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52, PokerStars India and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹6.58 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹2.36 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #1 | Moves to #2 on the Rajasthan State Leaderboard | NPS Medals Won: 3 Gold & 2 Silver | Lifetime NPS Winnings: ₹40.71 Lakhs

Raghav ‘scambrahm’ Ananth, another familiar face on the circuit, who has been on a steady upswing for the past two years, brought some glory to Tamil Nadu, seizing the Bronze (his first NPS medal) in the NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT and a sweet ₹1.53 Lakhs. He fired three entries before making his way to that coveted podium, scoring his biggest payday of the year so far.

The NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT final table was stacked with other players riding high on success in the series. Among the heavy hitters was the NPS#15 Slamdunk Gold and NPS#99 (5-Max) Hyper SPRINT Silver Medallist Arush ‘arush20000’ Pratap, who finished fourth for ₹1.12 Lakhs. Also making a deep run was the NPS#51 Deepdive Silver Medallist Parteek ‘ptk007’ Maheshwari, who finished seventh for ₹45,507.

The ₹2,070 buy-in NPS#116 (7-Max) SPRINT delivered a tempting ₹24.73 Lakhs prize pool, smashing the advertised ₹20 Lakhs guarantee by nearly 24%! The top 226 finishers locked in payouts, with a min-cash of ₹3,463—1.7 times the buy-in, continuing the record-breaking streak at this epic series.

Final Table Results

1. Harsh ‘harsh1327’ Bubna – ₹2,84,418
2. Satyam ‘AnakinSkywa1keR’ Verma – ₹1,98,351
3. Raghav ‘scambrahm’ Ananth – ₹1,52,596
4. Arush ‘arush20000’ Pratap – ₹1,11,789
5. Onyx999 – ₹81,121
6. Cheri7990 – ₹59,357
7. Parteek ‘ptk007’ Maheshwari – ₹45,507

₹5 Crores GTD NPS Mini Main Event – Qualifier 5

Q5 > Entries – 419 | Re-entries – 218 | Survivors – 65 | Chip Leader – Pranay ‘setmeup’ Chawla (810,000)

Combined > Entries – 1,911 | Re-entries – 1,035 | Survivors – 297 (unique) | Overall Chip Leader – Jaikishan ‘royalking7424’ Jangid (851,000)

₹2 Crores GTD NPS HighRoller – Qualifier 3

Q3 > Entries – 172 | Re-entries – 127 | Survivors – 22 | Chip Leader – Mohit ‘heartquake’ Bothra (737,000)

Combined > Entries – 536 | Re-entries – 296 | Survivors – 61 (unique) | Overall Chip Leader – Mohsin ‘gongo’ Shaikh (1,032,000)

₹1 Crore GTD NPS Value Mine – Qualifier 6 (Turbo)

Q6 > Entries – 708 | Re-entries – 355 | Survivors – 206 | Chip Leader – Sriharsha ‘Ivey2’ Doddapaneni (282,000)

Combined > Entries – 2,763 | Re-entries – 1,650 | Survivors – 582 (unique) | Overall Chip Leader – Nishant ‘rektace’ Kumar (451,000)

Junglee Poker

‘joeeaaa’ won the ₹6 Lakhs GTD Wednesday Superstack for ₹1.38 Lakhs.

Yash ‘patwayash’ Patwa (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Wednesday Mania for ₹37,845) and ‘pk0822’ (Won ₹70K GTD Wednesday Sunsetter for ₹16,801), and ‘premj36’ (Won ₹60K GTD Hangover for ₹13,696) won the other Wednesday marquees on Junglee Poker.

Adda52

Mayank ‘AreyBetaRaise’ Maruka won the ₹12.50 Lakhs GTD Maverick for ₹2.12 Lakhs.

Bhavit ‘tyrogambit’ Jain (Won ₹2.75 Lakhs GTD Bounty Madness for ₹78,507), ‘Pritam40’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Daily Deep Dive for ₹43,987), ‘Arch10’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Nighttide DST Adda for ₹36,559), ‘maddy000001’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Afternoon Bounty for ₹25,016), Prabhat ‘Bountyhunter1’ Kumar (Won ₹60K GTD Bounty Adda for ₹18,681), ‘tiktok1234’ (Won ₹1.20 Lakhs GTD Maverick Lite for ₹18,256), and ‘Phaseoflife’ (Won ₹50K GTD Morning Adda for ₹12,171) won the other Wednesday marquees on Adda52.

Pocket52

‘ScroogeMeDuck’ won the ₹2.50 Lakhs GTD (7-Max) Deepstack Turbo for ₹62,350.

Spartan Poker

‘Trueheart’ (Won ₹4 Lakhs GTD Supreme for ₹72,889), ‘sanzoo’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Spotlight for ₹43,011), ‘Jatinxx’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Monster Stack for ₹33,300), and ‘Rishikumar’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Monster Turbo for ₹28,650) won the Wednesday marquees on Spartan Poker.

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