Daily Majors: Anant Purohit Dominates Friday With ₹8.70 Lakhs Score on Natural8 India, Closes in on POY #3 Spot

The Indian poker scene is ablaze! As 2024 draws to a close, all eyes are on Vietnam, where the USOP Grand Finale Hai Phong is raging. This isn’t just another poker festival; it’s the biggest Vietnam has ever witnessed, and the excitement is at an all-time high as it enters its final stages.

Kunal Patni, the Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador, has been a force of nature since his incredible performance at APT Phu Quoc. He’s ridden that wave of success to Hai Phong, where this poker veteran and industry leader has already racked up a staggering VN₫ 1.604 Billion (₹53.51 Lakhs) across six impressive runs, including four final table appearances. His most recent achievement was a 20th place finish in Event #40: VN₫ 1.50 Billion Highroller, adding another VN₫ 100 Million (₹3.34 Lakhs) to his already impressive total. He may have dropped to #3 on the Player of the Series leaderboard, but don’t count Patni out just yet! This is a seasoned campaigner who knows how to fight back.

Meanwhile, WSOP bracelet winner Young Gun Aayush Arya and Asian circuit veteran Amit Kaushik are proudly representing India. They are the first two Indian players to make it to Day 2 of the USOP Main Event.

And there’s more! A group of PokerStars India Ambassadors, including POY #2 Neel Joshi, Goonjan Mall, and Young Gun Kanchan Sharma, are currently battling it out at EPT Prague. Could we be on the verge of even more international glory?

Back on home turf, anticipation is building for PokerBaazi’s ₹35 Crores GTD WPT India Online, a groundbreaking collaboration between WPT and PokerBaazi that kicks off tomorrow. This 15-day spectacle features 89 tournaments and nine coveted WPT trophies. With ₹2.55 Crores in guaranteed prize money across five WPT India Online events on Sunday alone, players are bracing themselves for an explosive start! After a somewhat quiet Thursday with overlays, Friday witnessed a surge of activity on platforms like Natural8 India and PokerBaazi, hinting at an action-packed weekend of poker ahead!

Amidst the pre-weekend frenzy, Anant Purohit yet again topped the charts with another incredible run on Natural8 India. This poker veteran has been on an absolute tear on the platform in the last 15 weeks, and he dominated the November leaderboard. Carrying the same momentum into December, he is now less than ₹15 Lakhs shy of the #3 spot on the Player of the Year race, boasting over ₹5.07 Crores in annual earnings. Building on a relentless streak of recent successes, he made another big strike last night, finishing seventh in the Bounty Hunters HR Mystery Paradise 525 for ₹8.70 Lakhs, making him Friday`s top scorer!

PokerBaazi saw Young Gun Devang Yadav, a two-time The Millionaire and The MoneyMaker 76.0 champion, steal the spotlight with a spectacular win in The Quest. Coming off a runner-up finish in Summit Lite and a fourth-place finish in last week’s The Quest, Yadav’s consistency paid off as he struck a heads-up deal to claim ₹4.52 Lakhs. With this win and another deep run, Yadav’s total earnings swelled to ₹4.71 Lakhs, landing him the #2 spot on the Friday leaderboard. Poker veteran Romit Advani, NPS India 2021 gold medalist, had a real shot at ending a long 3.5-year online title drought, finishing as the runner-up in The Quest for ₹4.41 Lakhs – his best score for the year.

Mangu Bansal snapped a nearly two-month title drought with a resounding victory in Pocket52`s Pocket Highroller. The casual streamer, who last tasted success in the Pocket Jacks in June, clinched the top prize of ₹3.86 Lakhs—his best score on the platform, accumulating over ₹3.93 Lakhs across two deep runs and recovering over a quarter of his previous losses on Pocket52. Newcomer ‘iroonhook,’ coming off a win and runner-up finish in the Brunch recently, came in second for a site-best ₹2.70 Lakhs—swinging back into profitability on Pocket52.

Adda52 was the stage for ‘newkidpoker’ continued dominance, who clinched an extraordinary fourth victory in The Ballers, marking a triumphant return after a month and a half outside the winner’s circle. Their last win came in October’s Big Whale, but this time, they walked away with ₹3.91 Lakhs for the win, pushing their Friday winnings to over ₹4.14 Lakhs from three deep runs. Platform regular Abhishek Mandal, the Maverick DPT Edition champion from July, came in second for ₹2.89 Lakhs—his best score this year and third-best overall on Adda52.

Kunal Agarwal made a strong comeback on Natural8 India after an eight-month hiatus, claiming a fifth-place finish in the Pirates Paradise Bounty 108 for ₹3.17 Lakhs—his best result on the platform. Meanwhile, ‘The_Sifu’ had an explosive debut, topping a colossal 2,942-entry field in the Bounty Hunters Special 10.80 to win ₹2.27 Lakhs.

Again on PokerBaazi, Saurav Gupta, the former 1000X#41 (7-Max) Megastack champion, claimed his third platform victory by winning The Quest Lite. This was his first flagship title of 2024, and he earned ₹1.97 Lakhs—his biggest score of the year. Runner-up Netra Kumar Das pocketed ₹1.34 Lakhs – his second-best score on the site.

Mid-stakes PokerBaazi grinder ‘beast31’ ended a 10-month title drought with a remarkable win in WTF, earning a platform-best ₹1.86 Lakhs through a three-way deal. The deal also saw Sumit Kumar take home ₹1.67 Lakhs for his runner-up finish, while Ridhav Chawla claimed ₹1.38 Lakhs for third place, boosting his total Friday winnings to nearly ₹1.84 Lakhs from two more deep runs.

Junglee Poker’s ‘vincentvega‘ continued their consistency by claiming the Friday Supernova title and a well-deserved ₹1.72 Lakhs in prize money.

PokerBaazi’s newcomer ‘R1VERRAT’ claimed their first title by winning the Daily Last Chance, earning ₹1.58 Lakhs.

Friday was a day of victories, with Kunal Agrawal and Laldingliana Tlau Vantawl taking down the other marquee events.

Here are the Friday highlights!

PokerBaazi

The Quest – ₹30 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹5,750

Entries – 439

Re-entries – 245

Prize Pool – ₹34,20,000

Places Paid – 101

Friday nights seem to bring out the beast in Young Gun Devang ‘laila’ Yadav’s (opted out of our tracking). This IIT-Delhi grad turned poker prodigy already boasts two The Millionaire titles and a victory in The MoneyMaker 76.0. But Yadav wasn’t content resting on his laurels. Yadav fired up the Friday session, determined to win. He had recently come close, with a second-place finish in The Summit Lite and fourth place in last week’s The Quest, but this time, he was playing for first place.

And he hit the bullseye in PokerBaazi’s ₹30 Lakhs GTD The Quest, the 8 PM Friday showstopper. After a rocky start requiring a second bullet, Yadav found himself battling 438 other players (684 total entries). The intense competition lasted over seven hours and 45 minutes, stretching well into Saturday morning. But Yadav remained focused, maximizing his gains, avoiding costly mistakes, and executing his plays with expert timing.

When the dust settled, Yadav emerged as the champion and strategist who knew when to strike a deal. A heads-up deal earned him the lion`s share of ₹4.52 Lakhs, bringing his 2024 title count to an impressive 14 (at least). Yadav also had a strong performance in The Quest Lite, a tournament he had previously won twice, finishing 10th for another ₹19,375 and bringing his total Friday haul to over ₹4.71 Lakhs. This impressive performance landed him the #2 spot on the day`s leaderboard, only trailing the unstoppable Natural8 India fiend Anant Purohit!

Yadav wasn’t the only one who had a good night. Romit ’tilt83′ Advani, a poker veteran and captain of the Gujarat Falcons in Pocket52 PSL Season 6, also made a strong showing. Advani, who is a sporadic online player, fired two bullets in pursuit of his first title since his NPS India 2021 gold medal victory nearly three and a half years ago. While he narrowly missed out on the top spot, his runner-up finish – his best of the year for ₹4.41 Lakhs – served as a powerful reminder that old lions can still roar.

Romit Advani’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹3.58 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹92.97 Lakhs

The Quest final table also featured notables like Raghav’ Ragtag24′ Wahi, the recent The Summit finalist on a hot streak (4th for ₹2.05 Lakhs) and Jyotindra ‘JacksPaaro’ Dubey, last week`s BSS SuperStack champion and Monday`s The Big Show finalist (8th for ₹76,950).

With a ₹5,750 buy-in, The Quest gave players a chance to win big. The tournament crushed its ₹30 Lakhs guarantee by ₹4.20 Lakhs, and the top 101 players all made a profit, each earning at least ₹10,940 – almost twice their initial buy-in! This electrifying event set the stage for an epic weekend of poker action on PokerBaazi, with the much-awaited ₹35 Crores GTD WPT India Online starting tomorrow.

Final Table Results

1. Devang ‘laila’ Yadav – ₹451,719*
2. Romit ‘tilt83’ Advani – ₹4,40,559*
3. Blaque – ₹2,66,076
4. Raghav ‘Ragtag24’ Wahi – ₹2,05,200
5. naman2618 – ₹1,50,480
6. Rochak88 – ₹1,23,120
7. Gokulsnaps – ₹99,864
8. Jyotindra ‘JacksPaaro’ Dubey – ₹76,950

*denotes a heads-up deal

WTF – ₹15 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,200

Entries – 395

Re-entries – 312

Prize Pool – ₹15,00,000

Places Paid – 111

Friday night on PokerBaazi was another scorcher, where an unexpected hero emerged. ‘beast31,‘ a sporadic mid-stakes grinder, pulled off an incredible victory in the ₹15 Lakhs GTD WTF, leaving everyone stunned.

This wasn’t just another Friday grind. The 7:30 PM flagship event, making the last of its three weekly runs, drew a crowd of 395 players (707 total entries). Top pros and seasoned grinders alike locked horns in a virtual battle royale. But ‘beast31’ defied the odds, navigating a gruelling 7+ hour marathon to claim the title.

This win signified ‘beast31’s return to glory after a 10-month absence from the winner’s circle since his Blockbuster Lite takedown in February. And what a way to announce their return! Playing true to their online moniker, ‘beast31’ captured a personal-best ₹1.86 Lakhs after making a smart three-way deal, effectively wiping out almost a third of their previous losses on the platform.

beast31’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹14.19 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #2

The three-way deal saw ‘beast31’ sharing the spoils with runner-up Sumit ‘NewbieA’ Kumar and third-place finisher Ridhav ‘Rids’ Chawla. Kumar, who tasted high-roller success with a half-million score in the Baazi Millions in June, added ₹1.67 Lakhs to his bankroll – his third-largest score to date. Not one to be left behind, Chawla grabbed ₹1.38 Lakhs.

Sumit Kumar’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹27.06 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹8.75 Lakhs

But Chawla’s hunger didn’t stop there. He also went deep in two other PokerBaazi flagships, amassing nearly ₹1.84 Lakhs in total across his Friday grind.

> 3rd in PokerBaazi’s WTF for ₹1,38,013* (three-way feal)

> 19th in PokerBaazi’s The Quest for ₹39,330

> 50th in PokerBaazi’s The Quest Lite for ₹6,250

Ridhav Chawla’s online stats (excluding Natural8 India, Junglee Poker and Pocket52): Lifetime Winnings: ₹1.44 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹35.68 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #5 | Annual Winnings: ₹53.28 Lakhs | Annual Profits: ₹7.36 Lakhs

Veteran player Rahul ‘slowroller’ Melwani also had a profitable Friday. He made his presence known at two final tables, adding ₹74,525 to his poker wallet with a seventh-place finish in the WTF worth ₹45,150 and an eighth-place finish in The Quest Lite for ₹29,375.

Rahul Melwani’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹2.71 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹38.95 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #2 | Annual Winnings: ₹96.12 Lakhs | Annual Profits: ₹22.08 Lakhs

The WTF also saw strong finishes from established pro Dhaval ‘Rehab77’ Mudgal, who took fifth place for ₹71,250, and satellite qualifier Aman ‘prometheus1224’ Gupta, who landed sixth for ₹57,600.

Despite the intense action, the WTF surprisingly missed its ₹15 Lakh guarantee by ₹1.48 Lakhs. However, the top 111 finishers shared in the spoils, with even a min-cash awarding a sweet ₹5,400 – a fantastic 2.5X return on their buy-in. It all contributed to another exciting Friday of poker action on PokerBaazi!

Final Table Results

1. beast31 – ₹1,85,878*
2. Sumit ‘NewbieA’ Kumar – ₹1,66,609*
3. Ridhav ‘Rids’ Chawla – ₹1,38,013*
4. udtateer – ₹86,100
5. Dhaval ‘Rehab77’ Mudgal – ₹71,250
6. Aman ‘prometheus1224’ Gupta – ₹57,600
7. Rahul ‘slowroller’ Melwani – ₹45,150
8. gladiatorp – ₹33,150

*denotes a three-way deal

The Quest Lite – ₹12.50 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹2,875

Entries – 336

Re-entries – 152

Prize Pool – ₹12,50,000

Places Paid – 78

Saurav ‘eternal gambler’ Gupta has been on the PokerBaazi MTT scene since March 2022. He might not be a tournament regular, but he knows how to make waves when he gets in the groove. Last night, those waves crashed into a resounding victory as he took down the ₹12.50 Lakhs GTD The Quest Lite—his third win on the platform.

It’s been a while since we saw Gupta take down the 1000X#41 (7-Max) Megastack over a year ago. But this latest victory is a statement. A declaration that Gupta still has the fire, the skill, and the ice in his veins to compete with the best. He faced off against 335 other players (488 total entries) in the 7:30 PM flagship, and after a gripping 5-hour and 48-minute battle, he emerged as the last man standing.

This wasn’t just any win. This was Gupta’s first flagship title of 2024, and the ₹1.97 Lakhs top prize (after firing two bullets) is his biggest score this year, erasing almost a quarter of his past losses on PokerBaazi!

Saurav Gupta’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹35.47 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #1 | Annual Winnings: ₹7.91 Lakhs

But The Quest Lite wasn’t all about Gupta. Netra ‘BoB_Das’ Kumar Das, who recently won the Summit Lite in October, was also in the running. Das was looking for his seventh online title (and his third of 2024) but had to settle for second place and a still-great ₹1.34 Lakhs – his second-best performance on the site, pushing him back into the green!

Netra Kumar Das’ PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹25.72 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹1.26 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #2

The competition for The Quest Lite title was fierce, with some big names in the mix. Recent BSS SuperStack and The Big Show finalist Rohit ‘rocky9971’ Goel (4th for ₹72,500), the always-tough Aditya ‘KesarDa’ Kesharwani (5th for ₹61,250), the formidable Arun ‘vazharmorghulis’ Sriram (6th for ₹50,625), and last night’s WTF finalist Rahul ‘slowroller’ Melwani (8th for ₹29,375) were all in the chase, making for a thrilling climax.

The ₹2,875 buy-in The Quest Lite recorded a nominal overlay of ₹30,000 on its ₹12.50 Lakhs guarantee, giving the 78 players who cashed even more value. Even those who min-cashed got ₹6,250 – a nice boost to their bankrolls just in time for the ₹35 Crores GTD WPT India Online starting tomorrow.

Final Table Results

1. Saurav ‘eternalgambler’ Gupta – ₹1,96,875
2. Netra ‘BoB_Das’ Kumar Das – ₹1,33,750
3. Prem333 – ₹1,02,500
4. Rohit ‘rocky9971’ Goel – ₹72,500
5. Aditya ‘KesarDa’ Kesharwani – ₹61,250
6. Arun ‘vazharmorghulis’ Sriram – ₹50,625
7. avinashgope00 – ₹40,000
8. Rahul ‘slowroller’ Melwani – ₹29,375

‘R1VERRAT’ (Won ₹10 Lakhs GTD Daily Last Chance for ₹1.58 Lakhs), ‘Kuldeep003’ (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD (7-Max) Afternoon Boost for ₹60,000), ‘bullish’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD PLO 5 Boost for ₹32,140), ‘ichigoo’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Daily Boost for ₹27,000), ‘checkraise01’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD PLO 6 Daily for ₹26,660), ‘gurujii52’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs 7-Max SPRINT for ₹20,250), ‘mr.poker04’ (Won ₹1 Lakh Midnight SPRINT for ₹11,100), and ‘bhairavnath’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Boost for ₹8,790) won the other Friday marquees on PokerBaazi.

Junglee Poker

Friday Supernova – ₹9 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹3,450

Entries – 288

Total Prize Pool – ₹9,00,000

Regular Prize Pool – ₹4,68,000

Bounty Prize Pool – ₹4,32,000

Places Paid – 29

Friday night on Junglee Poker was a firestorm as 288 hopefuls jumped into the ₹9 Lakhs GTD Friday Supernova. This eight-hour battle was not for the faint of heart, but one player emerged from the fray with a performance that will be remembered: ‘vincentvega.’ With unmatched skill and a relentless drive, ‘vincentvega’ claimed the title and a well-deserved ₹1.72 Lakhs in prize money, which included a hefty ₹1.07 Lakhs in bounties!

This victory adds another trophy to ‘vincentvega’s’ already impressive collection on Junglee Poker. He’s been crushing the competition lately with a string of deep runs last month, including a second-place finish in the Monday Monster, a top-three spot in the Sunday Special Knockout, and a final table appearance in the Wednesday Superstack.

The Friday Supernova, which kicked off at 8 PM, ended with a dramatic heads-up duel against ‘riya424286,’ who took home a respectable ₹89,308 (₹23,648 in bounties) in second place.

Although the ₹3,450 buy-in Friday Supernova fell short of its advertised guarantee by a mere six entries, it still provided fantastic value for the players. The top 29 finishers shared the ₹4.68 Lakhs cash prize pool, and with a ₹4.32 Lakhs bounty pool also in play, players were incentivized to go for knockouts from the very first hand. This kept the action intense and the rewards flowing all night long, making for another unforgettable Friday on Junglee Poker.

Final Table Results

1. vincentvega – ₹1,72,465
2. riya424286 – ₹89,308
3. lavaris – ₹69,772
4. anas213 – ₹40,523
5. mims1865 – ₹36,421
6. sportfam44982489 – ₹36,949

‘proteaspower’ (Won ₹3 Lakhs GTD Friday Fighter for ₹54,757) and ‘shivshakri’ (Won ₹80K GTD Friday Sunsetter for ₹27,179) won the other Friday marquees on Junglee Poker.

Adda52

The Ballers – ₹20 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹8,050

Entries – 129

Re-entries – 87

Rebuys – 16

Prize Pool – ₹20,00,000

Places Paid – 35

Fridays are prime time for online poker – the perfect warm-up for the weekend’s high-stakes tournaments. And this past Friday was explosive. Over at Adda52, their signature flagship, the ₹20 Lakhs GTD The Ballers, was in full swing. Amidst the usual fireworks at the tables, online phenom ‘newkidpoker’ (anonymity requested) decided to put on a show by conquering The Ballers for an incredible fourth time!

This wasn’t just another victory for ‘newkidpoker.’ This was a comeback story. A return to glory after a month and a half outside the winner’s circle. Their last victory, a crushing performance in the Big Whale back in October, felt like a lifetime ago. Near misses, agonisingly close calls – they’d seen it all. The Adda52 Millions in November? So close, yet so far. But last night, everything clicked!

‘Newkidpoker’ is a legend in The Ballers. They practically own the place with three previous wins, a runner-up finish, and six final table appearances. Last night, they added another trophy to their collection, cementing their legacy as a master of The Ballers.

With ice water in their veins, ‘newkidpoker’ dove headfirst into the 8 PM The Ballers. 128 rivals (232 total entries) – each a force to be reckoned with – stood in their path. The battle raged for over seven hours, a true test of endurance and skill. But ‘newkidpoker,’ with a mix of aggression and calculated plays, picked off their opponents one by one. And when the dust settled, they were the last one standing. The ₹3.91 Lakhs top prize went straight into their online wallet – their fifth Adda52 title of 2024 and their eighth-best score of the year secured!

‘Newkidpoker’ wasn’t satisfied with just crushing The Ballers. They went on to make deep runs in two PokerBaazi flagships, ending the day with over ₹4.14 Lakhs in total winnings.

> 1st in Adda52’s The Ballers for ₹3,91,111

> 45th in PokerBaazi’s The Quest for ₹14,364

> 18th in PokerBaazi’s The Quest Lite for ₹9,000

Now, about Abhishek ‘abhisekchem86’ Mandal, an Adda52 regular who last tasted victory in the Maverick DPT Edition in July. He put up a heck of a fight in The Ballers, but even his best wasn’t enough to stop ‘newkidpoker’s’ assault. He finished as the runner-up, taking home ₹2.89 Lakhs – his best score this year and third-best overall on Adda52. It was a nice boost to the bankroll and a chance to put some past losses behind him.

Abhishek Mandal’s Adda52 stats: Site Winnings: ₹59.38 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #1 | Annual Winnings: ₹11.29 Lakhs | Annual Profits: ₹7.19 Lakhs

Then there’s Naveen ‘HappyHunter’ Kumar S, the Bengaluru poker star who’s become a legend in his own right. He’s been on a wild ride lately. November was a dream – four flagship victories, including a breakthrough win in PokerBaazi’s The Quest. But then came a four-week dry spell. Even his return to streaming marathons couldn’t break the curse. That is until Thursday night when he pulled off an incredible comeback by taking down PokerBaazi’s The Summit. Technical issues kept him from streaming the win, but he was determined to make it up to his fans.

Riding that wave of momentum, Kumar charged into The Ballers. He battled his way to a third-place finish, adding ₹2.14 Lakhs to his burgeoning bankroll. And he streamed the entire session on his YouTube channel, giving his fans a front-row seat to the action. Missed it? No worries, the stream is still up – go check out his incredible plays below.

And let’s not forget Ramakrishna ‘KAdiamonds’ Sagi, who set The Ballers final table on fire. He finished fifth, taking home a site-best ₹1.17 Lakhs for a well-deserved break from what’s been a tough two years.

The Ballers might have fallen ₹3.76 Lakhs short of its ₹20 Lakhs guarantee, but that didn’t stop it from being an action-packed event. With an ₹8,050 buy-in and only 35 players making the money, the pressure was on. Those who survived walked away with at least ₹19,154 – a sweet reward for their efforts. It was another rewarding night of poker action on Adda52, setting the stage for what’s sure to be an epic weekend on India’s longest-running online poker platform!

Final Table Results

1. newkidpoker – ₹3,91,111
2. Abhishek ‘abhisekchem86’ Mandal – ₹2,89,304
3. Naveen ‘HappyHunter’ Kumar S – ₹2,13,997
4. srujag – ₹1,58,293
5. Ramakrishna ‘KAdiamonds’ Sagi – ₹1,17,089
6. Saiupp1987 – ₹86,610

₹35 Lakhs GTD MMA Main Event – Day 1E

Day 1E > Entries – 195 | Re-entries – 42 | Re-buys – 2 | Survivors – 34 | Chip Leader – ‘manishratwaya16’ (304,066)

Combined > Entries – 949 | Re-entries – 276 | Re-buys – 11 | Survivors – 157 | Chip Leader – Abhineet ‘abbu2604’ Singla (541,844)

The Masterminds Arena title winners of the day included Kunal ‘Champosymbo’ Agrawal (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD MMA Mini HR 6-Max for ₹1.05 Lakhs), ‘smr1g10’ (Won ₹4 Lakhs GTD MMA 8-Max PKO for ₹88,241), ‘nitishhdh’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD MMA Monster Stack for ₹47,497), ‘sandy123890’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD MMA PKO for ₹30,10), ‘Gurjarheart’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD MMA Daily for ₹27,834), and ‘rjthegod’ (Won ₹75K GTD MMA PLO 6-Max for ₹15,151).

‘aksinha97’ won the ₹80K GTD Morning Adda for ₹13,533.

Pocket52

Pocket Highroller – ₹15 Lakhs GTD

Buy-in – ₹11,000

Entries – 84

Re-entries – 64

Prize Pool – ₹15,00,000

Places Paid – 18

Friday night was buzzing on Pocket52 as the ₹15 Lakhs GTD Pocket Highroller kicked off. With a ₹11,000 buy-in, it attracted a crowd of seasoned pros, ambitious newcomers, and everyone in between. But the night belonged to Mangu ‘fishvsshark’ Bansal, who turned this event into his personal playground, ending an almost two-month-long title chase with a stunning victory!

Bansal, a casual streamer who tasted victory in Pocket52’s Pocket Jacks in June, had been relatively quiet since his final table appearance in PokerBaazi’s Blockbuster last month. He clearly arrived at this 8 PM Friday headliner with something to prove. Up against a tough field of 83 entries (148 total), he re-entered after an early exit, demonstrating a powerful combination of strategy and aggression. His determination led him to outmanoeuvre the competition and capture the top prize of ₹3.86 Lakhs—his best score on the platform.

But Bansal had more in store. He rode his wave of success to a deep run in the (7-Max) Deepstack Turbo, pushing his Friday winnings on Pocket52 to over ₹3.93 Lakhs and recovering over a quarter of his past losses on the platform in the process.

> 1st in Pocket52’s Pocket Highroller for ₹3,86,250

> 13th in Pocket52’s (7-Max) Deepstack Turbo for ₹7,050

Mangu Bansal’s Pocket52 stats: Site Winnings: ₹10.31 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2024: #2 | Annual Winnings: ₹44.66 Lakhs | Annual Profits: ₹1.85 Lakhs

‘iroonhook,‘ a relatively new face on Pocket52 with just about two months of play on the platform, also made a splash. They entered the Pocket Highroller with a ton of momentum, riding high on a win last Saturday and consecutive final table appearances in the Brunch earlier this week. Determined to grab their second title, they went all-in (literally!), firing three bullets in the Pocket Highroller.

However, destiny had a different outcome in mind. Despite a strong performance, ‘iroonhook’ finished in a commendable second place for ₹2.70 Lakhs – their best score yet on Pocket52, one that propelled them back into profitability on the platform.

iroonhook’s Pocket52 stats: Site Winnings: ₹6.45 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹39,498 | Titles Won in 2024: #1

The Pocket Highroller final table featured some familiar names who delivered standout performances. Vinay ‘DhanrajSeth’ Choudhry, last month’s (7-Max) Deepstack Turbo champion, achieved another impressive result with a third-place finish worth ₹1.74 Lakhs. And Kashish ‘Kamui’ Gupta, a finalist in the previous night’s Pocket Magnets, extended his hot streak with a sixth-place finish for ₹77,250.

The ₹11,000 buy-in Pocket Highroller almost hit its ₹15 Lakhs guarantee, falling just ₹84,380 short. Even with the overlay, it was a lucrative night for the 18 players who made it into the money. With a min-cash of ₹19,650, even those at the bottom of the payout ladder enjoyed a healthy return on their investment. With action and value like this, it’s easy to see why Pocket52 has become a go-to destination for tournament regulars.

Final Table Results

1. Mangu ‘fishvsshark’ Bansal – ₹3,86,250
2. iroonhook – ₹2,70,450
3. Vinay ‘DhanrajSeth’ Choudhry – ₹1,74,000
4. gladZoysa_f0u5c – ₹1,28,850
5. Bikerrain_gmtu7 – ₹96,600
6. Kashish ‘Kamui’ Gupta – ₹77,250

‘BadeMiya’ (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD 7-Max Deepstack Turbo for ₹1.18 Lakhs), ‘FIGHTER’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Soda for ₹38,630), and ‘LESSEGO’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Soda for ₹28,150) won the other Friday marquees on Pocket52.

Spartan Poker

‘KABIR13’ (Won ₹3 Lakhs GTD Supreme for ₹53,128), Laldingliana ‘patea1971’ Tlau Vantawl (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Bullet for ₹38,631), and ‘blindkiller’ (Won ₹50K GTD Holdem for ₹11,100) won the Friday marquees on Spartan Poker.

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