History Made in Goa! Gujarat’s Mohit Bohra Crowned India’s First National Poker Champion, Wins ₹1 Crore!

The confetti has settled, the trophy is raised, and India has its first-ever National Poker Champion! On Thursday evening at Goa’s Novotel Resort & Spa, Gujarat’s Mohit Bohra outplayed an elite field of five other state champions to capture the historic title and a life-changing ₹1 Crore top prize.

This was the climax everyone had been waiting for, the final chapter of a journey that began with the intense grind of NPS India 2025. After four days of challenging match-play competition featuring 12 state champions, the final six returned for one last battle. Kerala’s Sreekanth Narayan, who displayed impressive form throughout, put up a tough fight to finish as the runner-up. Chandigarh’s Ankit Wadhawan, despite starting the finale with the chip advantage, finished in a respectable third place. Streamed live on JioHotstar with PokerGuru providing updates, the finale delivered all the high-stakes tension and excitement promised, with the entire poker fraternity cheering and railing their champions!

After a gruelling seven-and-a-half-hour final showdown, Bohra stood alone. Beyond the life-changing ₹1 Crore prize, his victory also unlocks a special ₹1 Crore freeroll for players in his home state of Gujarat! Anyone from Gujarat who played even one event during NPS India 2025 can now register for this ‘NPC State Freeroll for Gujarat,’ set for April 26 at 7 PM.

Bohra’s win wasn’t just about the final table; it was built on weeks of dedication. He incredibly played all 191 events at NPS India 2025, cashing in an amazing 126 of them for ₹36.96 Lakhs in total winnings. His five-medal haul (three Golds, two Silvers) also earned him fifth place on the NPS Series Leaderboard (worth ₹8 Lakhs) and another ₹2 Lakhs for topping the Gujarat State Leaderboard. His Gold medals came in NPS#27 Slamdunk, NPS#92 Relay, and NPS#112 (7-Max) SPRINT while he took Silver in NPS#6 Marathon and NPS#45 Knockout (KO).

Mohit Bohra’s NPC Journey:

• Match 2: 4th place (30 points)
• Match 4: Runner-up (90 points)
• Match 6: 4th place (30 points), also eliminating PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli to guarantee his spot in the final six.

He entered the six-player finale with 150 points, tied for the lowest starting stack (250 BB) alongside Vikhyat Ahlawat and Wilson Yomso. Early on, Bohra played cautiously, but a huge double-up through Karnataka’s Bhanuprakash KC proved to be a turning point, giving him the chips needed to make a serious run.

Once play reached three-handed, Bohra found another gear and really took command. He first eliminated Ankit Wadhawan in third place, who had lost his initial chip lead during the late stages. Starting heads-up with a commanding lead (over 3-to-1 in chips), Bohra wasted little time closing out the match against Kerala’s Sreekanth Narayan.

Narayan certainly deserves recognition for his deep run and consistent play throughout, earning him a runner-up finish. But Thursday belonged to Bohra – he seized his opportunity and played his way into the Indian poker history books.

NPC Finale Starting Stacks

1. Ankit Wadhawan (Chandigarh) – 285 pts | 500 BB
2. Sreekanth Narayan (Kerala) – 210 pts | 400 BB
3. Bhanuprakash KC (Karnataka) – 180 pts | 350 BB
4. Vikhyat Ahlawat (Uttar Pradesh) – 170 pts | 250 BB
5. Wilson Yomso (Arunachal Pradesh) – 170 pts | 250 BB
6. Mohit Bohra (Gujarat) – 150 pts | 250 BB

NPC Finale Recap – How Bohra Sealed the Deal!

After a day off to recharge, the final six returned ready for the final push. Arunachal’s Wilson Yomso, who had needed a strong top-two finish in Match 6 just to qualify, started aggressively. He picked off chips early, bluffing Ankit Wadhawan and pushing Bhanuprakash KC out of pots.

Yomso continued to be active, tangling with Vikhyat Ahlawat, though Ahlawat managed to recoup chips soon after from Sreekanth Narayan. A key hand saw Yomso flop two pair against Bhanuprakash, only for the Karnataka pro to hit a full house on the river, swinging the chip lead Bhanuprakash’s way.

By the first break, Wadhawan had edged back in front (99 BBs), with Bhanuprakash (94 BBs) and Narayan (93 BBs) close behind. All six players were still in contention.

The first elimination took a long time coming, and it was a tough beat for Wilson Yomso. He opened with and snap-called when Bhanuprakash shoved over him with . He was in good shape before the board ran out , the river ten giving Bhanuprakash a set and ending Yomso`s run in heartbreaking fashion in sixth place after an energetic start.

At five-handed play, Narayan had surged into the lead with 266,000 (67 BBs), while Vikhyat Ahlawat was clinging to 32,000 (8 BBs). The end came swiftly for the Uttar Pradesh reg. Ahlawat shoved with but ran into Bhanuprakash’s . A flop gave Bhanuprakash two pair, which held through the turn and river. Ahlawat’s run ended in fifth.

Despite scoring that knockout, Bhanuprakash KC was next to hit the danger zone after Bohra scored that crucial double-up through him. Down to around 96,000 chips, Bhanuprakash made his stand with but ran smack into Narayan’s . Narayan’s aces held up on a board (making aces and fours against tens and fours), eliminating the Karnataka champ in fourth.

Three-handed, the chips started to consolidate. Bohra (52 BBs) and Narayan (50 BBs) were neck-and-neck, while Wadhawan (13 BBs) needed to make something happen. Wadhawan did manage to find a double through Bohra, but Bohra quickly took a big pot off Narayan to build a commanding lead (68 BBs) over Narayan (25 BBs) and Wadhawan (7.8 BBs).

Soon after, Bohra shoved from the small blind with , and Ankit Wadhawan called off his last 54,000 with . The community cards brought no help for Wadhawan, and Bohra’s ace-high was good enough to send the start-of-day chip leader out in third.

Mohit Bohra began the final duel with a commanding chip advantage: 606,500 to Sreekanth Narayan‘s 193,500 (over 3:1). Narayan fought back, scoring a double-up to close the distance slightly. But Bohra kept up the pressure, and the chip difference proved too much to overcome.

On the final hand of the NPC showdown, Bohra opened to 18,000 from the button holding . Narayan looked down at in the big blind and 3-bet to 54,000. Bohra immediately moved all in, and Narayan called off his remaining 167,500. It was a classic race for the title. The board ran out . Narayan’s Ace-King missed completely, and Bohra’s pocket eights held firm.

Mohit Bohra had done it – India’s first National Poker Champion!

And just like that, the curtains fall on an incredible National Poker Champion showdown in Goa! Mohit Bohra walks away with the history books rewritten, the first-ever NPC title, a mind-blowing ₹1 Crore richer, and the key to that massive ₹1 Crore freeroll for his home state of Gujarat. What a finish!