Down to the Wire: Six Remain For National Poker Champion Crown; Wadhawan Holds the Lead Heading Into Thursday`s Finale

Three high-stakes days. Six intense matches. Twelve of India’s best state champions. And now, we’re down to six.

If expectations were already high for the National Poker Champion showdown, the action at the Novotel Resort & Spa in Goa didn`t disappoint! The climactic final act of the record-breaking National Poker Series India 2025 is just a day away, and the buzz and excitement are palpable!

Half the field saw their championship dreams dissolve, but six competitors navigated the pressure, stacked up crucial points, and punched their tickets to the final dance. They now stand on the verge of poker history, each eyeing the chance to become India’s first-ever National Poker Champion and grab that stunning ₹1 Crore winner-takes-all prize.

The stakes go beyond personal gain. The champion will also trigger a massive ₹1 Crore freeroll tournament for players from their home state. This isn’t just about individual glory; it’s about state pride, too.

Fans nationwide have been sweating the action, catching the matches streamed on JioHotstar (with a one-hour delay) and live updates on PokerGuru, cheering on their state heroes. With Day 3 completed, the final six contenders are locked in for Thursday’s grand finale.

While several players delivered memorable performances, Chandigarh’s Ankit Wadhawan enters the final battle holding the chip advantage. His consistency was remarkable – a runner-up finish in Match 1, a victory in Match 3, and another second place in Match 5 (eliminator 1) earned him a total of 285 points—good for the top stack of 500 BB for the finale.

Close behind is Kerala’s Sreekanth Narayan. He started like a house on fire, winning both Match 1 and Match 3. A fifth-place finish in Match 5 cooled his jets slightly, but his 210 points granted him the second-largest stack with 400 BB.

Karnataka’s Bhanuprakash KC, the leaderboard machine who snagged a Match 2 win, sits third with 180 points and will begin the finale with 350 BB.

Then we have the duo who came through in crunch time. Uttar Pradesh’s Vikhyat Ahlawat and Arunachal Pradesh’s Wilson Yomso delivered clutch performances in the decisive Match 6 (final eliminator). They finished tied with 170 points each, and both will start the finale with 250 BB.

Gujarat’s Mohit Bohra completes the final table lineup. He also delivered under pressure in Match 6, finishing with 150 points, which gives him a 250 BB starting stack.

These final six competitors have earned a day off today – Wednesday – to rest, regroup, and strategize. On Thursday, April 17, they return for one last push towards that life-changing ₹1 Crore payday, the coveted NPC title, and the chance to bring poker glory back to their home state.

The grand finale is nearly upon us.

Day 3 Recap

Match 5 (Eliminator 1) – Top 3 vs Bottom 3

Points Standing at the Start

Top 3

• Sreekanth Narayan (Kerala) – 220 pts
• Ankit Wadhawan (Chandigarh) – 205 pts
• Bhanuprakash KC (Karnataka) – 130 pts

Bottom 3

• Goonjan Mall (West Bengal) – 30 pts
• Anish Vijayvergiya (Rajasthan) – 5 pts
• Saahib Bawa (Delhi) – -15 pts

Match 5 Recap: Saahil Bawa’s Blazing Comeback Ends in Heartbreak

Delhi’s Saahib Bawa started Match 5 at the very bottom of the points table but put on a performance for the ages. It was a stunning turnaround, though ultimately, not enough to carry him to the finale.

Bawa, who had been the first to bust in Matches 1 and 3, came out swinging this time, immediately locking horns with Goonjan Mall. He pulled in a chunky pot early on, setting the tone for what looked like a redemption arc. Unfortunately for the West Bengal pro, Mall was the first casualty of Match 5, putting a nail in his own finale hopes.

Shortly after, the formidable Sreekanth Narayan, winner of the first two matches, ran into a nasty cooler against Ankit Wadhawan. Narayan flopped a set with his on a board – looking strong. But Wadhawan, holding , caught a miracle on the turn to make a straight. The river didn’t pair the board, and Narayan was out in fifth place.

With four players left, Bawa maintained the chip lead, but Anish Vijayvergiya wasn’t far behind after doubling through Wadhawan. At that point, it was Bawa (112,700) just barely ahead of Vijayvergiya (112,300).

But Wadhawan wasn’t ready to fade. He bounced back with a double through Anish Vijayvergiya, dragging the latter’s stack down to 79,500. Vijayvergiya’s run came to an end not long after when his lost to Bawa’s . The board gave Bawa a flopped pair of Queens, and Rajasthan’s dream of reaching the finale was done.

Bhanuprakash KC hit the rail next. The Karnataka grinder made his stand with but ran straight into Bawa’s . The board ran clean for the aces – – sending KC out in third.

That left Saahib Bawa (239,100) with a mountain of chips to Ankit Wadhawan’s (60,900) modest stack heading into the final duel. The heads-up didn’t last long. On the final hand, Bawa shoved with , and Wadhawan called off his last 32,500 with . The board gave Bawa trip eights on the flop, and the match was his.

It was a commanding win for Bawa, earning him a huge 110 points after knocking out Vijayvergiya (4th), Bhanuprakash (3rd), and Wadhawan (2nd). A remarkable performance from someone who started the day last in points.

But the celebration came with a catch. Despite the huge result, Bawa’s overall tally only climbed to 95 points—good enough to temporarily place him in sixth. However, with six more players still to play Match 6 (the last eliminator) and at least one of them guaranteed 50+ points (for a third-place or better finish), Bawa’s fate was sealed. No combination of outcomes could keep him in the Top 6. The Delhi pro’s heroic Match 5 win was nothing short of electric—but not enough to punch his ticket to the finale.

Final Standings – Match 5

1. Saahib Bawa (Delhi) – 110 pts | Total: 95 pts
2. Ankit Wadhawan (Chandigarh) – 80 pts | Total: 285 pts
3. Bhanuprakash KC (Karnataka) – 50 pts | Total: 180 pts
4. Anish Vijayvergiya (Rajasthan) – 30 pts | Total: 35 pts
5. Sreekanth Narayan (Kerala) – 10 pts | Total: 230 pts
6. Goonjan Mall (West Bengal) – -10 pts | Total: 20 pts

Match 6 – The Middle Six Clash: Points Standing at the Start

• Mohit Bohra (Gujarat) – 120 pts
• Zarvan Tumboli (Maharashtra) – 110 pts
• Vikhyat Ahlawat (Uttar Pradesh) – 90 pts
• Snehil Aggarwal (Haryana) – 85 pts
• Wilson Yomso (Arunachal Pradesh) – 60 pts
• Aditya Sushant (Tamil Nadu) – 50 pts

Match 6 Recap – The Middle Six Bring the Heat as Yomso and Ahlawat Steal the Final Two Seats

The tension was sky-high for Match 6 (the last eliminator), the last chance saloon before the National Poker Champion finale. With Narayan, Wadhawan, and KC already locked in, only three spots remained for the six players in this match. It was put-up or shut-up time for the middle group, and they certainly responded.

Enter Wilson Yomso. Much like Saahib Bawa in Match 5, the Arunachal Pradesh champion started near the bottom of the points list with everything on the line. And he put on a clinic.

Yomso, noticeably focused (even ditching his usual colourful hairstyle), knew he likely needed a top-two finish to qualify. He got busy early, taking down a three-way pot involving Snehil Aggarwal and Zarvan Tumboli. After that, he didn’t let up, pulling off a bold river bluff against Tumboli to build his stack, then taking more chips from Vikhyat Ahlawat. Yomso was clearly dialled in.

The first bust-out came in Level 8. Snehil Aggarwal got his chips in with against Tumboli’s . The board ran out , giving Tumboli a rivered full house (Aces full of threes) and sending Aggarwal out in sixth.

Yomso, meanwhile, kept building. He rivered trip Kings against Tumboli to grab the chip lead and continued applying pressure. Next, he bullied Aditya Sushant in a big pot to widen the gap.

Then came another big moment. PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli found himself in deep waters with against Mohit Bohra’s . The board ran —no help for either, but Bohra’s Ace-high held strong. Tumboli busted in fifth place, ending Maharashtra’s run. Crucially, this hand guaranteed Bohra and Gujarat a place in the finale.

Down to four, Yomso continued his surge. He eliminated Mohit Bohra next when his spiked a Jack on the river against Bohra’s on a board. Bohra finished fourth.

Aditya Sushant was the next to fall. The WSOP bracelet winner got his chips in with but ran into Yomso’s . The board ran , giving Yomso a flopped pair of Queens. The Tamil Nadu champion was out in third. Sushant gathered 100 points overall, but needing an outright win in this match to advance, he came up short.

That left Wilson Yomso (259,000) with a massive heads-up advantage over Vikhyat Ahlawat (41,000), making it a one-sided duel.

The final confrontation didn’t take long. Yomso pushed all-in from the button with . Ahlawat found and made the call for his tournament life. The dealer laid out . Yomso hit a pair of sixes on the turn, and it was over.

With that final pot, Yomso took down the match, earning 110 points and boosting his total to 170, punching his ticket to the finale. Ahlawat, by finishing second, earned 80 crucial points, also bringing his total to 170 and locking up one of the last three seats in the NPC finale.

Final Standings – Match 6

1. Wilson Yomso (Arunachal Pradesh) – 110 pts | Total: 170 pts
2. Vikhyat Ahlawat (Uttar Pradesh) – 80 pts | Total: 170 pts
3. Aditya Sushant (Tamil Nadu) – 50 pts | Total: 100 pts
4. Mohit Bohra (Gujarat) – 30 pts | Total: 150 pts
5. Zarvan Tumboli (Maharashtra) – 10 pts | Total: 120 pts
6. Snehil Aggarwal (Haryana) – -10 pts | Total: 75 pts

NPC Finale Lineup

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

With a well-deserved break on April 16, the final six state champions will return on Thursday (April 17) for the NPC finale.

It promises to be a monumental day, not just for the six individuals vying to etch their names in history as the first-ever National Poker Champion but for the entire Indian poker community. An event of this magnitude, crowning a champion with the nation watching and rooting for their state representatives, is truly special. Regardless of Thursday’s outcome, reaching this final stage makes each of these players a champion in their own right.

For now, we wait with bated breath to see who claims the title!

Keep following PokerGuru for more updates from the National Poker Champion showdown 2025!