Online Rankings: Shreyansh Sharma Dominates the Week; Anant Purohit Ascends November’s Peak & Tarun Goyal Inches Closer to Historic POY Victory

In this feature, we bring you to the top three weekly, monthly, and yearly performers every Sunday. These rankings are based on cumulative winnings (cashes). However, the rankings only include players registered to our online ranking system, so hurry up and register if you haven’t signed up on PokerGuru yet!

As we enter the final month of this absolutely wild year in Indian poker, it’s clear that 2024 will be remembered as the year that changed everything. Records have been shattered left and right, players are winning life-changing money, and the level of competition has been off the charts!

Platforms like PokerBaazi and Natural8 India are at the forefront of this revolution, hosting some of the biggest and most exciting tournaments India has ever seen. The passion and drive of players across the country have transformed the poker landscape, making this a landmark year for the mind sport (and yes, we can officially call it a “mind sport” now, thanks to the recent IMSA accreditation!).

The Player of the Year (POY) race is still wide open, and the leaderboard is a battleground where any big win can rewrite the ending. Natural8 India’s tournaments are keeping everyone on edge, and with the APT Online 2024 wrapping up tonight and PokerBaazi’s much-awaited ₹35 Crores GTD WPT India Online Series just around the corner, the climax of this poker saga promises to be legendary.

Tarun Goyal: The Unstoppable Force

One name that remains head and shoulders above the competition in the POY race is Tarun Goyal. This IT professional turned poker legend isn’t just playing poker; he’s rewriting the rules. He has amassed a mind-blowing ₹7.32 Crores in winnings and ₹5.52 Crores in profit, setting a new standard for excellence. As the first player to win over ₹7 Crores in a single year, Goyal’s exploits on Natural8 India have been out of the world, with four eight-figure scores, including a coveted WSOP bracelet.

Goyal has been a force of nature these past few months. He dominated the winnings and profits leaderboards in August and September, grabbed a strong third place in October, and held his own in November. After a quiet start to this month, he roared back to claim the #2 spot in the second week. Even though things have been laying low in the last fortnight, he still finished seventh for the month with a very respectable ₹31.04 Lakhs in winnings and ₹22.15 Lakhs in profit. A big chunk of that came from his stellar seventh-place finish in the Sunday HR Main Event 1500, where he pocketed a massive ₹19.63 Lakhs.

Neel Joshi: The Prodigy Plotting His Return

The closest challenger to Goyal’s throne is Neel Joshi, the Young Gun who’s holding strong at #2 in the POY race. With a staggering ₹5.93 Crores in winnings and ₹3.76 Crores in profit, this PokerStars India Ambassador has already surpassed the incredible benchmarks set by Young Gun Gaurav Sood in his three POY victories.

Joshi ruled the online tables in the first half of the year as the undisputed king of the virtual felt. He made most of his money—₹5.08 Crores—on Natural8 India, where he racked up an incredible 15 seven-figure scores. He might be trailing Goyal by ₹1.39 Crores right now (partly because he’s been taking some well-deserved time off), but don’t count him out just yet.

Rumour has it that Joshi is still crushing it in major online tournaments, maybe on platforms we haven’t covered. His absence from the spotlight only intensifies the anticipation for his return. With his track record, discounting him from contention would be a grave mistake.

Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram: The Dark Horse Charging Forward

Coming out of nowhere to shake up the POY race is Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram, who jumped from #7 to #3 when he finally opted into our tracking system last week. His dedication and undeniable skills have paid off big time: a massive ₹5.13 Crores in winnings and ₹4.12 Crores in profit. That makes him the third player this year to break the ₹5 Crore mark.

But Nishaanth isn’t just racking up numbers; he’s winning big tournaments. His victory at the Beijing Mystery Bounty Millions in July, where he seized a jaw-dropping ₹1.97 Crores, is legendary. This month, he`s added to his impressive resume with wins in Adda52’s Big Whale and PokerBaazi’s BSS SuperStack. But the highlight of his November was an awe-inspiring victory in Natural8 India’s Korea National Cup last week, where he pocketed ₹33.44 Lakhs and won his first-ever APT Online Lion Trophy.

That breakthrough launched him to the top of the weekly leaderboard in the third week of November, and he finished #3 in the monthly rankings. He closed out the month with an explosive ₹66.18 Lakhs in winnings and ₹55.08 Lakhs in profit. As he continues his climb, everyone’s watching to see just how high this dark horse will go.

Anant Purohit: The Silent Assassin Claims His Throne

Anant Purohit has emerged as the silent assassin in the electrifying POY race. Quietly and methodically, he’s climbed to #4, leaving a trail of impressive results in his wake. With over ₹4.65 Crores in winnings and ₹3.38 Crores in profit, this seasoned veteran is having a career-defining year.

Purohit’s performance on Natural8 India has been incredible. In the past three months alone, he’s made nine podium finishes and achieved eight seven-figure scores, showing just how consistently he can play at a high level. While others chase the spotlight, Purohit lets his cards do the talking, and the spotlight can’t help but follow.

He had another exceptional week on Natural8 India, with standout performances on five of the seven days. His incredible consistency pushed him to second place in the weekly standings with ₹15.25 Lakhs in winnings and ₹10.68 Lakhs in profit. This performance also catapulted him to the top of the November leaderboard, a jump from the third spot he held the previous week, with a staggering ₹75.76 Lakhs in monthly winnings and ₹58.98 Lakhs in profits.

Purohit’s rise has left former frontrunner Vaibhav Temani wondering what hit him. With those incredible scores, Purohit’s November was nothing short of extraordinary. Some of his notable finishes include a runner-up spot in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters HR 525, where he earned ₹21.23 Lakhs, and a third-place finish in the same event for ₹17.82 Lakhs.

Sanjay Chaudhary: The G.O.A.T. Legend

Sanjay Chaudhary might be slipping down the POY leaderboard, but he’s still holding strong at #5 with ₹4.28 Crores in winnings and an unbelievable ₹4.09 Crores in profit. And it’s all thanks to one incredible tournament: PokerBaazi’s G.O.A.T. 2024, the biggest online tournament ever held in India!

Chaudhary’s second-place finish in that epic event, where he made a heads-up deal with Kabir Chhatwal (the eventual winner) and walked away with a life-changing ₹4.14 Crores, a perfect example of how one big score can completely change your life!

The Rest of the POY Top 10: A Who’s Who of Indian Poker

The rest of the POY leaderboard is a who’s who of Indian poker royalty. Superstars like PokerGuru Staking coach Advait Rajguru (#6 with ₹4.26 Crores), WSOP bracelet winner Young Gun Aayush Arya (#7 with ₹4.18 Crores), Satyam Verma (#8 with ₹3.88 Crores), G.O.A.T. 2024 champion Kabir Chhatwal (#9 with ₹3.50 Crores), and Neeraj Sattawat (#10 with ₹3.36 Crores) all in the top ten.

With phenomenal players like Sashank Chakravarthy, JaiKiran Kumar, Rajneesh Thakur, Mohak Kapoor (the annual TLB (points) leaderboard topper), Rising Star Aman Parakh, Sagar Raj, Shreyansh Sharma, Vinay B, Young Gun Ashwin Vijay, and three-time POY Young Gun Gaurav Sood also in the running, this race could go down to the wire.

Vaibhav Temani: The Unstoppable Force (Almost)

While everyone’s focused on the POY race, Vaibhav Temani has been quietly crushing it. This Jaipur-based pro was on fire this past month, leading the November leaderboard for three weeks straight. He was leading by a mile, and the monthly title seemed to be within his grasp.

But then, in a surprising turn of events, Temani disappeared during the final stretch. This gave Anant Purohit the chance to swoop in and steal the monthly leaderboard crown with a string of impressive scores on Natural8 India. Still, even though he didn’t win, Temani’s accomplishments are incredible.

With a stunning ₹71.61 Lakhs in winnings and ₹59.85 Lakhs in profit for the month, Temani is the most profitable player of November. He was especially dominant on Natural8 India, where he showed everyone who’s boss with a series of high-stakes victories. He conquered the Sunday Bounty Forty Stack 44 (₹23.44 Lakhs), got second place in the Bounty Hunters Daily Main 54 (₹16.45 Lakhs), and won the Wednesday Wonderbox 150 (his biggest win on the site worth ₹23.94 Lakhs).

Temani isn’t just playing; he’s delivering a masterclass in poker excellence. Even though he fell short at the end, his performance throughout the month was awe-inspiring.

Shreyansh Sharma: The Prince’s Triumphant Return

Shreyansh Sharma, who already made a name for himself as the “Prince of May,” was back at it again with an incredible performance in the Sunday Showdown 108 on Natural8 India. This monumental event, with 7,150 entrants vying for victory, saw Sharma play flawlessly, finishing in a respectable 42nd place.

But the real excitement came from the Sunday Showdown 108’s mystery bounty format. Sharma’s incredible luck netted him a staggering ₹50.86 Lakhs in bounties alone! Combined with his tournament winnings, his total haul reached a mind-blowing ₹51.45 Lakhs—his biggest score ever and his second seven-figure payday on Natural8 India.

Sharma didn’t stop there. He had five more deep runs across different platforms throughout the week, launching himself to the top of the weekly leaderboard with a phenomenal ₹52.60 Lakhs in winnings (weekly profits – ₹49.97 Lakhs). He also finished fourth among the month’s top scorers, with a scorching ₹59.48 Lakhs in winnings (monthly profits – ₹54.12 Lakhs).

This young prodigy has now climbed to #17 in the POY rankings thanks to his incredible skill and consistency. With a staggering ₹2.59 Crores in annual earnings, Sharma is no longer just a rising star; he’s a major contender on the poker scene.

Ram Kakkar: The Enigmatic Lawyer Leaving His Mark

Ram Kakkar, the enigmatic lawyer-turned-poker pro, has been another standout this year. He lets his cards do the talking, and they’ve been telling a compelling story.

This past week, Kakkar delivered a mid-week masterclass on Natural8 India that left everyone in awe. He dominated the GGMasters Bounty Warm-Up 25, a tournament with a giant field of 7,010 entries, earning a whopping ₹9.98 Lakhs—his biggest score ever on the platform. This huge win puts him in a prominent position in the weekly rankings, ranking him third with estimated weekly profits of around ₹9.88 Lakhs.

Other Weekly Leaderboard Heroes

The other weekly leaderboard stars include Abilash Bala (#4 with ₹9.41 Lakhs), Abhimanyu Mittal (#5 with ₹9.30 Lakhs), and Jyotindra Dubey (#6 with ₹9.11 Lakhs). Other big winners included PokerGuru Staking coach Mithun Mahesh (₹9.05 Lakhs), Tarush Gupta (₹8.19 Lakhs), and poker veteran Akash Malik (₹8.13 Lakhs).

Weekly Online Rankings (November 24 – November 30)

Monthly Online Rankings (November 1 – November 30)

Yearly Online Rankings (January 1 – November 30)

For a complete list of online rankings, check out our ‘Leaderboards’ page. If your name is not on our list, register and enter your screen names into your account to get ranked!