Online Rankings: Shreyansh Sharma Ascends to POY #5 This Week, While Tarun Goyal Awaits His Coronation in 3 Days!

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 the clock ticks down to the grand finale of the 2024 Player of the Year (POY) race, the Indian poker community stands on the edge of its seat. Records have been shattered, legends have been forged, and the stage is set for an epic showdown that will redefine the boundaries of competitive poker. With just three days left until the coveted POY title is awarded, the tension is electric. Tarun Goyal remains unchallenged at the summit, but the battle for the remaining leaderboard spots promises drama until the very last hand.

This year has been transformative for Indian poker—a saga of resilience, shattered records, and relentless ambition. What began as a challenge with GST reforms became a catalyst for unparalleled growth. Players rose to the occasion, smashing guarantees, mastering strategies, and making 2024 a landmark year.

Platforms like PokerBaazi and Natural8 India have not only hosted tournaments but created cinematic battlegrounds for dreams to materialize. Their groundbreaking guarantees and meticulously designed structures have elevated poker to an experience rather than just a game. With Indian poker now recognized as a “mind sport” by the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), the community has achieved a status many thought unattainable.

Tarun Goyal: The Unstoppable Force in Indian Poker

2024 has been a monumental year for Tarun Goyal, solidifying his position as the undisputed king of Indian poker. From his early beginnings as an IT professional to becoming a record-breaking poker icon, Goyal’s dominance has been nothing short of extraordinary.

The highlight of Goyal’s remarkable year came in mid-December during the ₹2.75 Lakhs Mystery Millions Online 2750 on Natural8 India. A 93rd-place finish might not usually turn heads, but Goyal defied expectations by pulling an astonishing ₹5 Crores mystery bounty—the largest online score ever achieved by an Indian. This jaw-dropping feat brought his total event winnings to ₹5.05 Crores, cementing his legacy as a high-stakes maestro. Already a WSOP bracelet winner and record-breaker, this monumental achievement all but guaranteed him the Player of the Year (POY) crown in a spectacular fashion.

With annual winnings of ₹12.39 Crores (₹11.74 Crores on Natural8 India) and profits nearing ₹10 Crores, Goyal has set benchmarks that are almost impossible to surpass. His year includes five eight-figure scores, a testament to his unprecedented consistency.

However, Goyal’s success is not just about isolated scores. Over the last four months, he has displayed relentless dominance. He led the leaderboard in August and September, maintained a strong position in October, and secured a seventh-place finish in November. While many thought his trip to Las Vegas for the WPT World Championship in December would slow him down, Goyal proved them wrong, claiming the top spot on the monthly leaderboard with a stunning tally of ₹5.06 Crores (Monthly Profits ~ ₹5 Crores).

Neel Joshi: The Maverick Charting His Unique Path

Young Gun Neel Joshi has been a dominant presence in Indian poker, though Tarun Goyal’s extraordinary surge has cast a shadow over his Player of the Year (POY) aspirations. As a PokerStars India Ambassador, Joshi’s resume speaks volumes, with ₹5.95 Crores in winnings and ₹3.76 Crores in profits. However, his decision to focus on live poker at EPT Prague rather than pursuing the POY title demonstrates his commitment to long-term goals.

Despite the shift in focus, Joshi remains a formidable competitor, particularly in Natural8 India, where he has accumulated ₹5.08 Crores in winnings and achieved 15 seven-figure finishes. While rumors suggest success on untracked platforms, Goyal’s dominant lead has undoubtedly curtailed Joshi’s chances of claiming the POY crown.

To complicate matters, Anant Purohit’s meteoric rise poses a significant challenge to Joshi’s hold on the #2 spot. With the leaderboard race nearing its conclusion, the pressure is on, and every move counts in this high-stakes competition.

Anant Purohit: The Silent Assassin

Operating under the radar, Anant Purohit has quietly climbed to the #3 spot on the POY leaderboard, boasting over ₹5.90 Crores in winnings and ₹4.20 Crores in profits. As the fourth player this year to cross the ₹5 Crore mark, Purohit now trails Neel Joshi by just ₹5.13 Lakhs, putting the #2 position well within reach with only three days remaining.

Purohit’s success stems from his unmatched consistency and precision. His impressive run on Natural8 India this year has earned him ₹4.60 Crores, along with six titles, nine podium finishes, and ten seven-figure scores over the last three months. Highlights of his stellar year include a ₹84.61 Lakhs win in the Bounty Hunters HR Deepstack 525 in September and leading the November charts with ₹75.76 Lakhs in winnings.

December has been equally remarkable for Purohit. Key performances include a fourth-place finish in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters HR 525 for ₹20.04 Lakhs, a third-place finish in PokerBaazi’s WPT#67 Super HighRoller for ₹10.95 Lakhs, and another third-place finish in the Bounty Hunters HR 525 for ₹23.91 Lakhs.

Currently ranked #3 on both the monthly and weekly leaderboards, Purohit has posted ₹1.16 Crores (₹78.49 Lakhs in profits) for December and ₹36.26 Lakhs (₹27.20 Lakhs in profits) over the past week. In an industry dominated by bold personalities, Purohit’s quiet confidence and impeccable results are a testament to the power of consistency, proving that actions speak louder than words.

Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram: The Dark Horse’s Resounding Exit

Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram burst onto the POY tracking scene in mid-November, immediately claiming the #3 spot. However, with Anant Purohit’s meteoric ascent, Nishaanth has now shifted to the #4 position.

Reflecting on his incredible 2024, Nishaanth tallied an impressive ₹5.51 Crores in winnings and ₹4.42 Crores in profit. His standout achievement came in July, with a massive ₹1.97 Crores victory at the Beijing Mystery Millions. Nishaanth’s momentum continued as he topped the November charts and concluded the year strongly, adding ₹38.08 Lakhs to his bankroll in December (₹32.03 Lakhs in profits). A major contributor was his third-place finish in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters HR Mystery Paradise 525, earning ₹27.60 Lakhs.

As Nishaanth steps away for a well-earned vacation, the poker community eagerly anticipates his return in 2025, where he is poised to resume his pursuit of poker excellence.

Shreyansh Sharma: The 23-Year-Old Prodigy

At just 23 years old, Shreyansh Sharma has taken the POY race by storm, climbing from #18 to #5 in an astonishing two-week run. With ₹4.40 Crores in annual winnings and a yearly profit of ₹3.45 Crores, Sharma has become the youngest phenom in the rankings.

This past week was nothing short of extraordinary for Sharma. He secured ₹1.64 Crores in winnings (₹1.56 Crores in profits), driven by a career-defining ₹1.54 Crores victory in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters HR MAIN EVENT 525. Adding to his stellar week, he finished as the runner-up in the Bounty Blastoff 150, earning another ₹6.39 Lakhs.

Sharma’s rise has been consistent throughout the year. He dominated the May leaderboard, claimed the #4 spot in November, and just had a Sunday for the history books. As of now, he ranks #2 in the December leaderboard with ₹1.81 Crores in winnings (₹1.69 Crores in profits).

Late in November, Sharma may have been underestimated despite his ₹51.45 Lakhs mystery bounty haul in Natural8 India’s Sunday Showdown 108. However, his latest figures and performances have firmly established him as one of the brightest rising stars in Indian poker.

Advait Rajguru: Bangalore’s Poker Ace

Advait Rajguru, a PokerGuru Staking coach and young phenom, remains a prominent figure despite slipping to #6 on the POY rankings following Shreyansh Sharma’s meteoric rise. Rajguru’s remarkable consistency is evident in his ₹4.39 Crores in annual winnings, yielding a profit of ₹2.12 Crores. He also makes strategic live show appearances, like his victory in Pocket52’s PSL Season 6 with the Deccan Aces and a strong showing in PokerBaazi’s The Circuit.

Rajguru balances live and online poker with strategic finesse. His 2024 highlights include a ₹45.18 Lakhs win in PokerBaazi’s IPM#57 Big Value, a fourth-place finish in Natural8 India’s Daily Main Event 250 for ₹12.39 Lakhs, and leading the Deccan Aces to victory in Pocket52’s PSL Season 6. With his ability to shine across formats, Rajguru’s strategic brilliance ensures he remains in the spotlight.

The Rest of the POY Top 10: A Galaxy of Poker Stars

The POY leaderboard is a showcase of the best and brightest in Indian poker. It features luminaries such as Sanjay Chaudhary (#7 with ₹4.29 Crores), WSOP bracelet winner Young Gun Aayush Arya (#8 with ₹4.25 Crores), Satyam Verma (#9 with ₹4.22 Crores), G.O.A.T. 2024 champion Kabir Chhatwal (#10 with ₹3.57 Crores).

But the competition doesn’t stop there. Neeraj Sattawat, Rajneesh Thakur, JaiKiran Kumar, Rising Star Aman Parakh, Sashank Chakravarthy, Mohak Kapoor (the annual TLB (points) leaderboard topper), three-time POY Young Gun Gaurav Sood, Sagar Raj, Manish Lakhotia and Vinay B are all waiting just outside the top ten, ready to make their move.

Nitin Rawat: The Inaugural WPT India Online Champion

Nitin Rawat made history this Sunday by becoming the first-ever WPT India Online champion on PokerBaazi. His incredible performance culminated in a ₹63.50 Lakhs win and the prestigious WPT Main Event trophy. With total weekly winnings of ₹64.27 Lakhs (₹63.70 Lakhs in profits), Rawat secured the #2 spot on the weekly leaderboard. His dominance also placed him #4 on the December standings with ₹72.03 Lakhs in cumulative winnings and a monthly profit of ₹64.15 Lakhs.

Divanshu Khurana: A Podium Finish to Remember

Divanshu Khurana, known for his third-place finish in the 2021 EndBoss, once again proved his mettle by claiming the WPT Main Event runner-up spot. He pocketed ₹35.54 Lakhs in winnings and a net profit of ₹35.29 Lakhs, earning him the #4 position on the weekly leaderboard.

Other Monthly Leaderboard Heroes

The monthly leaderboard also features a number of other talented players, including WPT Online India Player of the Series Avneesh Munjal (#5 with ₹61.96 Lakhs in monthly winnings), Ankit Wadhawan (#6 with ₹45.62 Lakhs in monthly winnings), Pranay Chawla (#7 with ₹40.87 Lakhs in monthly winnings). Divanshu Khurana, Satyam Verma, Rahul Purohit, Young Gun Gaurav Sood, Nishant Kumar, and Prithviaditya Singh also made it to the list.

Other Weekly Leaderboard Heroes

The weekly leaderboard also features a number of other talented players, including Prithviaditya Singh (#5 with ₹23.46 Lakhs in weekly winnings), Avneesh Munjal (#6 with ₹20.24 Lakhs in weekly winnings) and Shrikant Sanjay Pradhan (#7 with ₹19.79 Lakhs in weekly winnings).

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!