This Week in Poker: April 30 – May 6

Welcome to the latest edition of ‘This Week in Poker,’ where we bring you the most significant online scores by Indian MTT players and the top stories from both the live and online poker circuits. Here are this week’s highlights!

The poker scene seems to be matching the rising summer temperatures, gathering serious momentum week after week. And if April packed a punch, the first week of May was explosive, with enough to report both live and online yet again! Live action saw the attention quickly shift from the record-breaking APT Taipei eastwards to APPT Cambodia, which has kicked off with a bang for Indian players, much like how the Taipei stop ended!

On the online front, PokerBaazi has kept the heat on! If April was on the TDS-free cashouts driving the traffic and dictating the action, May is undeniably dominated by The MoneyMaker madness. India’s longest-running ₹1 Crore GTD single-flight tournament is back for a daily run throughout the entire month, only the second time this poker marathon has happened! Elsewhere, Natural8 India continued to dish out monster scores, launching its World Festival 2025 (May 4 – June 10), billed as India’s largest-ever tournament series. Junglee Poker’s ₹7.50 Crores GTD Poker Premiere League (PPL) also kept the tables buzzing with consistent action. Add some headline-grabbing industry news shaking things up, and it’s clear the past week delivered a serious dose of poker excitement from every angle!

APT Taipei Takeover: Records Shattered, Nishant Kumar Makes Epic Main Event Run

The curtains have officially come down on APT Taipei 2025, and what a show it was! Returning to the Taiwanese capital for the fourth straight year, the Asian Poker Tour didn’t just raise the bar – it launched it into orbit. Hosted at the slick new Red Space venue in partnership with the Chinese Texas Hold’em Poker Club (CTP), the ten-day festival (April 25 – May 4) carved out a monumental chapter in the tour’s 19-year history.

The numbers were staggering: 3,549 unique players from 51 countries and regions descended on Red Space. Across 118 trophy events and six satellites, a mind-blowing 22,909 entries were logged, generating an unprecedented TWD 612 Million (~$20 Million) in total prize pool – the largest ever for a poker series held in Taiwan.

At the heart of it all was the TWD 55,000 buy-in Main Event. This wasn’t just a tournament; it was a history-making phenomenon. With 2,547 entries (1,276 unique players from 45 regions), it obliterated the TWD 70 Million guarantee, creating a colossal TWD 121,033,440 (~$3.74 Million) prize pool – the biggest the APT Main Event has ever seen and the richest awarded in Taiwan.

After five days of intense poker and a gripping ten-hour final table, Japan’s Akira Takasugi stood tall, hoisting the iconic APT Lion`s trophy. His victory netted him a jaw-dropping TWD 19,009,440 (~₹5 Crores) top prize – an APT Main Event record – plus a seat to the upcoming APT Championship (APTC) Main Event. Macau’s Iat Man Leong (2nd for TWD 10,133,000) and Hong Kong’s Wayne Lam (3rd for TWD 6,867,000) also walked away with monster payouts and those valuable APTC seats.

Amidst this international poker storm, India’s Nishant Kumar delivered a performance that sent waves through the Indian poker community. A well-regarded online grinder with over ₹5.76 Crores in tracked winnings, Kumar turned an all-expenses-paid package (won for making the Natural8 India APT Taipei – India Exclusive Tournament final table, where he finished eighth) into a career-defining fifth-place finish in the Main Event. His incredible run earned him a massive TWD 4,419,500 (~₹1.15 Crores)! This wasn’t just Kumar’s first APT cash; it stands as one of the most memorable Indian achievements on the APT stage and signals a new high point in his already impressive career. This stellar showing makes Kumar our clear “PokerGuru Star of the Week!”

While Kumar grabbed the main headlines, Rishi Mehra also put together a highly successful Taipei campaign. After a deep run in the Main Event (44th for ₹8.46 Lakhs), Mehra immediately jumped into Event #96: Baby Superstar Challenge, battling his way to fourth place for a hefty TWD 1,982,500 (~₹54.55 Lakhs) – his second-best live score. Mehra left Taipei with four cashes, adding up to TWD 2.58 Million (~₹70.99 Lakhs), making him the second-highest Indian earner of the series.

Other Indians cashing in the record-breaking Main Event included Asish Kumar Ghosh (287th for ₹2.46 Lakhs), Amanpreet Singh (292nd for ₹2.46 Lakhs), Sumit Sapra (356th for ₹2.34 Lakhs), and Arun Sriram (361st for ₹2.34 Lakhs).

Another standout Indian narrative belonged to the seasoned live campaigner Avadh Shah, who lit up the festival’s early days. A familiar face on the circuit since 2012 with nearly ₹4 Crores in tracked online winnings, Shah started strong by winning the ₹5K Natural8 India APT Taipei – India Exclusive Tournament. After navigating a 361-entry online field on Natural8 India, he carried the chip lead to the live final table in Taipei and closed it out, bagging ₹3.10 Lakhs, an APT Lion trophy, and that valuable Main Event seat (worth ₹1.47 Lakhs). Fellow Indian pro Shravan Chhabria finished runner-up for ₹2.32 Lakhs, also punching his Main Event ticket.

But Shah wasn’t finished collecting hardware. Just two days later, he added another APT trophy by taking down Event #29: TWD 20K NLH – Big Bounty. He bested a 173-entry field to win TWD 6,89,900 (~₹18.05 Lakhs)—a career-best live score, including TWD 120,000 (~₹3.14 Lakhs) in bounties.

Despite fielding a relatively small contingent, Team India punched well above its weight in Taipei, accumulating 37 cash finishes (including eight from the India-exclusive event). Avadh Shah’s twin titles, Nishant Kumar’s incredible Main Event charge, and Rishi Mehra’s consistency made this another highly successful Indian campaign at an APT stop.

Team India Scorecard at APT Taipei

APT Taipei List of Winners

Cambodian Gold Rush: Ajay Abrol & Arun Godiyal Strike Early as APPT Action Ignites!

The energy from Taipei flowed directly eastwards to Phnom Penh, where the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Cambodia 2025 got underway at the luxurious NagaWorld Integrated Resort (May 2-13)—promising over $1.50 Million in guarantees across 68 events, including a historic $1 Million GTD Main Event – the largest prize pool ever offered in Cambodia!

Five days into the series, 19 titles have already been awarded, and Team India has exploded out of the gates. Indian players have already registered 17 cashes, made 12 final table appearances, picked up two runner-up results, and impressively, claimed two PokerStars spadie trophies.

Singapore-based Ajay Abrol emerged as the early standout, assembling a remarkable run with three final table finishes. The highlight was undoubtedly capturing his first-ever live title in Event #12: $300 Shot Clock, where he navigated a 73-entry field to win $5,222 (~₹4.40 Lakhs). In a delightful twist, his heads-up opponent was none other than his wife, Anju Abrol, who earned $3,396 (₹2.86 Lakhs) for her second-place finish.

Anju added another cash in Event #22 (7th for ~$87K). Ajay nearly grabbed a second spadie, finishing runner-up in the same Event #22: $250 6-Handed Turbo for $3,673 (~₹3.10 Lakhs), and had earlier placed fifth in Event #5 for $2,320 (~₹1.96 Lakhs). His series winnings currently stand at $11,215 (~₹9.45 Lakhs), pushing his career live earnings past ₹29 Lakhs.

Arun Godiyal continued his meteoric rise in the live poker scene. Just six months after winning his first spadie (and first live title) at APPT Cambodia 2024, Godiyal returned in style, taking down Event #3: $300 Knockout Turbo for $2,789 (~₹2.35 Lakhs), adding another PokerStars trophy to his name. He quickly followed that up with a third-place finish in Event #14: $300 Win the Button – Hyper Turbo for $1,248 (~₹1.05 Lakhs), bringing his series total to $4,037 (~₹3.40 Lakhs). Remarkably, Godiyal only recorded his first live cash last November and now boasts six scores and two spadie wins, with career earnings nearing ₹9.68 Lakhs.

With the biggest events yet to come, India is poised for a potentially historic APPT Cambodia campaign.

Team India Scorecard at APPT Cambodia

APPT Cambodia List of Winners

Online Railbird Report: Vishal Ojha Crushes the PokerBaazi Felts With ₹29.03 Lakhs Week!

While Team India was making waves across Asia, the online felt back home was equally ablaze. Pune’s poker powerhouse, Vishal Ojha, delivered a week for the ages. A 2023 People’s Poker Championship nominee and the strategic lynchpin behind Kolkata Wizards‘ runner-up finish in Pocket52 PSL Season 6, Ojha’s credentials speak volumes (four IOPC titles, a USOP Main Event win, and a career-best ₹26.78 Lakhs online score).

This past week, Ojha went on an online tear, accumulating a stunning ₹29.03 Lakhs in winnings, all on PokerBaazi. The heater ignited on Thursday with a runner-up finish in the Daily Last Chance (₹1.22 Lakhs). But Friday was the real headline act. Ojha conquered The MoneyMaker 92.0, capturing his first bracelet in this iconic event and banking ₹15 Lakhs – his biggest score of 2025 and second-largest online payday ever. He wasn’t done, finishing runner-up in The Quest the same night for another ₹3 Lakhs, completing a blistering ₹18.66 Lakh double. The heater continued Sunday when Ojha finally captured the BSS SuperStack title, a victory that had consistently eluded him, pocketing another ₹6.95 Lakhs. He rolls into May with serious momentum.

His top finishes include:

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s #2 The MoneyMaker for ₹15,00,000

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s BSS SuperStack for ₹6,95,351

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s The Quest for ₹3,00,000

> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹1,21,955

> 6th in PokerBaazi’s The Big Show for ₹1,11,600

More Online Heroes

Ojha’s phenomenal week led the charge, but plenty of other familiar names found success on the online tables. Natural8 India debutant ’24-7 Tilt,‘ first-ever National Poker Champion Mohit Bohra, Anant Purohit, Rishabh Gupta, Omar Nath, Pranav Zarekar, Rahul Purohit, three-time POY Young Gun Gaurav Sood, Aditya Bagaria, Rishab Gupta, Young Gun Sanat Mehrotra, and Vikhyat Ahlawat all posted big scores across the board.

Notable Online Winners of the Week

Courtroom Confrontation: Gaming Industry’s Future Hinges on Supreme Court GST Hearing

While chips flew across virtual and live tables, a drama of a different, yet arguably higher-stakes nature, unfolded in India’s highest court. After months of intense speculation and anxiety within the Indian real-money gaming (RMG) industry, the crucial Supreme Court hearing regarding the government’s colossal ₹1.12 Lakh Crore retrospective GST demands against over 70 gaming companies finally commenced on Monday, May 6.

The crux of the conflict lies in the government’s interpretation that all online games involving monetary stakes should be classified as gambling, thereby subject to a 28% GST levy on the full deposit amount, applied retroactively since July 2017. The RMG industry strongly refutes this classification, arguing that games like poker, rummy, and fantasy sports are predominantly skill-based and distinct from games of chance. They warn that imposing gambling-level taxation, especially retrospectively, could trigger an industry-wide collapse. Top legal advocates representing the gaming companies presented strong arguments challenging the retrospective tax application, citing constitutional infringements and established legal precedents that differentiate skill-based gaming.

🚨 India’s RMG sector is fighting its biggest legal battle yet! The SC will decide on ₹1.12L Cr in retro GST demands. The govt is calling it gambling, the industry says it’s skill. Jobs & the sector’s future hang in the balance. ⚖ Read more 👇🏻

— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 8, 2025

The real-world consequences of this legal battle are already apparent, with reports of significant layoffs at major operators like Games24x7 and the unfortunate closure of several smaller startups unable to weather the financial uncertainty. During the hearing, the government presented its “Seven Sutras,” attempting to legally define gambling for taxation purposes. At the same time, the industry’s counsel highlighted the potential devastation to one of the fastest-growing digital economic sectors.

With the next hearing scheduled for May 9, the Supreme Court’s eventual ruling is eagerly awaited and holds profound implications for the future trajectory and very survival of India’s RMG sector.

Junglee’s PPL Grand Finale Burns Bright: ₹50 Crore Festival Nears Climax!

Junglee Poker’s ₹7.50 Crore GTD Poker Premier League (PPL) is now in full swing, serving as the dramatic closing act of its massive ₹50 Crore festival. Running throughout May, the Indian T20 League-inspired series features 95 tournaments, including three daily headliners firing off at 5 PM, 8 PM, and 9:30 PM IST. The series culminates in the ₹1 Crore GTD Main Event on May 31 (₹11,500 buy-in).

🎉 The ₹7.50 Cr GTD #PokerPremierLeague is LIVE on @Junglee_Poker – the grand finale of its ₹50 Cr festival! 95 events, 4 freerolls, 3 daily headliners, ₹1 Cr GTD #MainEvent on May 31 & daily cashback perks! 🤑

Play your way. Win your way. Read more 👇🏻

— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 7, 2025

Players can also jump into four ₹1 Lakh GTD Sunday freerolls, with the next one scheduled for May 11 as a special Mother’s Day edition. With accessible buy-ins starting at just ₹920 and daily satellites running, there are plenty of ways to get into the PPL action.

PokerDangal Delights: Daily Lakhpati Leaderboard & MTT Action Abound!

PokerDangal is turning May into a high-value grind fest for cash game enthusiasts with the return of the Daily Lakhpati Leaderboard (May 7-31). Every day, ₹1 Lakh is up for grabs across four stake-based leaderboards. With daily resets, everyone gets a fresh chance, and the top eight players on each leaderboard get paid (50% real cash, 50% bonus, credited within 24 hours).

🎉 May is raining cash on @DangalPoker! The #DailyLakhpatiLeaderboard returns May 7–31 with ₹1 Lakh in daily prizes across 4 stake-based leaderboards! Daily resets, top 8 paid, & instant payouts with GST-free deposits & TDS-free withdrawals! 🤑 Read more 👇🏻

— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 5, 2025

The platform maintains its player-friendly GST-free deposits and TDS-free withdrawals. This cash game promotion runs alongside PokerDangal’s tournament offerings—the PokerDangal Super Value tournaments, promising ₹70 Lakhs this month. These tournaments feature nightly 8 PM majors and regular flagships like the ₹2 Lakhs GTD Saturday Showdown and ₹1.50 Lakhs Sunday Grind.

New Gaming Venture: Bollywood Royalty & Tech Veterans Launch ‘Tara Gaming’!

In an interesting convergence of entertainment worlds, Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, acclaimed author Amish Tripathi, and former Ubisoft executive Nouredine Abboud announced the launch of Tara Gaming. This new AAA game development studio, operating under the ‘Create in India’ initiative, revealed its debut project: ‘The Age of Bhaarat.’ Planned as a mytho-action title for PC and consoles, the game promises to deliver epic storytelling combined with high-fidelity production values.

WinZO Reports Impressive Growth Amidst Industry Challenges!

WinZO Games released strong financial results for FY24, appearing to navigate the challenging GST environment that has troubled many competitors. The platform reported an impressive 70% increase in revenue to ₹1,055 Crores and a 2.5x jump in profit to ₹315 Crores. WinZO attributed its success to its large user base (claiming over 250 million), a strategic focus on regional markets, and a developer-centric business model. This performance is particularly noteworthy given the broader industry pressures and WinZO’s ongoing expansion efforts into markets like Brazil.

Global Glance: More Live Tournament Champions Crowned!

Around the globe, more live poker champions were crowned: Edward Leonard (Won PokerStars Open Philadelphia $1,100 Main Event for $147,806), Vincent Moscati (Won WSOPC Tunica $1,700 Main Event for $111,454), and Thomas Wikoff (Won RGPS Mission RunGood Council Bluffs $800 Main Event for $64,869), Joaquin Lafoz (Won CNPW Barcelona €550 Main Event for €50,000), Getnet Kassa (Won PartyPoker Tour London €500 Main Event for £38,408), and Laura Westfall (Won Nevada State $360 Ladies Championship for $20,770).

With this, we conclude this week’s roundup of the latest news updates and developments from the world of poker. We will return next week with our weekly report. Stay tuned.