This Week in Poker: February 19 – 25

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!

After weeks of anticipation, the poker action detonated on Sunday. Just as the much-talked-about ICC Champions Trophy clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan kicked off at 2:30 PM, India’s biggest-ever poker showdown, the ₹100 Crores GTD National Poker Series India 2025, launched on PokerBaazi, setting off a month-long frenzy! And if that wasn’t enough, Ankit Ahuja, the two-time GPI POY (India), entered the final table of the WPT Championship Cambodia 2025 as the commanding chip leader! While the NPS India 2025 has been grabbing all the headlines for the last three days, the week delivered other key industry developments.

NPS India 2025: A Poker Earthquake!

The ₹100 Crore GTD National Poker Series India 2025 has landed on PokerBaazi, and the ground is still shaking. Think of it as a poker-sized meteor hitting the Indian scene with force. PokerGuru, the official media partner, is right here, chronicling all the action. We’re talking numbers that make your head spin. Over 33,000 entries in just three days, and the prize pools already past ₹10 Crores, blowing past that ₹8.95 Crore guarantee like it was nothing. Forget predictions; we’re watching history unfold.

This isn’t just about individual glory; it’s a state-versus-state showdown. Players are battling for medals, all to push their states into the top 12. Then, the ultimate showdown: a live poker thunderdome in Goa, where one player will be crowned India’s first National Poker Champion, claiming the grand ₹1 Crore prize and eternal bragging rights.

Delhi, the perennial contender, is leading the pack with 16 medals (5 Gold, 5 Silver, 6 Bronze). Maharashtra is trailing with 11 (5 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze), and Uttar Pradesh is making a statement with 7 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze). The medal race is white-knuckle intense.

Zarvan Tumboli: Master of All Domains

The name on everyone`s lips is Zarvan Tumboli, PokerBaazi’s very own Team Pro. The Mumbai live MTT sensation has committed to a full NPS grind, a self-described leap into the unknown. He said it was a complete shift in his poker philosophy. But it turns out, skill transcends formats. Three days, three medals. Gold in NPS#6 Marathon (₹5.69 Lakhs), Silver in NPS#14 (PLO-6) Megadive (₹3.03 Lakhs), another Silver in NPS#20 (PLO-5) (₹2.63 Lakhs). Fifteen cashes in 21 events, ₹12.82 Lakhs in total winnings, and he’s dominating every leaderboard – Maharashtra State Leaderboard (20 Points), NPC Leaderboard (the only multiple medal winner so far), and the NPS Series Leaderboard. He’s showing everyone how it’s done.

Aniket Waghmare: The Comeback Kid

Then there’s Aniket Waghmare, an accomplished regular from Mumbai, who decided to come back from a long break swinging. Showing no rust, he plowed through 1,430 contenders in Natural8 India’s Friday Night Fight 150 to win the title for a stunning ₹20.22 Lakhs. This was his biggest online win on Natural8 India and his first cash here in ages.

While Waghmare and Tumboli grabbed the online headlines, the NPS India 2025 has been a breeding ground for extraordinary stories. Players like Rising Star Ritwik Khanna, Anshul Rajput, Young Gun Arsh Grover, Sahil Babbar, Prince Singh, Vikhyat Ahlawat, Ansh Raj, Ashish Munot, and 2024 POY #4 Nishaanth S have all etched their names into NPS legend, capturing those coveted medals. The series is still young, and the drama is just beginning.

Notable Online Winners of the Week

Team India Conquers WPT Cambodia Championship 2025

The WPT Championship Cambodia 2025 wrapped up an action-packed run from February 6 to 24 at the NagaWorld in Phnom Penh, attracting top poker talent from across the globe, including a formidable Indian contingent.

India’s showing at the series was nothing short of sensational, with 101 total cashes and three WPT trophies returning home! Eight of these century-plus scores came in the $3,500 buy-in Championship, the featured tournament at the first WPT stop of the year! This tournament shattered its advertised guarantee, with 750 entries generating a massive $2,400,750 prize pool.

After two starting flights and four more days of intense competition, Russia`s Artem Vezhenkov came out on top to win his first WPT title and fifth live tournament win. Starting the final table as the second chip lead, he survived a gruelling contest to win a career-best $390,650, including a seat worth $10,400 in the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. His name will now be etched onto the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

Artem Vezhenkov takes down the @WPT Cambodia Championship for $390,650! 🇰🇭🏆

This event saw a total of 750 entries over two starting flights with 🇷🇺Artem Vezhenkov earning himself the title and just under $400k including a seat to the @WPT World Championship! pic.twitter.com/K9PbsjXMye

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) February 24, 2025

The Netherlands’ Ronald Haverkamp had a tougher climb, but he played his heart out to eventually finish runner-up, taking home $255,000.

Indian players had a phenomenal run in the Championship, with eight players cashing, led by the remarkable run of Ankit Ahuja! Riding the momentum of an incredible Day 4 wave, he entered the final table as the chip leader. Ahuja’s journey was a rollercoaster of highs and lows, but even with the cards not always falling his way, he delivered a performance to be proud of. Ahuja finished in a respectable third place, earning $189,000 (~₹1.64 Crores), his fifth-best live score!

Ahuja had earlier cashed in Event #3: Championship Warm-Up, bringing his total festival earnings to $191,101 (₹1.66 Crores). This makes him the highest-earning Indian player at WPT Cambodia 2025 and sets him up for a strong start in his quest for an unprecedented third GPI POY (India) title. For his outstanding performance, Ahuja is our “PokerGuru Star of the Week!”

Adding to India`s dominance in the Championship, poker pioneer Aditya Agarwal, rebounding after health setbacks, fought his way to a commanding position on Day 4. Unfortunately, a brutal cooler ended his run on the last hand of the penultimate day in seventh place, earning him $63,000 (~₹54.62 Lakhs)!

Apoorva Goel also delivered a strong performance. He fearlessly navigated his short stack on Day 4 before falling at the hands of Ahuja in 13th place. He walked away with $28,500 (~₹24.70 Lakhs)!

India’s dominance was further solidified by three WPT trophy wins: Nikesh Chawla ($2K Turbo High Roller for ₹50.33 Lakhs), Arjun Agarwal ($1,650 Single Day Megastack Mini HR for ₹29.12 Lakhs), and Somashekar KM ($600 Megastack for ₹25.98 Lakhs). This spectacular run, following successful showings at Poker Dream 15 Malaysia and APT Manila Classic 2025, adds to Team India’s incredible start to 2025.

Team India Scores at WPT Championship Cambodia 2025

WPT Championship Cambodia 2025 Winners

Industry Shake-up: Delta Corp Divests Online Gaming Business to A23 Parent

In a move that sent shockwaves through the industry, Delta Corp is divesting its online skill-gaming arm, Deltatech Gaming (Adda52 and Adda52 Games), to Head Digital Works (A23 Poker’s parent company). The deal, structured in two phases, begins with HDW acquiring a 51% stake in Deltatech Gaming for ₹491 Crores (plus stock). Delta Corp will eventually relinquish its entire stake while retaining a 5.70% stake in the combined entity post-transaction.

PokerBaazi Signs as Title Sponsor For Poker Sports League Season 7

While Head Digital Works sets its sights on challenging the Nazara-backed PokerBaazi with this acquisition, the current market leader is not one to back down. PokerBaazi has inked a deal to become the title sponsor for Poker Sports League (PSL) Season 7, taking another significant step in its mission to elevate Indian poker. Fresh off game-changing initiatives like partnering with Shark Tank India and launching successful content IPs like “The Circuit,” PokerBaazi is doubling down on its mission to grow poker in India.

This partnership is set to bring even more visibility, innovation, and excitement to the country’s most competitive poker league while also getting PokerBaazi even more eyeballs with all the action set to be streamed live on OTT.

Jagdeep Singh Wins PokerBaazi`s “The Circuit” Season 2

In other news centring on PokerBaazi, its new poker reality series, “The Circuit,” recently dropped its thrilling second season on YouTube and Poker TV on the app. Filmed again in Hanoi, Vietnam, it brought together 14 of India’s well-known poker players to take on each other across five events – the complete drama fitting into nine intense episodes. After a fierce and unpredictable battle, Jagdeep Singh claimed the title and the ₹15 Lakhs grand prize. Mohammad Azhar came second, earning ₹8 Lakhs, while Rubin Labroo finished third for ₹5 Lakhs.

International Spotlight: PokerGO Cup & GPI Awards

Over to international news, the 2025 PokerGO Cup concluded in spectacular fashion, with Justin Zaki clinching victory in the final event, Event #8: $25,200 No-Limit Hold’em. The Florida poker pro battled his way to the top, bagging $417,000 and his third PGT title after a heads-up deal.

However, the real story of the series was Joey Weissman. With three runner-up finishes and a win, Weissman’s unmatched consistency kept him at the top of the PokerGO Cup leaderboard, earning him the prestigious 2025 PokerGO Cup trophy.

The 6th Annual Global Poker Index Awards lit up Las Vegas, celebrating the best in poker at the PokerGO Studio. The season champions like David Coleman (GPI Player of the Year) and Cherish Andrews (GPI Female Player of the Year) were honoured, along with Han Feng (GPI Mid-Major POY) and Jeremy Ausmus (PGT Player of the Year).

Jeff Platt won Best On-Air Talent, while PokerStars had a strong showing with Benjamin Spragg (Best Streamer), Marle Spragg (Best Short-Form Creator), and Alejandro Lococo (Most Entertaining Player) getting award nods.

Barry Carter won Best Poker Book and Best X/Twitter Personality, and Dara O’Kearney‘s The Chip Race podcast earned top honours again. While India missed getting a nomination this time, the awards celebrated poker’s global reach, with the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) and Irish Poker Open also receiving recognition!

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.