This Week in Poker: January 17 – 23

In the PokerGuru feature, ‘This Week in Poker,’ we bring you the weekly roundup of 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 top stories!

The third week of the New Year was pulsating with action! High-octane tournaments raged across platforms like Natural8 India and PokerBaazi, fueled by the hype for MPL Poker’s ₹6 Crores GTD India Poker Festival finale and the anticipation around the upcoming ₹15 Crores GTD Adda52 Online Poker Series (AOPS) – Goa Edition.

Sashank Chakravarthy reigned supreme as the week`s MTT king, raking in over ₹19.28 Lakhs, with a career-best ₹16 Lakhs in Spartan Poker’s Millionaire III, catapulting him into the top three of the Player of the Year rankings. Kanav Parwal‘s runner-up finish for ₹12.29 Lakhs after a heads-up deal added to the week’s high-energy showdowns.

But since Chakravarthy has decided to remain faceless, the “PokerGuru Star of the Week” crown shines on Vinit Adani. After a seven-week break, Adani roared back with a haul of ₹13.98 Lakhs, highlighted by a bronze in Natural8 India’s 105 Secret KO [Mystery Bounty] for a staggering ₹11 Lakhs.

His top finishes include:

> 3^rd in Natural8 India’s 105 Secret KO [Mystery Bounty] for ₹11,01,252

> 23rd in Natural8 India’s 150 Wonder box [Mystery Bounty] for ₹1,49,930

> 3^rd in PokerBaazi’s WTF for ₹1,30,002

Anirban Das, Aditya Singh, Young Gun Gaurav Sood, and Karan Sitlani also kept the online scoreboard buzzing.

Notable Online Winners of the Week

The first week of the 2024 World Poker Tour (WPT) Cambodia at Phnom Penh`s NagaWorld Integrated Resorts, the inaugural WPT Main Tour stop in Southeast Asia, saw Indian players steal the show! Sixteen cashes, seven final tables, and a championship win by WSOP bracelet winner Young Gun Aayush Arya in Event #18: Deepstack 20/15/10/5 marked a glorious start for the team.

Jonald Garcia‘s victory in Event #3: Championship Warm Up, securing a career-best $55,989 and second place on the Player of the Festival leaderboard, was another highlight. Amit Kaushik (12th for $5,092), Maulik Bharatkumar Shukla (27th for $2,107), Raja Sekhar Puttamsetty (35th for $1,848), and Aayush Arya (46th for $1,653) added to India’s glory.

Team India’s Scores at the 2024 WPT Cambodia

2024 WPT Cambodia – Title Winners

From January 27 to February 11, Adda52’s AOPS – Goa Edition promises poker nirvana! Over 110 tournaments, 26 trophies, and a mind-boggling ₹15 Crore prize pool await, with buy-ins from ₹550 to ₹1.10 Lakhs, ensuring plenty of options for poker lovers at all levels.

PokerStars India rolled out two thrilling promotions on January 22: Daily Hand Milestones and a 100% Bankroll Boost Reload Bonus. Choose your stakes at the NLHE or PLO cash tables, hit daily raked hand targets for cash prizes, and double your deposit with a special “BOOST” code.

News reports paint a grim picture, suggesting the government’s firm stance against withdrawing the 28% GST on online gaming player deposits. This could cast a dark shadow on the industry’s growth as companies grapple with the increased tax burden!

India’s gaming scene is bustling with activity! Nazara Technologies has taken a giant leap towards its ₹750 Crores funding target with the approval of a ₹250 Crores investment round. They also acquired a 10.77% stake in Kofluence for ₹32.41 Crores, expanding their horizons.

WINZO aims to be a tech game-changer with its ambitious “Bharat Tech Triumph” initiative, going beyond gaming to propel the entire Indian tech sector to global heights. Their focus is developing innovative intellectual properties, advancing communication technologies, and managing vast user volumes.

Dream11, despite facing challenges, saw exceptional growth in 2023, adding 55 Million new users and reaching a staggering 210 Million user base. This highlights the skyrocketing popularity of fantasy sports in India!

Dream Sports, the parent company of Dream11, soared to new heights in FY23, the massive acquisition spree resulting in a remarkable 66% revenue surge to ₹6,384.49 Crores. However, this stellar achievement is shadowed by an enormous hurdle: a daunting retrospective GST demand worth ₹28,000 Crores, which could significantly impact their operations and future.

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.