This Week in Poker: January 31 – February 6

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 first week of February has been a whirlwind of poker action, spanning both the global stage and the Indian circuit. The poker arena was buzzing with excitement, from Team India`s remarkable performances at Poker Dream Malaysia to intense online battles on platforms like Natural8 India and PokerBaazi and innovative industry developments.

Further adding to the fervour were Adda52’s ₹15 Crores GTD AOPS – Goa Edition and A23 Poker’s ₹1+ Crores GTD Stack-a-thon Series, offering poker aficionados thrilling opportunities to test their skills and win big.

The 2024 Poker Dream Malaysia at Resorts World Genting, Kuala Lumpur, stood out with its 28-event lineup, attracting a global talent pool. Zarvan Tumboli made headlines by becoming the first Indian to win the Main Event, navigating through 2,219 contenders to secure a colossal MYR 888,000 (~₹1.55 Crores) win, setting a new high for Indian poker achievements in 2024, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Amit Kaushik‘s fifth-place finish at the WPT Cambodia Championship. Tumboli`s victory in Event #22: MYR 1,500 NLH just two days prior to the Main Event victory added another MYR 37,200 (~₹6.54 Lakhs) to his earnings, totalling a jaw-dropping ₹1.61 Crores for the series and earning him the “PokerGuru Star of the Week” title.

Hong Kong’s Leung Ka Shing clinched the runner-up position in the Main Event, taking home MYR 492,396.

The online poker scene witnessed its own share of thrilling battles, with Advait Rajguru reigning supreme with an impressive haul exceeding ₹22.54 Lakhs. His week was a masterclass in consistency and skill, securing three title victories and three runner-up finishes across major platforms. His victories included PokerBaazi’s The Endeavour (₹4.01 Lakhs), PokerStars India’s Sunday Special (₹3.30 Lakhs), and PokerBaazi’s Daily Mini HighRoller (₹2.03 Lakhs). Demonstrating remarkable consistency, Rajguru also notched up runner-up finishes in Spartan Poker’s SPS Superstack (₹3.85 Lakhs), PokerStars India’s Bounty Builder HR (₹1.21 Lakhs), and The Big Bash (₹1.17 Lakhs). Adding to his list of achievements, he clinched third place in Adda52’s AOPS Monday Feature, bagging ₹1.98 Lakhs, alongside at least two more final table finishes, stamping his name on the top of the week`s online charts.

His top finishes include:

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s The Endeavour ₹4,00,724

> 2nd in Spartan Poker’s SPS Superstack for ₹3,84,680

> 1st in PokerStars India’s Sunday Special for ₹3,30,001

> 1st in PokerBaazi’s Daily Mini HighRoller for ₹2,03,103

> 3rd in Adda52’s AOPS Monday Feature for ₹1,97,626

> 2nd in PokerStars India’s Bounty Builder HR for ₹1,20,894* (heads-up deal)

> 2nd in PokerStars India’s The Big Bash for ₹1,17,635

Millionaire IV champion Sreekanth Narayan, Nishaanth S, Shriram Varma, Sashank Chakravarthy, Young Gun Sanat Mehrotra, Praveen KR, Tarush Gupta, Young Gun Arsh Grover, Vaibhav Temani, Gaurav Didwania, Utkarsh Vaish, Hardik Nair, three-time POY Young Gun Gaurav Sood, Subhojit Roy, Tanmay Benara, and Vinay B were also among the week’s top online winners, each contributing to a highly competitive and thrilling week of poker.

Notable Online Winners of the Week

In a major hit to the RMG industry, the sector’s hopes for GST relief in the Interim Budget 2024-25 were dashed, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman keeping all the direct and indirect taxes unchanged.

Despite the headwinds, the fantasy sports segment, led by Dream11, managed to record a remarkable 66% revenue spike, contributing significantly to the staggering six-fold jump in GST collections from the sector, which increased from ₹200 Crores to ₹1,200 Crores monthly since the new regime came into force on October 1, 2023. Moreover, the government reported collecting over ₹1,260 Crores in TDS from online gaming and crypto trading this financial year.

In a headline-grabbing story, Metaverse and tech innovation company OneVerse announced a complete buy-out of Spartan Poker, a leading Indian poker platform, while retaining the management team, reflecting a strong belief in India’s gaming potential. This partnership, amidst challenging economic conditions and the 28% GST hike, emerges as a beacon of innovation and growth. OneVerse plans to merge Spartan Poker’s 2 Million players into an immersive metaverse, setting sights on global expansion with a $120 Million investment earmarked for more strategic acquisitions.

Junglee Poker‘s launch of a groundbreaking desktop client for its player-focused platform promises a transformative experience with enhanced security, in-game features, and a smooth experience for 64-bit Windows users (with a Mac version on the horizon). Additionally, their Money Magnet 4.0 offers the chance to turn a mere ₹1 into a windfall of LAKHPATI fortune in the thrilling 7 PM Money Magnet showdown for ten consecutive days from February 5 to 14, boasting a daily prize pool of a massive ₹1.50 Lakhs with ₹1 Lakh reserved for the ultimate victor.

A23 Poker’s Stack-a-thon series promises over ₹1 Crore in prizes across 40 tournaments and cash game leaderboards from February 2 to March 10, welcoming players of all levels to compete. From freerolls to qualifiers leading up to the grand finale, excitement awaits.

Natural8 India’s new APT Taipei – India Exclusive Tournament brings a unique blend of high stakes and high rewards, with a buy-in of just ₹12,000 and the chance to win not only from the substantial prize pool but also additional giveaways worth ₹13 Lakhs. The thrill reaches fever pitch as the top six finalists in the event will be awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Taipei to compete in the upcoming APT festival, with the champion bringing home the prestigious APT Trophy. Mark your calendars for February 11 at 8 PM!

Nodwin Gaming steps up with a bold €8 Million investment in Germany’s Freaks 4U Gaming for a 13.51% stake, signalling a strong push for global esports dominance.

Games24x7‘s GameTech Accelerate program at GAFX 2024 is set to ignite the gaming industry by supporting 15 startups fostering groundbreaking developments.

In a watershed moment for Indian poker, Santhosh Suvarna will take a seat at PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker Season 12! As the first Indian on this iconic show, Suvarna will be joining poker legends Phil Laak, Andrew Robl, Jean-Robert Bellande, and Jennifer Tilly in a season brimming with nail-biting action. Tune in every Monday through May, starting February 19, for a poker experience you won’t forget.

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.