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Daily Majors: Sabur Ali Roars in The Pride to Become Wednesday’s Top Earner; Utkarsh Srivastava Ends Title Drought & Anant Purohit Keeps Firing
The mid-week poker grind delivered another dose of high-stakes action, from the summer spectacle at the 56th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) to the bustling online felts back home! Over in Las Vegas, Austria’s Klemens Roiter was the story of the day, conquering a colossal field in Event #37: $1,500 Monster Stack after five gruelling days to claim his first WSOP bracelet and a life-changing $1,204,457. This is the same event where PokerBaazi Team Pro Laksh Pal Singh‘s dream run was cut short by a brutal beat, sending his pocket aces down in flames and ending his charge in 43rd place for a career-best $33,947 (~₹29.35 Lakhs).
🎉 #WSOP2025: Klemens Roiter 🇦🇹 rallies to win Event #37: $1.5K Monster Stack for $1.20M! David Uvaydov 🇺🇸 takes 2nd ($802K), while Laksh Pal Singh’s (@lakshpal94) 🇮🇳 dream run ends in 43rd after a brutal beat—his biggest live score yet at ₹29.33L! 💔 Read more 👇🏻
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) June 19, 2025
And while Event #50: $10,000 Razz Championship was extended to an extra day, the Indian rail has plenty more to sweat. In Event #48: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship, veteran campaigner Ish Sud made a deep run, finishing 269th for $4,158 (₹3.61 Lakhs), while Neeraj Kakkar pocketed $2,950 (₹2.56 Lakhs) in 438th place. Over in Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, Shariq Khan kept the Indian scorecard ticking with a 216th-place finish worth $3,022 (~₹2.62 Lakhs).
The busy schedule also saw a string of Indian notables cash in Event #52: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em. WSOP bracelet winner Kartik Ved finished 211th for $3,173 (₹2.75 Lakhs), while Sandipan Das followed in 223rd for the same payout. Fellow heavyweights Ashish Munot (343rd) and WSOP bracelet winner Abhinav Iyer (344th) each banked $3,022 (₹2.62 Lakhs). As one set of battles wrapped up, fresh hopes began brewing. Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker saw Bharath Janardhan advance from Day 1A with a stack of 37,500, while in Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, Shrey Maheshwary bagged an encouraging 236,000 chips.
On the digital tables, Wednesday may have lacked some of the sheer intensity of Tuesday, but the online scene still delivered plenty of firepower. While PokerBaazi rolled out its usual slate of majors with some juicy overlays, Natural8 India was again the arena for some of the night’s most headline-grabbing scores, with its ongoing microFestival 2025 continuing to draw in new faces!
When the dust settled on a Wednesday night full of breakthroughs, comebacks, and fresh milestones, Sabur Ali stood at the centre of it. After narrowly missing the podium in The Big Show on Monday, Ali stormed back to the top by taking down PokerBaazi’s The Pride for his first flagship title of the year and a career-best ₹5.85 Lakhs. With another small score on the side, he wrapped up the session with a handsome ₹5.88 Lakhs in total winnings, a performance that left no doubt about who owned the night. Standing opposite him in the final duel was ‘borntrouble,’ an online force on a phenomenal run this year. They started 2025 with an incendiary performance on Natural8 India, becoming one of the first players to cross the ₹1 Crore mark in winnings in January alone. That fire carried over to NPS India 2025, where they collected a five-medal haul (3 Silver & 2 Bronze). Last night, they re-ignited the momentum, finishing runner-up in The Pride for ₹3.90 Lakhs—their fourth-best score this year.
Elsewhere, fresh faces made waves of their own. ‘TylerDurden13’ had a dream debut on Natural8 India, piloting through a 1,797-entry behemoth in the Zodiac Main Event to bank ₹5.14 Lakhs for a standout fourth-place finish, good for second place on the Wednesday earnings board.
For Utkarsh Srivastava, Wednesday was the end of a long wait. After a quiet spell, he finally cracked the code in Adda52`s Head Hunter, steamrolling through the field to clinch his first major title of the year and the ₹3.85 Lakhs top prize, including a lofty ₹1.64 Lakhs in bounties. The runner-up, Jitesh Amritkar, coming off a podium finish in last week’s Big Whale, collected ₹2.61 Lakhs (₹1 Lakh in bounties).
Natural8 India saw more debutants post big scores. ‘Bat-Cat’ made a powerful first impression with a second-place finish in the Fifty Stack 55 for ₹2.75 Lakhs. Meanwhile, the unstoppable Anant Purohit kept the pressure on in the HighRollers PLO NL 525, adding another runner-up finish for ₹3.33 Lakhs. The score pushed his June earnings to an eye-watering ₹97.22 Lakhs, taking his 2025 total to a mind-bending ₹5.20 Crores and narrowing the gap on POY frontrunner Tarun Goyal. Another newcomer, ‘ERinaatMakV,’ impressed with an eighth-place finish in the massive 17,396-entry Wednesday Wonderbox 15, pocketing ₹1.75 Lakhs on their first outing.
Back on the PokerBaazi streets, poker icon Aditya Sushant, India`s first-ever WSOP bracelet winner and a legend of the domestic circuit, took time out from his Vegas grind to clinch another online title. Sushant, whose resume includes two The MoneyMaker titles, shipped the recently launched The Vault, earning ₹2.40 Lakhs for his first online win this month and seventh of the year. Sameer Agarwal continued his consistent run, with a runner-up finish in The Vault for ₹1.85 Lakhs.
In PokerBaazi`s The Pride Lite, ‘Frankie08,’ who is on an incredible heater that includes The MoneyMaker 122.0 title and a podium in The Endeavour Lite just this past week, kept the hot streak alive by shipping the event for ₹2.28 Lakhs. It was another productive night for the reg, who stacked up over ₹2.80 Lakhs across seven deep runs.
Dhinesh Kumar ended a month-long title drought with a statement win in the PokerBaazi Daily Last Chance. The ₹2.23 Lakhs payday came with his fifth title of 2025 and moved him up to #77 on the platform`s 2025 POY leaderboard. He closed Wednesday with ₹2.34 Lakhs in total earnings. Divya Raushan came close to a fourth title of 2025, finishing runner-up in Daily Last Chance for ₹1.47 Lakhs — the third-best score of their career. With another cash added, Raushan signed off with ₹1.51 Lakhs for the night.
On the PLO-5 front, ‘halfrich,’ an infrequent but sharp contender on PokerBaazi since April 2022, continued a recent heater. After wins in April’s Daily Last Chance and Saturday’s Daily PLO-5, they conquered the Big PLO-5 for a platform-best ₹2.03 Lakhs — locking in their second flagship title of 2025 and third overall this year.
Over on Junglee Poker, ‘breakneck’ kept a breakout run going. Already a champion in the SS#21 Wednesday Superstack and a podium finisher in Friday’s SS Daily Finale, they added another Summer Showdown series title by taking down the SS Daily Finale for ₹2.09 Lakhs.
Rounding out a night packed with standout performances were decisive wins and deep runs from in-form grinders and other seasoned players, including Hemanya Gupta, Praveen KR, Pranav Khandalkar, Aditya Chodhary, Samarth Malik, Sharad Haridasan, Manoj Kumar, and Avinash Kumar.
Here are the Wednesday highlights!
PokerBaazi
The Pride – ₹30 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹5,750
Entries – 395
Re-entries – 385
Prize Pool – ₹39,00,000
Places Paid – 122
PokerBaazi has set a blazing pace to kick off the week. If Tuesday brought the heat with its boosted guaranteed The Endeavour, the action on Wednesday stayed hot, especially in the primetime slots. With small overlays in the Big PLO-5 and The Vault, and the other three majors—The Pride, The Pride Lite, and the Daily Last Chance—crushing their guarantees, there was a mix of value and action across the mid-week grind on India’s leading online platform.
By late evening, all eyes turned to the main attraction—the crowd-pulling ₹30 Lakhs GTD The Pride. Riding the momentum of last week’s huge turnout, this edition also drew a packed field of 780 entries (395 unique), creating a prize pool of ₹39 Lakhs. The 8 PM flagship is never easy to conquer—demanding endurance, grit, and sharp play in a stacked field. And last night’s battle was an epic 7-hour-49-minute war of attrition.
In the end, Sabur ‘sabur’ Ali (opted out of tracking), a quiet but seasoned grinder from Jharkhand, was the last player standing. This was not the arrival of a new face but the powerful return of a proven champion. A long-standing presence on the platform since 2017, Ali has been known for sporadic deep runs and flashes of potential. He had already signalled his return to form with a fourth-place finish in Monday’s The Big Show, and last night, he delivered in spectacular fashion.
While his opt-out status makes it hard to pinpoint his most recent victory, Ali is no rookie. His resume includes flagship titles like The Big Show (November 2021) and Blockbuster (January 2022). After a long period away from the top, he finally put another big win on the board this year.
Firing just a single bullet, he tore through the stacked The Pride field with precision to seize his first flagship title of the year on PokerBaazi, banking a personal-best ₹5.85 Lakhs. He even added another small cash in the (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹2,735, bringing his Wednesday total to nearly ₹5.88 Lakhs. The powerful performance not only broke a long title drought but also placed him firmly atop the Wednesday earnings leaderboard, leaving no doubt about who owned the night.
> 1st in PokerBaazi’s The Pride for ₹5,85,000
> 29th in PokerBaazi’s (7-Max) SPRINT for ₹2,735
Standing across from him in the heads-up showdown was the seasoned ‘borntrouble’ (anonymity requested), a player who has been on a tear this year.
This online powerhouse kicked off 2025 like a house on fire over on Natural8 India, pulling in a staggering ₹1.14 Crores in January alone. That incredible form carried into NPS India 2025, where they put in serious volume (136 entries played, 67 cashes), reached eight final tables, and collected five medals – three Silvers and two Bronzes – earning over ₹31 Lakhs in series winnings! They hit a short dry patch in terms of titles before ending that slump by conquering the Big PLO-5 in late April. May had been another quiet month, but June has seen a steady resurgence! Coming off a fifth-place finish in Tuesday’s The Endeavour Lite, ‘borntrouble’ was a genuine contender to add The Pride title to their achievements, only falling at the very last hurdle to earn ₹3.90 Lakhs in second place. This payout stands as their fourth-largest score on PokerBaazi this year.
The Pride final table packed in plenty of big names outside the top two. 2024 POY #18 Sagar ‘BustedAA’ Raj led the charge of podium finishers, collecting third place for ₹2.92 Lakhs. He was followed by last month’s The Big Show Lite podium finisher Puneeth ‘Ruzzanaire’ B N (4th for ₹2.24 Lakhs), Neeraj ‘sherlockofpoker’ Ailsinghani (5th for ₹1.83 Lakhs), Jyotindra ‘JacksPaaro’ Dubey (6th for ₹1.49 Lakhs), Aniket ‘Anteman’ Waghmare (7th for ₹1.17 Lakhs), and Tuesday’s The Endeavour finalist Dhaval ‘Faizal1506’ Doshi (8th for ₹85,410)—each making their mark in the biggest showdown on PokerBaazi last night.
As always, The Pride more than lived up to its reputation. The swarm of entries pushed the prize pool to a scorching ₹39 Lakhs, blowing past the advertised guarantee, just a shade less than last week. With 122 players making the money and a min-cash of ₹9,750, this ₹5,750 buy-in flagship once again delivered huge value and non-stop action, keeping the primetime grind on India’s leading online platform running hot.
Final Table Results
- Sabur ‘sabur’ Ali – ₹5,85,000
- borntrouble – ₹3,90,000
- Sagar ‘BustedAA’ Raj – ₹2,92,000
- Puneeth ‘Ruzzanaire’ B N – ₹2,24,000
- Neeraj ‘sherlockofpoker’ Ailsinghani – ₹1,83,000
- Jyotindra ‘JacksPaaro’ Dubey – ₹1,49,000
- Aniket ‘Anteman’ Waghmare – ₹1,17,000
- Dhaval ‘Faizal1506’ Doshi – ₹85,410
The Vault – ₹16 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹5,000
Entries – 183
Re-entries – 153
Prize Pool – ₹16,00,000
Places Paid – 57
The midweek grind on PokerBaazi was another bustling affair, with the usual majors firing off across the board. While most flagships comfortably cleared their guarantees, the 9:30 PM ₹16 Lakhs GTD The Vault and the Big PLO-5 were rare exceptions—both serving up sweet overlay value for grinders.
The Vault, returning for its third edition, drew a solid 336-entry field (183 unique), falling just ₹1.39 Lakhs short of its guarantee (after rake). And when the smoke cleared after nearly six hours of intense, short-handed action, Aditya ‘gangajal’ Sushant—India’s first-ever WSOP bracelet winner—stood tall as the champion! He collected a well-earned ₹2.40 Lakhs, clinching his first title of June and seventh of the year.
Currently in Las Vegas chasing a second bracelet at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), Sushant has already picked up a small score in Event #31: $800 No Limit Hold’em Deepstack 8-Handed (107th for ~₹2.75 Lakhs). But that hasn’t kept him entirely away from the online grind, and he delivered another classic, vintage performance last night.
The two-time The MoneyMaker champion, Sushant’s year has been nothing short of a masterclass in consistency. After a commanding showing at NPS India 2025, where he topped the Tamil Nadu State Leaderboard and finished eighth in the historic NPC finale in Goa, the Chennai-based pro has been on a hot streak ever since. He began April with a Daily Last Chance win, then lit up May with an emphatic run: conquering Adda52’s The Ballers for the fifth time, winning the MMA Main Event, and seizing The Quest Lite on PokerBaazi.
June had been a series of near misses with six final table finishes but no titles—until The Vault broke that dry spell, pushing him up to #5 on PokerBaazi’s 2025 POY leaderboard. He stuck to his disciplined grind across multiple platforms, piling five more deep runs. All told, his Wednesday online scorecard showed almost ₹2.88 Lakhs in total earnings.
> 1st in PokerBaazi’s The Vault for ₹2,40,000
> 32nd in Adda52’s Head Hunter for ₹15,108* (₹6,563 in bounties)
> 15th in PokerBaazi’s Big PLO-5 for ₹13,000
> 29th in Adda52’s MMA Wednesday Wonder for ₹8,095* (₹4,259 in bounties)
> 45th in PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹7,179
> 106th in PokerBaazi’s The Pride Lite for ₹4,228
Chasing down Sushant to the wire in The Vault was Sameer ‘tandoori’ Agarwal. An NPS India 2025 Bronze Medallist and a consistent face on PokerBaazi since March 2021, Agarwal was chasing his first title in eight months and fired two bullets in pursuit of that elusive win. Despite that spirited chase, Agarwal had to settle for a runner-up payout of ₹1.85 Lakhs—his third-best showing this year and a score just inside his top 10 all-time!
Agarwal also tacked on a notable score in Adda52’s MMA Wednesday Wonder, taking his Wednesday total to nearly ₹1.97 Lakhs—a bittersweet night for a player long overdue a breakthrough.
> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s The Vault for ₹1,85,000
> 17th in Adda52’s MMA Wednesday Wonder for ₹11,805* (₹6,616 in bounties)
Sameer Agarwal’s online stats (excluding Natural8 India and Junglee Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹1.37 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹35.66 Lakhs
The Vault final table was no soft field—it featured a cast of seasoned regulars riding high on form. Among them were last month’s Big PLO-5 runner-up and The MoneyMaker 116.0 finalist Kritarth ‘AgentJack’ Pant (3rd for ₹1.47 Lakhs), last week’s BSS SuperStack runner-up Suraj ‘MR8BEAST’ N Yadav (5th for ₹80,000), Tuesday’s The Endeavour runner-up on a roll Lakshya ‘Shravsmanth’ Dawra (6th for ₹64,000), last month’s The MoneyMaker 118.0 champion and recent Big PLO-5 finalist Arman ‘Qbranch’ Khan (7th for ₹53,760), and this month’s BSS SuperStack winner on a upswing Manash ‘ravenclaws’ Kalita (8th for ₹43,840).
Even with its increasing popularity, the ₹5,000 buy-in The Vault yet again missed hitting its ₹16 Lakhs guarantee, falling short by ₹1.39 Lakhs (after rake)—translating into sweet added value for the 57 players who made the money. Even the min-cash was a rewarding ₹8,320—well over 1.5X the buy-in—adding to The Vault’s reputation as one of the best value midweek flagships on the PokerBaazi lineup.
Final Table Results
- Aditya ‘gangajal’ Sushant – ₹2,40,000
- Sameer ‘tandoori’ Agarwal – ₹1,85,000
- Kritarth ‘AgentJack’ Pant – ₹1,47,000
- bonomo – ₹1,14,000
- Suraj ‘MR8BEAST’ N Yadav – ₹80,000
- Lakshya ‘Shravsmanth’ Dawra – ₹64,000
- Arman ‘Qbranch’ Khan – ₹53,760
- Manash ‘ravenclaws’ Kalita – ₹43,840
Daily Last Chance – ₹10 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹2,500
Entries – 362
Re-entries – 312
Prize Pool – ₹14,65,276
Places Paid – 102
The ₹10 Lakhs GTD Daily Last Chance on PokerBaazi once again proved why it’s a late-night staple for India’s tournament grinders. The Wednesday night edition kicked off at 10:30 PM and drew a sizeable 674-entry field (362 unique), effortlessly crushing its guarantee to build a juicy ₹14.44 Lakhs prize pool.
After a grinding of six hours and 48 minutes, the spotlight belonged to Dhinesh ‘dhineshrocky007’ Kumar. The Tamil Nadu-based MTT crusher delivered a clutch performance, clinching the Daily Last Chance title for the first time and banking ₹2.23 Lakhs—his fifth title of the year and a triumphant end to a month-long title slump.
Kumar is no stranger to big wins. With ten seven-figure scores under his belt, including landmark victories in Spartan Poker’s Legend Poker Series Main Event, The MillionaireLite, and Adda52’s Full House, his name is etched into Indian poker’s upper tier.
2025 has seen him steadily reasserting his dominance. He kicked things off with a breakthrough win in Adda52 Millions, ending a nearly 10-month dry spell. April saw him double up with titles in PokerBaazi’s WTF and another Adda52 Millions run. In May, he added Stack Attack to his collection. While June started slow—with seven final table finishes and no titles—Wednesday finally brought the breakthrough. With this win, Kumar vaulted to #77 on the 2025 PokerBaazi POY Leaderboard, a reflection of his upward momentum.
And he wasn’t done for the night. Riding high on confidence, Kumar cashed two more events across platforms, wrapping up his Wednesday grind with total winnings nearing ₹2.34 Lakhs—a fitting reward for one of the country’s most battle-tested online warriors.
> 1st in PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹2,23,000
> 47th in PokerBaazi’s The Vault for ₹8,320
> 14th in Adda52’s MMA Bounty Madness for ₹2,546* (₹425 in bounties)
Dhinesh Kumar’s online stats (excluding Natural8 India and Junglee Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹11.24 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹4.13 Crores | Titles Won in 2025: #5 | Annual Winnings: ₹82.82 Lakhs
Three-time NPS medallist Divya ‘Dr19sidhu’ Raushan came painfully close to clinching his first flagship title of the year and fourth title of 2025 in Wednesday’s Daily Last Chance. Coming off a win in Spartan Poker’s Spotlight earlier this month, Raushan came in with momentum and fired two bullets in the 10:30 PM flagship. After a gritty performance, he settled for the runner-up payout of ₹1.47 Lakhs—his third-best career score. Staying true to his consistent grind, Raushan also picked up a score in The Pride Lite (88th for ₹4,228), rounding off a strong day’s session with ₹1.51 Lakhs in total earnings.
Divya Raushan’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹72.06 Lakhs | Lifetime Profits: ₹16.61 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #3
The Daily Last Chance final table was packed with notables like Last week’s The Vault champion Raj ‘Rajj27’ Kumar Gupta (3rd for ₹1.08 Lakhs), last week’s The Big Show champion Zeshan ‘Deez49’ Hamza (4th for ₹84,110), 2023 EndBoss finalist Sachin ‘dopeinderx’ Ranjalkar (5th for ₹69,600), and NPS India 2025 Kickoff Silver medallist Sahil ‘illuminati777’ Babbar (6th for ₹56,270).
The ₹2,500 buy-in event didn’t just meet expectations—it smashed them. Surpassing its ₹10 Lakhs guarantee by a massive ₹4.65 Lakhs, the Daily Last Chance generated a robust ₹14.65 Lakhs prize pool. With 102 players making the money and even a min-cash worth ₹5,860—over 2.3X the buy-in, this late-night flagship remains a magnet for value-hunters and high-performing regulars alike.
Final Table Results
- Dhinesh ‘dhineshrocky007’ Kumar – ₹2,23,000
- Divya ‘Dr19sidhu’ Raushan – ₹1,47,000
- Raj ‘Rajj27’ Kumar Gupta – ₹1,08,000
- Zeshan ‘Deez49’ Hamza – ₹84,110
- Sachin ‘dopeinderx’ Ranjalkar – ₹69,600
- Sahil ‘illuminati777’ Babbar – ₹56,270
- ACEPOCKETSS – ₹44,100
- nikhilbarthwal – ₹32,380
‘Frankie08’ won the ₹10 Lakhs GTD The Pride Lite for ₹2.28 Lakhs, and ‘halfrich’ took down the ₹10 Lakhs GTD Big PLO-5 for ₹2.03 Lakhs.
‘ashokroy’ (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD 7-Max Afternoon Boost for ₹89,160), ‘aceking007’ (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD Daily PLO-5 for ₹80,000), ‘DevYansh333’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD PLO-5 Boost for ₹32,140), Hemanya ‘achilles06’ Gupta (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Daily Morning Sprint for ₹30,330), ‘Blackmamba’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD PLO-5 Afternoon Boost for ₹24,050), ‘Onix’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD 7-Max SPRINT for ₹22,570), ‘kingdenorth’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Boost for ₹16,590), and ‘nikhilbarthwal’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Boost for ₹12,430) won the other Wednesday marquees on PokerBaazi.
Junglee Poker
‘breakneck’ won the ₹10 Lakhs GTD SS Daily Finale for ₹2.09 Lakhs.
‘godfather’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD SS Daily Mini Finale for ₹31,765) and ‘naveen081985’ (Won ₹50K GTD Hangover for ₹11,282) won the other Wednesday marquees on Junglee Poker.
₹25 Lakhs GTD Summer Series Main Showdown – Qualifier 3
Q3 > Entries – 102 | Survivors – 12 | Chip Leader – ‘berserker00001’ (387,777)
Combined > Entries – 264 | Survivors – 27 | Overall Chip Leader – ‘berserker00001’ (387,777)
Adda52
Head Hunter – ₹20 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹5,750
Entries – 157
Re-entries – 169
Rebuys – 5
Prize Pool – ₹20,00,000
Places Paid – 53
An undeniable new current is flowing through Adda52. Since the player pool merger with A23 Poker, India’s longest-standing online poker room has been on a clear mission, a direction made plain by the announcement of the upcoming ₹28 Crores GTD Epic Poker Championship. But before that July storm hits, the platform’s mid-week flagships are already delivering a potent mix of action and value.
The biggest battle on Wednesday night unfolded in the ₹20 Lakhs GTD Head Hunter, the 8 PM bounty bruiser that has become a weekly centrepiece. Adda52’s pivot to knockout-heavy formats is all about creating chances for big wins through aggressive play, and last night was a prime example.
When the smoke finally cleared, the spotlight fell squarely on Utkarsh ‘sam20542’ Srivastava (opted out of our tracking), a long-time regular who had been conspicuously quiet for several weeks. After a fifth-place finish in the NPS#118 Knockout (KO) in March and a near-miss runner-up showing in Blockbuster Lite in April, last night was when everything finally clicked.
Diving into the Head Hunter like a bounty collector on a mission, Srivastava tore through a stacked 331-entry field (157 unique). He fired two bullets over seven hours of chip-slinging and bounty chaos and methodically dismantled the competition, pocketing a handsome ₹3.85 Lakhs with a chunky ₹1.64 Lakhs coming from knockouts alone. The performance gave him his first Head Hunter title and a much-needed return to the top, ending a long wait for a 2025 victory.
Also commanding attention was Adda52 loyalist Jitesh ‘Jiteshamritkar’ Amritkar (opted out of our tracking), who continued his excellent run of form. Coming off a podium finish in last week’s Big Whale, Amritkar came looking for the Head Hunter title and almost got there. He carved his way through the field with grit and aggression, only to be denied in the heads-up showdown. His efforts were still rewarded with a sweet ₹2.61 Lakhs, including ₹99,861 in bounties.
Sandeep ‘effuno’ Varma RS (opted out of our tracking), the long-time regular from Alappuzha, was another player in the mix. Just a day after winning Spartan Poker’s Supreme and still riding the momentum from his recent The Quest title on PokerBaazi and a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s Burstfire, Varma almost went back-to-back. His deep run ended in third place for ₹1.55 Lakhs, including ₹36,251 in bounty rewards.
The final table of the Head Hunter was stacked with known players. Sunday`s Mystery Bounty finalist ‘The_Alchemist‘ took fourth for ₹1.08 Lakhs (₹21,445 in bounties). The three-time The Millionaire champion, Rishab ‘rish1994’ Malik, delivered another solid performance, finishing fifth for ₹72,017 (₹8,438 in bounties). Close behind was Rinkesh ‘rsbolte1528’ Sarang, who took sixth place for ₹56,603 (₹10,000 in bounties).
The ₹5,750 buy-in Head Hunter was not just an action-packed event but also delivered fantastic value with a ₹3.45 Lakhs overlay shortfall on its ₹20 Lakhs guarantee. This was more than last week, but still a noticeable improvement from what was recorded recently. The benefits flowed down to the top 53 finishers, each walking away with at least ₹7,449—even before factoring in any bounties.
The steady progress suggests Adda52’s aggressive move toward knockout formats is resonating with players. It’s safe to say that when it comes to value, Adda52 continues to deliver day in and day out!
Final Table Results (Including Bounties)
- Utkarsh ‘sam20542’ Srivastava – ₹3,84,635
- Jitesh ‘Jiteshamritkar’ Amritkar – ₹2,61,298
- Sandeep ‘effuno’ Varma RS – ₹1,54,584
- The_Alchemist – ₹1,08,183
- Rishab ‘rish1994’ Malik – ₹72,017
- Rinkesh ‘rsbolte1528’ Sarang – ₹56,603
- supernuts13 – ₹49,082
- ThodaBahot – ₹36,290
The MasterMinds Arena title winners of the day included the red-hot Praveen ‘praveen2626’ KR (Won ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD MMA Wednesday Wonder for ₹1.69 Lakhs), Pranav ‘pkpok’ Khandalkar (Won ₹2.75 Lakhs GTD MMA Bounty Madness for ₹54,862), Aditya ‘AnonPokerGuy’ Chodhary (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD MMA Monster Stack PKO for ₹37,948), ‘newkidnow’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD MMA PKO for ₹32,989), Samarth ‘sambrunson’ Malik (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD MMA Mystery Bounty for ₹19,853), ‘anujsingle’ (Won ₹75K GTD MMA PLO4 Bounty for ₹18,304), Sharad ‘zimbawe’ Haridasan (Won ₹75K GTD MMA Turbo PKO for ₹16,531), and ‘lord628399’ (Won ₹50K GTD MMA Daily for ₹6,879).
Manoj ‘mchlmanoj2’ Kumar won the ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Nighttide DST Adda for ₹32,770.
₹25 Lakhs GTD MMA Main Event – Day 1C
Day 1C > Entries – 113 | Re-entries – 51 | Rebuys – 2 | Survivors – 14 | Chip Leader – Raman ‘Rdxzap’ Dixit (524,040)
Combined > Entries – 284 | Re-entries – 149 | Rebuys – 8 | Survivors – 46 | Overall Chip Leader – Raman ‘Rdxzap’ Dixit (524,040)
Spartan Poker
‘AllinOrFold’ (Won ₹4 Lakhs GTD Supreme for ₹75,200), ‘Kurka’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Spotlight for ₹34,440), ‘PikachuU’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Monster Stack for ₹26,367), ‘subhajitAzadi’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Daily KickOff for ₹20,843), and Avinash ‘iFartUfaint’ Kumar (Won ₹50K GTD Centurian for ₹8,560) won the Wednesday marquees on Spartan Poker.
Keep following PokerGuru for daily updates on the biggest winners across the major domestic networks!
Online Rankings: Manuranjith Ranganathan`s Explosive Return Makes Him Week`s Top Dog; Anant Purohit’s June Onslaught Puts Tarun Goyal’s POY Reign on Notice!
In this feature, we bring you 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!
Even as all eyes are on the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the world`s richest and grandest poker festival now inching towards the mid-way stage, the growing Indian contingent has slowly but surely started to hit its stride! The first major title for the country is finally on the board, with Santhosh Suvarna taking down the $10.5K NLH PKO at the Wynn Summer Classic for a jaw-dropping ₹1.83 Crores.
🎉 Vegas just got Suvarna’d again! Santhosh Suvarna 🇮🇳 ships the $10.5K NLH PKO at @WynnPoker for ₹1.83 Cr, cutting a deal 🤝🏻 with Ignacio Moron. 🇪🇸 After a @tritonpoker heater & early @WSOP stumble, the high-stakes king bounces back in style! 🏆🤩 Read more 👇🏻
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) June 15, 2025
Back home, the online poker scene has been serving up its own non-stop action. This week was another scorcher on PokerBaazi, with the country`s leading online poker platform consistently recording near-record-hitting turnouts across its daily majors despite an unexpected technical issue that disrupted its big-ticket flagships on Thursday. A large part of this massive uptick is the ongoing ₹50 Crores Summer Cash Carnival, which has the cash tables buzzing.
Natural8 India’s World Festival 2025 has also wrapped up, not before doling out some of the biggest payouts for the month. Even though the string of scores slowed down after the series wrapped up, the budget-friendly microFESTIVAL is already stirring buzz, running June 15 to 29. With the other top platforms like Adda52, Junglee Poker, and PokerStars India also bringing consistent daily action, the June season is already seeing some major movements!
The top two contenders in the Player of the Year race continue to set a blistering pace, leaving the chasing pack in their dust. While the top seven names on the annual leaderboard remain unchanged from last week, the gaps between them are tightening. It’s almost certain that the coming week will paint a new, more competitive picture in the rankings.
Weekly Online Rankings (June 8 – 14)
Player Name Weekly Cashes Weekly Profits
Manuranjith Ranganathan ₹17.37 Lakhs ₹16.85 Lakhs
Sam Anand ₹16.56 Lakhs ₹14.08 Lakhs
Ankit Bajaj ₹15.98 Lakhs ₹13.59 Lakhs
Anant Purohit ₹15.14 Lakhs ₹12.33 Lakhs
Vikhyat Ahlawat ₹14.41 Lakhs ₹12.60 Lakhs
Gopal Bajaj ₹11.42 Lakhs ₹10.23 Lakhs
Monthly Online Rankings (June 1 – 14)
Player Name Monthly Cashes (₹) Monthly Profits (₹)
Anant Purohit ₹93.76 Lakhs ₹80.01 Lakhs
Ankit Bajaj ₹38.92 Lakhs ₹33.08 Lakhs
Vikhyat Ahlawat ₹20.11 Lakhs ₹16.09 Lakhs
Manuranjith Ranganathan ₹17.37 Lakhs ₹16.85 Lakhs
Prince Singh ₹16.15 Lakhs ₹11.06 Lakhs
Abhimanyu Mittal ₹15.48 Lakhs ₹12.58 Lakhs
Yearly Online Rankings (January 1 – June 14)
Player Name Yearly Cashes Yearly Profits
Tarun Goyal ₹5.69 Crores ₹3.04 Crores
Anant Purohit ₹5.17 Crores ₹1.81 Crores
Ankit Bajaj ₹2.26 Crores ₹1.33 Crores
Aman Parakh ₹1.78 Crores ₹99.14 Lakhs
Anurag Srivastava ₹1.75 Crores ₹1.05 Crores
Rajneesh Thakur ₹1.73 Crores ₹71.14 Lakhs
The Unyielding King: Tarun Goyal’s POY Reign Reaches 19 Weeks
There are hot streaks, and then there is the dynasty Tarun Goyal is building. For an astounding 19th consecutive week, the king of Indian online poker maintains his grip on the 2025 Player of the Year (POY) leaderboard, a run that brings to mind the legendary three-year reign of Young Gun Gaurav Sood.
Goyal’s 2024 campaign was historic—₹12.39 Crores in tracked winnings and nearly ₹10 Crores in profit. But true champions don’t rest on their laurels. Goyal began 2025 with a clear mission to cement his legacy, and he`s done just that!
He unleashed a monetary storm in February, a ₹2.74 Crores heater that not only gave him the monthly crown but re-established his dominance in a commanding fashion. After a quieter start to May, the silence was broken on May 12 when Goyal charged through Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters Mega Main 525, finishing as the runner-up for a massive ₹67.45 Lakhs, which included ₹14 Lakhs in bounties. It was a thunderous statement.
That single performance reignited his run, placing him atop both the weekly and monthly standings. By the end of the month, Goyal had accumulated ₹97.38 Lakhs in winnings and ₹70.77 Lakhs in profits, locking up the May leaderboard like only he can.
While June has been relatively quieter for Goyal, his position remains firm. He continues to lead the annual POY race with ₹5.69 Crores in total winnings and ₹3.04 Crores in profits. Even with his closest rival’s fiery start to June, the gap stands at a considerable ₹52 Lakhs—a 9% cushion. For now, Tarun Goyal’s reign continues. Unshaken. Unmatched. And with 19 weeks at the summit, it’s clear—he’s not just chasing records. He’s making them.
The Challenger’s Assault: Anant Purohit’s June Onslaught Narrows the Gap
If Goyal is the monarch of the 2025 POY race, then Anant Purohit is the relentless warrior scaling the castle walls. The 2024 POY runner-up is fueled by the memory of last year’s near miss and is determined to rewrite the story.
His ascent began in March when he tore through Natural8 India’s PLOSSUS Bounty 400, landing a career-defining ₹1.92 Crores. That single result erased Goyal’s early lead and threw Purohit directly into the title contention, earning him the March monthly crown. April saw him continue his attack with back-to-back runner-up finishes—₹12.98 Lakhs in the Omaholic Bounty Hunters HR 525 and ₹6.55 Lakhs in the Sunday Bounty Big Game—topping April’s charts.
June has been explosive for Purohit. He kicked off the month with a fourth-place finish in the Bounty Hunters Sunday Main Event 525 for a staggering ₹71.91 Lakhs, his second-biggest score of the year. Four days later, he added another ₹6.07 Lakhs with deep runs in the Bounty Hunters Daily Main 525 (12th for ₹3.83 Lakhs) and the Thursday Throwdown 150 (19th for ₹2.24 Lakhs).
This past Monday, he landed another huge score in the Global Mystery Bounty Festival Closer 250, placing 69th for ₹9.46 Lakhs, and added ₹2.56 Lakhs from the Monday Mega Heater 525.
His weekly haul of ₹15.14 Lakhs in winnings and ₹12.33 Lakhs in profits placed him fourth for the week. On the June monthly charts, he is miles ahead of everyone with ₹93.76 Lakhs in winnings and ₹80.01 Lakhs in profits. Purohit is the only player besides Goyal to cross the ₹5 Crore mark in annual winnings, now standing at ₹5.17 Crores. The way he is playing suggests this could be the year he finally claims the POY crown.
The Bounty Hunter King: Ankit Bajaj Remains Ever-Present Threat on the POY Podium
Ankit Bajaj continues to be the bedrock at #3 on the POY leaderboard. While the two titans battle it out at the top, Bajaj has become practically immovable on the podium.
His story this year was defined on March 2. In a moment of poker magic, Bajaj pulled a ₹1 Crore mystery bounty on Natural8 India. That life-altering score instantly placed him among the elite and built the foundation for his POY campaign. After a steadier April, he came alive again in May with a single-session heater worth ₹14.50 Lakhs.
He carried that form into June, starting the month by taking down Adda52’s Big Whale for ₹8.68 Lakhs. A day later, he finished ninth in the GG Masters Festival Edition 150 for a lofty ₹13.44 Lakhs, his third-largest score of the year. Those two back-to-back bangers launched him straight to #2 on the weekly and monthly charts.
This week, he played the ultimate bounty boss again. A 248th-place finish in the Global Mystery Bounty Festival Closer 250 became extraordinary when he pulled in a striking ₹14.44 Lakhs in bounties, bringing his total from the event to ₹15.37 Lakhs. That locked him in at #3 on the weekly leaderboard with ₹15.98 Lakhs in winnings and ₹13.59 Lakhs in profits. He`s also holding firm at #2 on the June monthly charts with ₹38.92 Lakhs in total earnings and ₹33.08 Lakhs in profits.
With ₹2.26 Crores in annual winnings, Bajaj is the only player outside the top two with over ₹2 Crores earned. He may need another thunderous run—or more of those magic mystery bounty hauls to catch the frontrunners, but he remains a constant threat, ready to strike. He’s in the hunt, locked in, and proven that when he swings, he lands hard.
The Chase Pack Tightens: A Multi-Way Fight for Position
While the top three have been consistent, the competition just below them is intensifying. The top seven have remained the same for weeks, but the gap is closing. These contenders are sharpening their blades, and the pressure from below is mounting with every passing week.
At #4, Rising Star Aman Parakh is getting closer to the podium. The Chittaurgarh pro has logged ₹1.78 Crores in annual winnings and ₹99.14 Lakhs in profits, proving his staying power.
At #5, Anurag Srivastava has been on a tear. The Delhi-based phenom is a consistent force with an incredible 22 titles in 2025, including nine in May alone. His combination of high volume and results has brought him ₹1.75 Crores in winnings and ₹1.05 Crores in profits, making him one of only four players to hit the ₹1 Crore profit milestone this year.
Just behind at #6, Rajneesh Thakur embodies the grinder’s spirit. His relentless pace and consistency keep him in the POY conversation with ₹1.73 Crores in winnings and ₹71.14 Lakhs in profits. A single breakthrough score could see him leap into the top five.
Vikhyat Ahlawat’s Blistering Week Vaults Him to #3 on the Monthly Charts
Vikhyat Ahlawat, celebrated for his double Gold Medal performance at NPS India 2025 and his near-miss at the NPC finale in Goa, is having a scorching June.
After a ₹6.17 Lakhs score in Adda52’s Mystery Bounty last week, he went into overdrive. Sunday saw him collect ₹7.18 Lakhs across seven deep runs, highlighted by a victory run in Adda52 Millions for ₹5.01 Lakhs. He followed that with a runner-up finish in PokerBaazi’s Turbo Charge (6-Max) (₹1.67 Lakhs) on Tuesday and two more big scores on Wednesday, taking down PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹2.18 Lakhs and banking another ₹1.08 Lakhs with a second-place finish in Adda52’s Wednesday Wonder.
This sensational run has catapulted him to #5 in the weekly standings with ₹13.41 Lakhs in winnings and ₹12.60 Lakhs in profits. Even more impressively, he now sits at #3 in the June monthly leaderboard, boasting ₹19.11 Lakhs in winnings and ₹16.09 Lakhs in profits.
Manuranjith Ranganathan’s Explosive Return Makes Him Week`s Top Dog
Manuranjith Ranganathan made a dramatic reappearance on the scene this week. Returning to Natural8 India after a four-week absence, he dove straight into the Sunday Showdown 320. He outlasted most of a 974-entry field to finish in third place for a career-best ₹17.38 Lakhs, including ₹5.24 Lakhs in bounties. That one score was enough to place him at the top of the weekly charts with ₹16.85 Lakhs in profits, sending a clear message that he is back in the game and means business!
Sam Anand’s The MoneyMaker Victory Lands Him at #2 on the Weekly Charts
Sam Anand also made a huge splash last Sunday, ending a six-week dry spell by taking down the 123rd edition of PokerBaazi’s iconic The MoneyMaker. The achievement came with a career-best ₹15 Lakhs cash prize and the coveted bracelet. A deep run in Adda52’s Big Whale the same night brought his total for the session to ₹16.56 Lakhs, placing him at #2 on the weekly charts with ₹14.08 Lakhs in profits.
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!
Daily Majors: POY Heavyweights Ankit Bajaj & Anant Purohit Dominate Monday With Monster Scores on Natural8 India
The siren calls in June are sounding loud from Las Vegas, where the 56th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) has now completed two full weeks of its run at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The action has been non-stop, with two more bracelets awarded on Monday. Tyler Brown ran the table from start to finish in Event #28: $600 NLH/PLO to lock in his second WSOP title with style. Meanwhile, in Event #26: $25K High Roller, Chang Lee completed a story for the ages, winning his first-ever bracelet and a jaw-dropping $1.949 Million in what was his first time playing a WSOP event!
From the Indian contingent, Bhargav Kakani made the biggest splash, going deep in the monster field of the Event #19: $500 COLOSSUS for a 46th-place finish worth ₹10.91 Lakhs. More cashes came in Event #29: $2.5K NLHE, where Young Gun Shardul Parthasarathi (150th for ₹4.51 Lakhs), Young Gun Sanat Mehrotra (175th for ₹4.30 Lakhs), and Natural8 India Executive Director Kunal Patni (187th for ₹4.30 Lakhs) all went deep. More bracelet sweats are already brewing, with bracelet winner Aditya Sushant, PokerBaazi Team Pro Laksh Singh, and Parthasarathi all moving on to Day 2 of Event #31: $800 Deepstack.
But for true high-roller drama, all eyes are on Santhosh Suvarna. India’s high-stakes extraordinaire and two-time bracelet winner, Suvarna, is now the lone Indian warrior advancing to Day 2 of the prestigious Event #32: $50,000 High Roller, carrying a workable stack of 568,000 chips (47 BBs)!
Back on the online streets at home, it was business as usual—almost. PokerBaazi’s majors crushed their advertised guarantees like clockwork (barring a minor blip in GrindHouse), while other platforms offered up serious value with overlays. But what turned a regular Monday into a night reminiscent of the weekend fireworks were two monster seven-figure hauls on Natural8 India, which continues to define the Player of the Year race. And with today being the grand finale of the World Festival 2025, all eyes are on the finish line.
No one stole the show like Ankit Bajaj, who kicked off the week with fireworks. Coming off a whopping ₹13.44 Lakhs score in last week’s GG Masters Festival Edition 150 and with the massive ₹1 Crore mystery bounty hit from March still fueling his POY charge, he dove headfirst into the Global Mystery Bounty Festival Closer 250. Out of almost 25,000 entries, he landed in 248th place for ₹93,189, which might sound low-key—until the bounty reveal was anything but. A staggering ₹14.44 Lakhs in mystery bounties sent his total winnings from the event to ₹15.37 Lakhs, his second-biggest payday of 2025 and the top score of the night. This performance pushed his annual earnings past the ₹2.09 Crore line, adding some cushion to his #3 position on the POY leaderboard.
Not to be outdone, Anant Purohit had a monster session of his own on Natural8 India. The runner-up in last year’s POY race is tearing through June like a comet. Coming off a mammoth ₹71.91 Lakhs score earlier this month and back-to-back hits last Thursday and Saturday, he also crushed the Global Mystery Bounty Festival Closer 250, placing 69th for a scorching ₹9.46 Lakhs—₹7 Lakhs of that from bounties alone—and added another ₹2.56 Lakhs with a deep run in the Monday Mega Heater 525. All told, a whopping ₹12.02 Lakhs landed in his account. With his 2025 total now a jaw-dropping ₹5.17 Crores, he is quickly closing the gap on POY frontrunner Tarun Goyal.
Over on PokerBaazi, Zeshan Hamza was back in beast mode. After snapping a six-month dry spell by winning the inaugural GrindHouse last week, followed by the Daily Last Chance on Friday, he completed a stunning hat-trick by conquering PokerBaazi’s The Big Show. This was his third major title in just eight days, and it came with a career-best ₹5.38 Lakhs payday. With three other cashes, his Monday ended with a thumping ₹5.75 Lakhs total. Ravi Kant Saraf, last month`s #30 The MoneyMaker champion, was chasing his second major title this year, but finished runner-up in The Big Show, netting ₹3.23 Lakhs. It was his third-highest cash ever on PokerBaazi—and the second-biggest this year.
PokerBaazi also delivered a breakthrough win for long-time grinder ‘Navnidhi1234,’ who took down The Big Show Lite for ₹2.32 Lakhs—their first flagship title and a sharp leap into profitability.
Ankur Sehgal is in full throttle mode. After shipping the inaugural PowerPlay title last Thursday and finishing third in the Adda52 Millions just the night before, he came charging into PokerBaazi’s GrindHouse and took it down for ₹1.80 Lakhs. That win, along with another cash, bumped his day’s total past ₹2.03 Lakhs. ‘shawkingman,’ aiming for what would have been their fourth title of the year on PokerBaazi, came very close in Grindhouse before finishing as the runner-up. Still, the finish added ₹1.38 Lakhs to their bankroll—their second-best score on PokerBaazi this year!
Debapriya Manna found sweet redemption on PokerBaazi. After reaching the final table of the Daily Last Chance eight times before—including six appearances this year alone—he finally shipped the late-night flahship for a solid ₹2 Lakhs. Another small score pushed his Monday take past ₹2.05 Lakhs. Close on his heels was Richa Bhandari, who came painfully close to breaking a 13-month title drought, finishing as the runner-up for ₹1.31 Lakhs, part of a ₹1.46 Lakhs session
On Adda52, ‘amish00789’ topped the Inception, collecting a site-best ₹1.93 Lakhs.
Over on Junglee Poker, Sanjay Kumar shipped the SS#17 Monday Monster, pocketing ₹1.68 Lakhs.
Ashutosh Paibhale, Rahul Sengar, Jogesh Chimnani, Rajneesh and Shibsambhu Ghosh won marquee titles across different platforms, adding to a night full of sharp play and noteworthy performances to start the week strong.
Here are the Monday highlights!
PokerBaazi
The Big Show – ₹30 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹5,750
Entries – 336
Re-entries – 382
Prize Pool – ₹35,90,000
Places Paid – 111
Monday nights might be mellow elsewhere, but on PokerBaazi, the week kicks off with a full-throttle poker storm. Last night was no exception—action-packed, adrenaline-fueled, and star-studded, with flagship tournaments setting the virtual felt ablaze. Heavy-hitters like the ₹30 Lakhs GTD The Big Show, ₹10 Lakhs GTD The Big Show Lite, and ₹10 Lakhs GTD Daily Last Chance all crushed their guarantees with ease. Only the new 9:30 PM flagship, the ₹12 Lakhs GTD Grind House, fell just shy of its target.
Leading the charge was Goa’s Zeshan ‘Deez49’ Hamza, the red-hot regular who’s been torching the tables all month. Just last Monday, Hamza ended a six-month title drought by taking down the inaugural GrindHouse. He followed it up with a Friday win in the Daily Last Chance—momentum was fully on his side.
Last night, in the Monday headliner, The Big Show, Hamza went the distance, outlasting a guarantee-busting 718-entry field (336 unique) over 8 hours and 22 minutes to claim his first-ever The Big Show title. He pocketed a career-best ₹5.38 Lakhs—completing a hat-trick of titles in just eight days.
And if that was not enough, Hamza logged three more deep runs on the platform before calling it a night. By the time the dust settled, he had racked up over ₹5.75 Lakhs in winnings for Monday alone, making him the third biggest winner of the day across all platforms, only behind the POY behemoths Ankit Bajaj and Anant Purohit, who stacked up monster seven-figure scores on Natural8 India.
> 1st in PokerBaazi’s The Big Show for ₹5,38,000
> 8th in PokerBaazi’s Daily PLO-5 for ₹14,532
> 17th in PokerBaazi’s The Big Show Lite for ₹13,796
> 22nd in PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹8,914
Zeshan Hamza’s online stats (PokerBaazi, Adda52 and Spartan Poker): Lifetime Winnings: ₹2.28 Crores | Lifetime Profits: ₹22.02 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #3
But the final stretch of The Big Show was anything but routine. In a riveting heads-up duel, Delhi’s Ravi ‘racebegins’ Kant Saraf gave Hamza a real sweat. Fresh off a headline-grabbing #30 The MoneyMaker win, Saraf showed no signs of slowing down. A familiar face on PokerBaazi since August 2023, he was gunning for his second flagship title of the year—and he came razor-close. Though The Big Show title slipped just out of his reach, Saraf still walked away with ₹3.23 Lakhs for his runner-up finish—his third-best score on the platform and second-biggest haul this year.
And he wasn’t done: Saraf also scored in the (7-Max) Afternoon Boost (28th for ₹7,216) earlier in the day, taking his Monday total to a healthy ₹3.30 Lakhs.
Ravi Kant Saraf’s online stats (PokerBaazi and Adda52): Lifetime Winnings: ₹45.54 Lakhs | Lifetime Winnings: ₹3.92 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #1
The Big Show final table was packed with familiar crushers, including last month`s two-time Adda52 Mystery Bounty champion, Anmol ‘airball’ Narang (3rd for ₹2.48 Lakhs) and last month’s Daily Last Chance winner Prateek ‘CHOTUU88’ Parakh (7th for ₹1.08 Lakhs).
The ₹5,750 buy-in The Big Show delivered big, generating a massive ₹35.90 Lakhs prize pool that paid the top 111 finishers at least ₹10,770 each—nearly double the buy-in. PokerBaazi’s Monday headliner once again proved why it’s the hottest ticket in town.
Final Table Results
- Zeshan ‘Deez49’ Hamza – ₹5,38,000
- Ravi ‘racebegins’ Kant Saraf – ₹3,23,000
- Anmol ‘airball’ Narang – ₹2,48,000
- ShxxGrey – ₹2,06,000
- Ditto7 – ₹1,71,000
- Shailesh1974 – ₹1,38,000
- Prateek ‘CHOTUU88’ Parakh – ₹1,08,000
- CoolHandLuke – ₹79,340
GrindHouse – ₹12 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹3,500
Entries – 219
Re-entries – 166
Prize Pool – ₹12,00,000
Places Paid – 59
This Monday night brought yet another dose of high-octane poker action as PokerBaazi’s ₹12 Lakhs GTD GrindHouse—the platform’s latest 9:30 PM flagship—returned for its second edition, delivering on its promise of top-tier competition and solid value.
Seizing the spotlight was Mumbai’s Ankur ‘Stonecold’ Sehgal, a circuit regular since 2015, who has been riding a serious heater since the third week of May. It all started with a runner-up finish in #19 The MoneyMaker, where he banked a career-best ₹10.50 Lakhs after a three-way deal. He quickly followed that up by capturing his maiden title of the year in The Endeavour, earning ₹6.53 Lakhs via a heads-up deal. He then kicked off June by taking down the inaugural PowerPlay title last Thursday. Sehgal had a solid Sunday showing as well, placing third in the Adda52 Millions for ₹2.87 Lakhs just the night before.
Last night, Sehgal needed four bullets in the GrindHouse to outlast 218 challengers (385 total entries) over a six-hour, 15-minute grind, clinching his third flagship title of the year in just 14 days—and his second of the month—earning ₹1.80 Lakhs.
Sehgal also went deep in The Big Show, finishing 29th for ₹23,335, pushing his day’s haul past ₹2.03 Lakhs. These latest scores have vaulted him to #71 on PokerBaazi`s 2025 POY Leaderboard.
> 1st in PokerBaazi’s GrindHouse for ₹1,80,000
> 29th in PokerBaazi’s The Big Show for ₹23,335
Maharashtra’s ‘shawkingman,’ a familiar sight in MTTs since June 2021, came heartbreakingly close to seizing their fourth PokerBaazi title of 2025. Riding a wave of recent deep runs—including a runner-up finish in the Midnight SPRINT—they re-entered the GrindHouse after an early bustout and eventually finished runner-up, netting a solid ₹1.38 Lakhs—their second-best score of the year.
Shawkingman’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹46.73 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹2.01 Lakhs | Titles Won in 2025: #3
The GrindHouse final table was stacked with talent: Sunday’s (6-Max) BSS SPRINT runner-up & last night’s Daily Last Chance fourth-place finisher Praveen ‘PinaWXD’ KR (4th for ₹83,280), Saturday’s Blockbuster finalist Sachin ‘browguy26’ Raj (5th for ₹60,000), and Mithilesh ‘Quest4best’ Choubey (6th for ₹48,000) all made the business end of the event.
With its ₹3,500 buy-in and the tournament’s sizzling action, the GrindHouse yet again fell short of its guarantee, recording a deficit of ₹28,060—a miss on paper but a boon for the 59 players who finished in the money. Each of them walked away with at least ₹6,240, nearly 1.80 times the buy-in, ensuring another night of substantial value in PokerBaazi’s flagship lineup.
Final Table Results
- Ankur ‘Stonecold’ Sehgal – ₹1,80,000
- shawkingman – ₹1,38,000
- Frankie08 – ₹1,09,000
- Praveen ‘PinaWXD’ KR – ₹83,280
- Sachin ‘browguy26’ Raj – ₹60,000
- Mithilesh ‘Quest4best’ Choubey – ₹48,000
- Unevenbets – ₹40,560
- Allin2call – ₹32,880
Daily Last Chance – ₹10 Lakhs GTD
Buy-in – ₹2,500
Entries – 318
Re-entries – 285
Prize Pool – ₹13,10,922
Places Paid – 94
The midnight oil was burning—and so were the stacks—as PokerBaazi’s late-night flagship, the ₹10 Lakhs GTD Daily Last Chance, once again delivered the drama, the fireworks, and the glory on Monday night. True to its name, this popular nightcap drew in a massive crowd, smashing its guarantee with 603 entries (318 unique) that pushed the prize pool to a tempting ₹13.11 Lakhs—₹3.11 Lakhs more than promised.
After a gruelling seven-hour grind, the moment belonged to Howrah’s Debapriya ‘detulelungikhul’ Manna. Bringing his A-game and unflappable composure, Manna finally seized his first-ever Daily Last Chance title—a long-overdue breakthrough after several near misses. Manna had reached the final table of this late-night flagship eight times before, including six already this year. Last night’s triumph finally broke the curse. His win netted him a solid ₹2 Lakhs—his third-largest score of 2025—and marked his first flagship victory since his WPT India Online MegaStack takedown last December.
Manna’s resume already sparkles with high-stakes action: He’s a two-time NPS India 2025 Silver Medallist (NPS#64 Deepdive and NPS#145 Deepdive) and holds an APT Online India Main Event title from 2022.
Manna also cashed in The Big Show Lite, pushing his Monday night total to over ₹2.05 Lakhs.
> 1st in PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹2,00,000
> 58th in PokerBaazi’s The Big Show Lite for ₹5,365
But the road to glory wasn’t without its challenges. Delhi’s Richa ‘richertilter’ Bhandari was the last woman standing. A well-known name on the PokerBaazi streets since April 2022, Bhandari has developed a reputation for digging deep and delivering under pressure.
Bhandari came painfully close to breaking a 13-month title drought, ultimately finishing as the runner-up for a hard-earned ₹1.31 Lakhs. This was no ordinary score—just last month, she recorded her career-best runner-up finish in #9 The MoneyMaker, and last night’s finish marked her second-best cash grab of 2025 and fourth-highest overall.
Bhandari’s grind didn’t stop there—she posted two more deep runs, pushing her total Monday haul to nearly ₹1.46 Lakhs. She’s in form, in rhythm, and a title win looks all but inevitable.
> 2nd in PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹1,31,000
> 102ndin PokerBaazi’s The Big Show for ₹10,770
> 34th in PokerBaazi’s Daily PLO-5 for ₹3,818
Richa Bhandari’s PokerBaazi stats: Site Winnings: ₹59.61 Lakhs | Site Profits: ₹22.56 Lakhs
The Daily Last Chance final table was stacked with contenders, including Praveen ‘PinaWXD’ KR (4th for ₹73,622) who also placed fourth in the GrindHouse last night, Sehej ‘UdixiAgain’ Singh (6th for ₹51,074), Lakshay ‘AceHigh20’ Aggarwal (7th for ₹39,867), and Saturday’s The Starlight champion Ganesh ‘Ganesh24’ Durgade (8th for ₹27,162).
With a ₹2,500 buy-in, Daily Last Chance once again delivered unbeatable value! Even a min-cash was worth a sweet ₹5,240—more than double the buy-in, flowing to each of the 94 finishers who made it to the money, solid proof of why this late finisher remains such a crowd favourite.
Final Table Results
- Debapriya ‘detulelungikhul’ Manna – ₹2,00,000
- Richa ‘richertilter’ Bhandari – ₹1,31,000
- Fisherman777 – ₹98,320
- Praveen ‘PinaWXD’ KR – ₹74,720
- Moneymaker9 – ₹63,320
- Sehej ‘UdixiAgain’ Singh – ₹52,170
- Lakshay ‘AceHigh20’ Aggarwal – ₹41,290
- Ganesh ‘Ganesh24’ Durgade – ₹30,540
‘Navnidhi1234’ won the ₹10 Lakhs GTD The Big Show Lite for ₹2.32 Lakhs.
‘AceAk01’ (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD (7-Max) Afternoon Boost for ₹82,480), Ashutosh ‘Predictkar’ Paibhale (Won ₹5 Lakhs GTD Daily PLO-5 for ₹57,490), ‘Reuben123’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Daily PLO-5 Boost for ₹34,170), Rahul ‘GhatakTheGreat’ Sengar (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD PLO-5 Afternoon Boost for ₹25,530), ‘Nigambodh’ (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Daily Morning Sprint for ₹29,580), ‘Zugzzwang’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD 7-Max SPRINT for ₹23,50), ‘Hk78aaa’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Midnight SPRINT for ₹12,440), ‘Nason’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Boost for ₹11,370), and ‘pradipkumarbauri’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Boost for ₹9,770) won the other Monday marquees on PokerBaazi.
Junglee Poker
Sanjay ‘floppednuts’ Kumar won the ₹10 Lakhs GTD SS#17 Monday Monter for ₹1.68 Lakhs.
Jogesh ‘JC1870’ Chimnani (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD SS#18 Monday Battleground for ₹34,190) and ‘adluck_rene_’ (Won ₹75K GTD Hangover for ₹11,444) won the other Monday marquees on Junglee Poker.
₹25 Lakhs GTD Summer Series Main Showdown – Qualifier 1
Q1> Entries – 79 | Survivors – 7 | Chip Leader – ‘Niceowl888’ (348,860)
Adda52
‘amish00789 won the ₹10 Lakhs GTD Inception for ₹1.93 Lakhs.
Rajneesh ‘rajneesh620’ (Won ₹3 Lakhs GTD Voyager for ₹60,116), ‘kapil1912’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Afternoon Bounty for ₹32,906), ‘MrBadshaah’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Bounty for ₹26,106), ‘Ramboiyer’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Inception Lite for ₹19,940), and ‘hitpatil’ (Won ₹50K GTD Sundown Adda for ₹13,140) won the other Monday marquees on Adda52.
Spartan Poker
‘bigshow811’ (Won ₹6.50 Lakhs GTD Monday Classic for ₹95,625), Shibsambhu ‘Robot3’ Ghosh (Won ₹2 Lakhs GTD Monday Spotlight for ₹31,792), ‘RummyCircle’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD Monster Stack for ₹24,238), ‘Tjoshi9676’ (Won ₹1.50 Lakhs GTD The Phoenix for ₹20,572), and ‘Pooja777A’ (Won ₹1 Lakh GTD Daily KickOff for ₹17,514) won the Monday marquees on Spartan Poker.
Keep following PokerGuru for daily updates on the biggest winners across the major domestic networks!
Online Rankings: Anant Purohit Pounces With June Surge, Closes in on Disrupting Tarun Goyal’s Extended POY Reign!
In this feature, we bring you 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!
Online Rankings | June 8 | 2025
June is here, and while the global poker community’s eyes are on the 2025 World Series of Poker (@WSOP), the Indian online poker scene is carving out its own compelling storylines. As another action-packed Sunday unfolded, the top three on the POY… pic.twitter.com/Vhf7HhFnW5
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) June 9, 2025
June is here, and while the global poker community’s eyes are on the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the Indian online poker scene is carving out its own compelling storylines. The landscape has noticeably shifted from the frenetic pace of May. With PokerBaazi’s daily-running The MoneyMaker now a more affordably-priced Sunday-only fixture, the rhythm of the grind has changed. To fill the gap, the platform has rolled out a volley of new enhancements—including a new 9:30 PM flagship from Monday to Thursday—and the country’s most ambitious cash game promotion ever, the Summer Cash Carnival, with a colossal ₹50 Crores in rewards. This pivot has created a different kind of battleground, rewarding consistent daily performers.
The opening week of June, consequently, did not produce the kind of eye-watering seven-figure payouts that May delivered, with the standard flagships across major platforms providing the daily high points. Yet, the action has been far from quiet.
The ongoing Natural8 India’s World Festival 2025 has been the primary source of leaderboard-altering scores, with one such result already turning the early June standings upside down. With three more days of its biggest events remaining, this series—billed as India’s largest online poker festival—holds the potential for more dramatic shifts. It’s telling that the two front-runners for Player of the Year are both riding a phenomenal wave of success on Natural8 India, a pattern that mirrors the story of the 2024 race. As another action-packed Sunday unfolds, the top three on the POY leaderboard hold their positions, but the undercurrents of change are strong. June is already hinting at more serious leaderboard upheavals.
Weekly Online Rankings (June 1 – 7)
| Player Name | Weekly Cashes | Weekly Profits |
|---|---|---|
| Anant Purohit | ₹77.99 Lakhs | ₹69.44 Lakhs |
| Ankit Bajaj | ₹22.85 Lakhs | ₹18.48 Lakhs |
| Pradip Ghosh | ₹12.34 Lakhs | ₹10.67 Lakhs |
| Harshad Barve | ₹10.05 Lakhs | ₹7.64 Lakhs |
| Aditya Sushant | ₹8.05 Lakhs | ₹6.52 Lakhs |
| Prince Singh | ₹7.55 Lakhs | ₹5.91 Lakhs |
Yearly Online Rankings (January 1 – June 7)
| Player Name | Yearly Cashes | Yearly Profits |
|---|---|---|
| Tarun Goyal | ₹5.69 Crores | ₹3.05 Crores |
| Anant Purohit | ₹5.01 Crores | ₹1.81 Crores |
| Ankit Bajaj | ₹2.10 Crores | ₹1.22 Crores |
| Aman Parakh | ₹1.76 Crores | ₹98.28 Lakhs |
| Anurag Srivastava | ₹1.66 Crores | ₹1.01 Crores |
| Rajneesh Thakur | ₹1.63 Crores | ₹71.17 Lakhs |
The Reigning King: Goyal’s 18-Week Stand at the Top
Tarun Goyal’s command of the 2025 Player of the Year leaderboard has now stretched to an incredible 18 consecutive weeks. This sustained period of supremacy in the high-variance world of tournament poker is a feat in itself, drawing comparisons to the legendary three-year POY run of Young Gun Gaurav Sood, who is currently chasing glory at the 2025 WSOP.
Frankly, it’s been a challenge to phrase his dominance differently each week. His 2024 season was historic: a record-setting ₹12.39 Crores in tracked winnings and nearly ₹10 Crores in profit set a new high-water mark for what is achievable in a single year of Indian online poker. After decisively earning the 2024 POY title, Goyal didn’t take any time off to celebrate. Instead, he jumped into 2025 with the focused drive of a champion defending his crown.
After a steady start in January, Goyal floored the accelerator in February with a stunning ₹2.74 Crores haul, seizing the monthly crown and building a solid early foundation for a potential back-to-back POY victory. That single month provided a financial cushion that seemed almost untouchable. Yet, just as the competition began to gain ground, Goyal found another gear on May 12, finishing runner-up in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters Mega Main 525 and adding a massive ₹67.45 Lakhs to his annual total—₹14 Lakhs of which came from bounties alone. This score put him back on top of the weekly and monthly charts.
While Goyal has been quiet in June’s opening week, his presence looms large. With a mind-blowing annual total of ₹5.69 Crores in winnings and ₹3.06 Crores in profits, he is on pace to challenge his own historic records with over half the year remaining. However, it won’t be a simple stroll to the finish line. The consistent and ferocious pursuit by Anant Purohit, whose explosive start to June has narrowed the gap to just ₹68 Lakhs (a mere 13%), means Goyal’s reign is more contested than ever. For now, he remains the undisputed king, but the throne no longer seems entirely secure.
The Challenger’s Gambit: Anant Purohit’s Resounding June Pounce
If Tarun Goyal is the established king, Anant Purohit is the determined challenger scaling the mountain, clearly motivated by the unfinished business of his 2024 POY runner-up finish. His performance this year, particularly his knack for landing monster scores, has turned the 2025 race into a captivating two-man contest.
While Goyal made his statement in February, Purohit crashed the party in March. He tore through the field in Natural8 India’s PLOSSUS Bounty 400, walking away with a breathtaking ₹1.92 Crores—his best-ever score and one of the largest ever recorded by an Indian player. This victory handed him the monthly crown and cut down Goyal’s once-commanding lead, placing him firmly in the championship fight.
April only intensified his campaign. With consecutive runner-up finishes in the Omaholic Bounty Hunters HR 525 (₹12.98 Lakhs) and the Sunday Bounty Big Game 215 (₹6.55 Lakhs), he topped the April charts with ₹34.97 Lakhs in winnings and ₹21.43 Lakhs in profits. This two-month period of dominance established the POY contest as a two-man race early on.
After a quieter May, Purohit started June with an explosion. On the month’s very first day, he went deep in the Bounty Hunters Sunday Main Event 525 on Natural8 India, finishing in fourth place for a colossal ₹71.91 Lakhs, with ₹18.96 Lakhs coming from bounties alone. It was his second-biggest cash of the year and his third major score on the platform. Four days later, he added another ₹6.07 Lakhs to his coffers through deep runs in Thursday’s Bounty Hunters Daily Main 525 (12th for ₹3.83 Lakhs) and the Thursday Throwdown 150 (19th for ₹2.24 Lakhs).
While Tarun Goyal claimed May’s top honours, Purohit has emphatically put his name on June, leading the weekly charts with ₹77.99 Lakhs in winnings and ₹69.45 Lakhs in profits.
He is now the second player, after Goyal, to cross the ₹5 Crore watermark in annual winnings, standing at ₹5.01 Crores with ₹1.81 Crores in profits. With the rest of the pack far behind, this is shaping up to be a two-horse race to the finish, and Anant Purohit is ensuring Tarun Goyal feels the heat every step of the way.
The Silent Contender: Ankit Bajaj’s Formidable Podium Presence
Ankit Bajaj continues to be a solid fixture at #3 on the 2025 POY leaderboard. While the gap to the top two is considerable, his proven ability to land game-changing scores keeps him a constant and dangerous presence in the race.
Bajaj’s entire year was redefined on March 2. In a stroke of poker magic, he pulled a jaw-dropping ₹1 Crore mystery bounty on Natural8 India. A score of this nature—a mix of deep-run skill and incredible fortune—instantly vaulted him into the elite tier of Indian poker earners and has been the bedrock of his podium position ever since. After that life-changing score, he had a quieter stretch before returning to form in May after a nearly five-week downtime, raking in over ₹14.50 Lakhs in a single session and adding a string of steady cashes to his record.
He carried that renewed energy into June, kicking off the month by winning the Big Whale on Adda52 for ₹8.68 Lakhs. A day later, he navigated a mammoth international field in the GG Masters Festival Edition 150, locking in a ninth-place finish worth a respectable ₹13.44 Lakhs—his third-best result this year. These scores signal that he is actively defending his turf, landing him the #2 spot on both the weekly and early monthly charts with ₹22.85 Lakhs in winnings and ₹18.48 Lakhs in profits!
With ₹2.10 Crores in annual winnings and ₹1.22 Crores in profits, Bajaj is the only player outside the top two to breach the ₹2 Crore earnings threshold. His strategy appears to be one of precision, picking his spots for huge scores. While he’ll need another dose of that bounty magic or some scorching momentum to gain on the two heavy-hitters he is chasing, both of whom have totals more than 2.5 times his own.
The Mid-Pack Melee: A Fierce Fight For Podium Proximity
While the top three in the 2025 Player of the Year race maintain their positions, albeit with significant momentum shifts, the battle just below them is evolving into an intense dogfight, with weekly changes now the norm.
Rising Star Aman Parakh has his eyes fixed on a podium spot, currently sitting at #4. With ₹1.76 Crores in annual winnings and ₹98.28 Lakhs in profits, Parakh has proved his breakout success is sustainable, making him a serious challenger to those ahead.
At #5 is Anurag Srivastava, a player operating in a zone of his own. The Delhi-based pro is on an unbelievable heater, having already won an incredible 22 tournaments this year. His May was particularly spectacular, with nine victories, demonstrating a remarkable capacity for high-volume play paired with clinical finishing that has powered him to ₹1.66 Crores in annual earnings with ₹1.01 Crores in profits!
Slipping one spot to #6 is Rajneesh Thakur. As one of the circuit’s most tireless grinders, Thakur is known for his consistent presence on the Tournament Leaderboard (TLB) standings. His strategy, built on unmatched volume and steady cashes, keeps him in the hunt with ₹1.63 Crores for the year and ₹71.17 Lakhs in profits, within striking distance of reclaiming lost ground.
‘SPRINT King’ Pradip Ghosh Races to the Weekly Top Three
‘SPRINT King’ Pradip Ghosh has made his presence felt in the June grind, closing the first week as the third-biggest winner with ₹12.34 Lakhs in winnings and ₹10.67 Lakhs in profits.
His performance was defined by a phenomenal session on the first Sunday of the month. Ghosh was firing on all cylinders, making six deep runs that netted him nearly ₹9.03 Lakhs in a single day. He came tantalizingly close to a rare Sunday double, finishing as the runner-up in PokerBaazi’s BSS SuperStack for ₹6.51 Lakhs before taking down Adda52’s Sunday Big Slick for ₹1.61 Lakhs. He kept the run going by winning Adda52’s Inception on Monday for another ₹1.96 Lakhs. Ghosh is showing he’s not just a sprinter—he’s in this race for the long run.
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