Nikesh Chawla
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This Week in Poker: May 7 – 13
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This Week in Poker: May 7 – 13
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 action is blazing just as hot as the summer sun, with momentum surging through the second week of May. The live felts were lit up by two major international stops—APPT Cambodia and RDPT Jeju—both drawing significant attention and wrapping up this past week.
Back home, PokerBaazi continues to dominate the online scene with its iconic ₹1 Crore GTD The MoneyMaker, now running daily for the entire month—only the second time in history that this single-flight tournament is being hosted in such a format. Over at Natural8 India, the stakes soared with the launch of the World Festival 2025 (May 4 – June 10), touted as India’s biggest-ever online tournament series. Meanwhile, Junglee Poker kept up the pressure with its ₹7.50 Crore GTD Poker Premiere League (PPL), delivering consistent daily leaderboard and MTT action.
With big wins, milestone tournaments, and headline-making updates, this past week packed a full-spectrum poker punch across both live and online arenas.
APPT Cambodia 2025: India Delivers Massive Series with 60 Cashes, 4 Spadies, and Career-Defining Scores
The Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Cambodia 2025 returned for its fourth edition at the NagaWorld Integrated Resort in Phnom Penh, and this year’s 12-day poker festival, held from May 2 to 13, smashed expectations with record-breaking participation. Featuring 68 tournaments and $1.5 Million in guaranteed prize money, the series drew players from across the globe, creating an electric atmosphere throughout.
Riding high after standout performances at Poker Dream 17 Malaysia and APT Taipei 2025, Team India came in strong and made a major statement. The Indian contingent delivered 60 cashes, 34 final table appearances, and six runner-up finishes. It also brought home four Spadie trophies, highlighting the country’s growing dominance on the Asian live circuit.
Somashekar Kurkhepally Headlines With Main Event Runner-Up Finish
The biggest Indian story came from Somashekar Kurkhepally, who produced a career-best performance in Event #40: $1,750 Main Event. Starting the final day as chip leader among six players, Kurkhepally played a near-flawless game and reached heads-up against Vietnam’s Hai Ha Tran. The duo agreed to an equal chop for $155,225 (~₹1.32 Crores), leaving the trophy and APPT Championship package up for grabs—both eventually claimed by Tran. This score marks Kurkhepally’s career-best live cash, and alongside his second-place finish in Event #30 for $5,245 (~₹4.47 Lakhs), he topped the Indian earnings chart at APPT Cambodia with $160,470 (~₹1.37 Crores). This stellar showing makes Kurkhepally our clear “PokerGuru Star of the Week!” He now boasts $296,283 (~₹2.53 Crores) in total live winnings, ranking him #36 on India’s All-Time Money List.
Abhishek Paul also made the final table of the Main Event, finishing eighth for $22,970 (~₹19.20 Lakhs)—his third-best live score. This was enough to make him the second biggest winner at the festival.
Other Indians making deep Main Event runs included Amit Kaushik (11th for $13,654), Sumit Sapra (18th for $7,174), Umang Kakarania (29th for $4,724), Abhijith Cheruku (31st for $4,724), Pranav Bathija (33rd for $4,108), Arjun Dhingra (41st for $3,572), Sameer Agarwal (53rd for $3,572), and Anil Adiani (71st for $3,106).
Ajay & Anju Abrol’s Family Showdown Steals the Spotlight
Ajay Abrol, based in Singapore, claimed his first live tournament title and a Spadie in Event #12: $300 Shot Clock, winning $5,222 (~₹4.40 Lakhs) after defeating his wife Anju Abrol heads-up. Anju, a former APPT Macau side-event winner, took home $3,396 (~₹2.86 Lakhs). Ajay added two more cashes to end the series with $11,215 (~₹9.45 Lakhs). Anju also cashed in Event #22, finishing seventh for $1,033 (~₹87K), taking her series tally to $4,429 (~₹3.73 Lakhs) and pushing her lifetime live earnings beyond ₹1.23 Crores.
Arun Godiyal Wins Second Spadie, Continues Stellar Rise
Arun Godiyal picked up his second Spadie in Event #3: $300 Knockout Turbo, winning $2,789 (~₹2.35 Lakhs) and following it up with a third-place finish in Event #14 for $1,248 (~₹1.05 Lakhs). Godiyal now has six live scores, two Spadies, and nearly ₹9.68 Lakhs in total live winnings, an incredible achievement given he only debuted in November 2024.
Nikesh Chawla Takes Down High Roller Turbo for Career-Second Best Score
Continuing his strong run in Cambodia, Nikesh Chawla conquered Event #35: $2,000 High Roller Turbo, beating a 26-entry field to earn $17,634 (~₹14.91 Lakhs). It was the second-largest live score of his career after his ₹50.33 Lakhs win at WPT Cambodia 2025 earlier this year. He also cashed in Event #9, finishing ninth, and amassed a total of $18,218 (~₹15.41 Lakhs) this series, crossing the $100K career live earnings mark.
🎉 #APPTCambodia2025: Nikesh Chawla 🇮🇳 bags India’s 3rd Spadie, taking down $2K High Roller Turbo for $17,634 (~₹14.91L)! It’s the biggest Indian score of the series & his 2nd-best ever! 🏆🔥 Romit Advani’s ~ @tilt_83 🇮🇳 has made 4 FTs! Read more 👇🏻https://t.co/O6RvgaxIKo
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 8, 2025
Avneesh Munjal Wins Fourth Career Title, First Spadie
Avneesh Munjal kicked off his 2025 live season by winning Event #62: $2,000 Knockout High Roller, bagging his first PokerStars Spadie and fourth career live title for $12,695 (~₹10.83 Lakhs). He also placed 26th in Event #1 for $853 and 10th in Event #57 for $3,670, ending the series with $17,218 (~₹14.69 Lakhs).
Indian Scorecard at APPT Cambodia
Rank Player Name Event Name Prize (USD)
26 Avneesh Munjal Event #1: NAGAWORLD Kickoff $853
1 Arun Godiyal Event #3: Knockout Turbo [$100 Bounty] $2,789
5 Ajay Abrol Event #5: SuperStack ($300) $2,320
19 Anirban Kundu Event #5: SuperStack ($300) $466
22 Sumit Supra Event #6: Mystery Bounty ($750) $907
20 Gagandeep Singh Malik Event #6: Mystery Bounty ($750) $1,043
3 Amit Kaushik Event #9: Megastack Turbo ($300) $2,426
4 Romit Advani Event #9: Megastack Turbo ($300) $1,867
7 Umang Kakarania Event #9: Megastack Turbo ($300) $913
9 Nikesh Chawla Event #9: Megastack Turbo ($300) $584
1 Ajay Abrol Event #12: Shot Clock ($300) $5,222
2 Anju Abrol Event #12: Shot Clock ($300) $3,396
3 Arun Godiyal Event #14: Win The Button - Hyper Turbo ($300) $1,248
2 Ajay Abrol Event #22: 6-Handed Turbo ($250) $3,673
4 Romit Advani Event #22: 6-Handed Turbo ($250) $2,018
7 Anju Abrol Event #22: 6-Handed Turbo ($250) $1,033
3 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #25: Knockout High Roller ($1000 Bounty) ($2,500) $4,653
7 Romit Advani Event #26: PLO Knockout [$200 Bounty] ($500) $595
14 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #19: APPT National ($1,000) $3,891
2 Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva Event #30: Super Knockout [$350 Bounty] Final ($750) $5,245
7 Amit Kaushik Event #30: Super Knockout [$350 Bounty] Final ($750) $1,475
8 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #30: Super Knockout [$350 Bounty] Final ($750) $1,180
9 Romit Advani Event #30: Super Knockout [$350 Bounty] Final ($750) $944
1 Nikesh Vijay Chawla Event #35: High Roller Turbo ($2,000) $17,634
5 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #38: 6-Handed ($300) $1,691
2 Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $155,225
8 Abhishek Paul Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $22,970
11 Amit Kaushik Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $13,654
18 Sumit Sapra Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $7,174
29 Umang Kakarania Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $4,724
31 Abhijith Cheruku Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $4,724
33 Pranav Bathija Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $4,108
41 Arjun Dhingra Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $3,572
53 Sameer Agarwal Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $3,572
71 Anil Adiani Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $3,106
5 Vineet Kumar Event #43: Deepstack Turbo ($300) $2,186
10 Sahil Nair Event #43: Deepstack Turbo ($300) $769
16 Anirban Kundu Event #43: Deepstack Turbo ($300) $506
17 Gagandeep Singh Malik Event #43: Deepstack Turbo ($300) $506
5 Bagaria Raj Vardhan Event #45: Megastack ($500) $3,283
14 Kaushal Vasa Event #45: Megastack ($500) $780
8 Talita Setyady Event #51: NLH 20/15/10 ($300) $615
8 Kaushal Vasa Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $2,200
10 Avneesh Munjal Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $3,670
17 Gagandeep Singh Malik Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $2,100
18 Nishant Kumar Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $1,950
20 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $950
23 Sahil Nair Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $1,830
27 Romit Advani Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $720
4 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $5,449
5 Vineet Kumar Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $4,192
7 Pranav Bathija Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $2,728
14 Bagaria Raj Vardhan Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $1,300
20 Aditya Agarwal Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $983
30 Talita Setyady Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $646
1 Avneesh Munjal Event #62: Knockout High Roller ($500 Bounty) ($2,000) $12,695
2 Arjun Dhingra Event #65: Deepstack ($300) $4,275
5 Nageshwara Alaparthy Event #65: Deepstack ($300) $1,878
5 Gagandeep Singh Malik Event #67: Knockout ($100 Bounty) Turbo ($300) $618
2 Amit Kaushik Event #69: 1K NLH ($1,000) $5,347
APPT Cambodia List of Winners
Player Event Prize (USD)
Cheuk Wai Wong Event #1: NAGAWORLD Kickoff $13,879
Mauricio Sanchez Event #2: Warm-up High Roller ($1,500) $9,370
Arun Godiyal Event #3: Knockout Turbo [$100 Bounty] $2,789
Wattana Sophontanakup Event #5: SuperStack ($300) $8,782
Hao Lin Event #6: Mystery Bounty ($750) $33,476
Aleksandr Diudiaev Event #7: Megastack High Roller ($2,500) $15,617
Chang Hyeon Kim Event #8: Bubble Rush ($400) $2,349
Manh Tuong Ha Event #9: Megastack Turbo ($300) $5,267
Ajay Abrol Event #12: Shot Clock ($300) $5,222
Yoke Wei Woon Event #13: PLO ($1,000) $8,957
Christian Lortie Cloutier Event #14: Win The Button - Hyper Turbo ($300) $2,728
Naotsugu Kimura Event #16: Mini High Roller - Hyper Turbo ($1,500) $6,024
Hiroya Kurushima Event #18: Double Stack - PLO ($300) $3,710
Fabian Rolli Event #19: APPT National ($1,000) $52,342
Craig Jones Event #20: Mini High Roller ($2,000) $15,087
Bin Yuan Event #21: Split hold'em ($400) $3,377
Kexin Gu Event #22: 6-Handed Turbo ($250) $5,689
Jia Yi Low Event #24: NLH ($300) $4,765
Jinlong Hu Event #25: Knockout High Roller ($1000 Bounty) ($2,500) $11,116
Nicolas Maillaud Event #26: PLO Knockout [$200 Bounty] ($500) $3,687
Cliff Chow Event #27: Showtime Hold'em - Hyper Turbo ($250) $1,652
Artur Akhmetzianov Event #30: Super Knockout [$350 Bounty] Final ($750) $8,126
Mauricio Salazar Sanchez Event#31: $10,000 APPT Super High Roller $42,811
Aike Ing Event #34: PLO Turbo ($400) $4,477
Nikesh Vijay Chawla Event #35: High Roller Turbo ($2,000) $17,634
Christian Lortie Cloutier Event #36: NLH - 10/10/10 ($200) $2,664
Richard Marquez Event #38: 6-Handed ($300) $5,063
Hai Ha Tran Event #40: APPT Main Event ($1,750) $155,225
Danny Huynh Event #42: Mix NLH/PLO ($500) $4,136
Jaewoo Jung Event #43: Deepstack Turbo ($300) $6,060
Christian Lortie Cloutier Event #45: Megastack ($500) $12,041
Alberto Morales Flores Event #47: Mystery Big Bounty [$1500 Bounty] - High Roller ($3,500) $10,151
Zeyu Sun Event #48: 6+ Hold'em (Short Deck) ($400) $3,891
Chee Hoong Yeoh Event #49: Run it Twice - Turbo ($300) $3,251
Samnang Prom Event #51: NLH 20/15/10 ($300) $4,916
Kyosuke Nagami Event #53: Freezeout Challenge ($2,000) $14,582
Danny Huynh Event #54: Teams Event ($600) $3,603
Ronald Haverkamp Event #55: 5 Card PLO - Turbo ($500) $4,200
Jakkapong Sreprasom Event #56: High Roller Hyper Turbo ($2,000) $2,000
Sanjeev Kapoor Event #57: Survivor Knockout [$1K Bounty] ($600) $25,560
Daniel Neilson Event #58: APPT High Roller ($3,000) $65,599
Alfie Adam Event #59: PLO Bomb pot - Turbo ($400) $2,349
Dewen Aloysius Lim Event #60: 6+ Hold'em (Short Deck) - Hyper Turbo ($300) $1,024
Chak Hei Chan Event #61: APPT Mini Main Event ($400) $15,863
Avneesh Munjal Event #62: Knockout High Roller ($500 Bounty) ($2,000) $12,695
Rindra Norodom Event #63: Double Stack NLH ($500) $5,595
Ilya Firstov Event #64: NLH 15/10/5 ($300) $3,004
Richard Marquez Event #65: Deepstack ($300) $6,625
Dinesh Alt Event #66: Last Chance - High Roller Turbo ($2,000) $13,386
Quoc Cuong Khoang Event #67: Knockout ($100 Bounty) Turbo ($300) $2,370
Sirimas Thanalertlap Event #68: Last Chance - Super Hyper Turbo ($200) $2,033
Jakkapong Sreprasom Event #69: 1K NLH ($1,000) $8,294
Adelina Egorova Event #70: Ladies Event ($300) $1,409
RDPT Jeju 2025: Siddharth Karia & Pramana Irvan Deliver Standout Indian Performances Amidst Chinese Dominance
The Red Dragon Poker Tour (RDPT) Jeju 2025 wrapped up a ten-day poker spectacle at South Korea’s scenic Landing Casino, running from May 1 to 10. With 3,281 entries and a total prize pool of KR₩ 5.56 Billion (~$392,000), the festival delivered on its promise of high-stakes action and international competition.
As expected, Chinese players dominated the series, capturing 32 of the 39 trophies up for grabs. Yet, Indian players—though fewer in number compared to their APPT Cambodia counterparts—made their presence felt with a pair of impressive runner-up finishes.
Siddharth Karia led the Indian charge with a strong showing in Event #35: KR₩ 1.50M Red Dragon Closer, finishing runner-up behind WSOP bracelet winner Weiran Pu. Karia’s deep run netted him KR₩ 11.76 Million (~₹7.05 Lakhs), adding to an already promising 2025. The Ahmedabad pro, who has been on an extensive live circuit tour this year with prior scores in Manila and a final table finish at APT Taipei, now has at least eight live cashes in 2025, further reinforcing his rising momentum on the Asian poker scene.
🎉 #RDPTJeju2025: #YoungGun Siddharth Karia 🇮🇳 finishes 2nd in the Red Dragon Closer, pocketing KR₩ 11.76M (~₹7.05L) for his 8th live cash of 2025! @PramanaIrvan 🇮🇳 adds KR₩ 21.47M across 2 scores. No trophies, but India made its mark in Jeju! 🙌🏻
Read the complete report on… pic.twitter.com/nfe6rm8aGj
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 13, 2025
Pramana Iliadi Irvan also posted a commendable series with two cashes, the highlight being his heads-up finish in Event #28: KR₩ 1M 20/20/20 NLH Shot Clock, earning KR₩ 8.32 Million (~₹5.14 Lakhs). With a total haul of KR₩ 21.47 Million (~₹12.86 Lakhs), Irvan emerged as the top Indian earner of the series.
Among the overall standouts, Shengfa Huang claimed the largest payday of the festival, taking home KR₩ 360 Million for winning the prestigious Red Dragon Championship, while Yunchao Yu triumphed in the Prestige Super High Roller, bagging KR₩ 209.454 Million.
Indian Scorecard at RDPT Jeju 2025
Rank Players Events Prize Amount (KRW)
16 Pramana Iliadi Irvan Event#8: Red Dragon Prestige High Roller 1,31,50,000
2 Pramana Iliadi Irvan Event#28: 20/20/20 NLH SHOT CLOCK 83,20,000
2 Siddharth Karia Event#35: Red Dragon Closer 1,17,60,000
RDPT Jeju 2025 Winners
Players Events Prize Amount (KRW)
Chao Hu Event#1: Baby Dragon 9,56,45,000
Zehao Li Event#2: Big Bounty Turbo 23,30,000
Mi Deng Event#3: Hyper Turbo 46,84,000
Mi Deng Event#4: Megastack Classic 96,07,000
Yiming Kuang Event#6: Hyper Turbo Bounty 42,94,000
Tianhao Wan Event#7: Big Bounty 1,48,95,000
Lei Yu Event#8: Red Dragon Prestige High Roller 18,11,40,000
Zehao Li Event#9: No Limit 2-7 Single Draw 36,71,000
Shaohao Lin Event#10: All-In or Fold 65,68,000
Dong Li Event#11: Pot Limit Omaha Hyper Turbo 37,07,000
Shengfa Huang Event#12: Red Dragon Championship 36,00,00,000
Tianyu Chen Event#13: Deep Stack Classic 1,36,98,000
Zhenhuan Li Event#14: Red Dragon Pot Limit Omaha Championship 1,10,03,000
Ning Ding Event#16: Big Bounty Turbo 62,63,000
Zhihua Yang Event#17: Win the Button Hyper Turbo 63,70,000
Haojie Zhu Event#18: Single Day Mystery Bounty 2,37,56,000
Li Li Tang Event#19: Lady Dragon 62,45,000
Xi Xiang Luo Event#20: Short Deck 2,18,40,000
Dong Li Event#21: Super Hold'Em (3Card Poker) 54,50,000
Yuwa Takeuchi Event#22: Flip Out 1,18,30,000
Chi Yan Pang Event#23: Hyper Turbo High Roller 3,25,52,000
Chunnuan Xu Event#24: Survivor Bounty (20% of the field) 1,99,63,000
Xi Xiang Luo Event#25: Big O - Pot Limit Omaha (5 cards) 89,51,000
Martin Daniel Schamaun Event#26: Hyper Turbo 96,25,000
Tom Henricus Verbruggen Event#27: Dragon Egg Mystery Bounty 10,38,60,000
Chuan Luo Event#28: 20/20/20 NLH SHOT CLOCK 1,24,80,000
Tao Li Event#29: Flip Out 57,98,000
Dongzhan He Event#30: Hyper Turbo Bounty 73,77,000
Tingjia Cao Event#31: Red Dragon Mini Main Event 7,68,06,000
Yunchao Yu Event#32: Red Dragon Prestige Super High Roller 20,94,54,000
Shuo Yang Event#33: Super Holdem (3 Card Poker) 82,80,000
Tao Li Event#34: Win the Button Hyper Turbo 89,79,000
Weiran Pu Event#35: Red Dragon Closer 1,87,49,000
Chia Yun Wu Event#36: Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 58,03,000
Hsing Hsiung Tai Event#37: Big Bounty 85,52,000
Qidong He Event#38: Hyper Turbo High Roller 2,30,52,000
Qiao Heng Event#39: SuperStack Classic 89,00,000
Tsz Kin Heung Event#40: Mini High Roller Turbo 1,04,76,000
Rong Zhang Event#42: MonsterStack Super Hyper Turbo 37,76,000
Online Railbird Report: Tarun Goyal Crosses ₹5 Crore Mark in 2025, Extends POY Lead With ₹67.45 Lakh Bounty Mega Score
While Team India was busy crushing it on the live felts across Asia, the online grind back home was no less fiery. Tarun Goyal, the reigning 2024 Player of the Year and online crusher, continued his relentless form, adding another massive score to his already staggering 2025 resume.
Just a week after a deep run in the Sunday Showdown 250, Goyal came back swinging. On Monday, he outlasted a 2,041-entry field in the #BountyHuntersMegaMain525, finishing runner-up for a colossal ₹67.45 Lakhs, including ₹14 Lakhs in bounties. It ranks as his seventh-biggest score on the site and is already his second-highest score of the year.
This latest haul pushes his 2025 earnings to ₹5.41 Crores, making him the first player to cross the ₹5 Crore mark this year. He has now extended his lead on the POY leaderboard by over ₹1.19 Crores, with Anant Purohit in pursuit at ₹4.22 Crores. Five months into the year, the stage is set for yet another epic Goyal vs. Purohit race to be in the top spot.
More Online Action Heroes
It was a very profitable week for many familiar names online. Ishaan Pandya, Rishabh Gupta, Young Gun Sanat Mehrotra, Ankit Bajaj, Young Gun Aayush Arya, Abhimanyu Mittal, Anurag Srivastava, Puneet Dua, Siddhant Singh, Mohit Bothra, Ranvijay Singh, and Mithilesh Choubey all posted big scores across the board.
Notable Online Winners of the Week
Player Prize Amount Event Poker Site
Ankit Nahata ₹15 Lakhs #7 The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Varun Agrawal ₹15 Lakhs #8 The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Sanat Mehrotra ₹15 Lakhs #9 The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Puneet Dua ₹15 Lakhs #11 The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Abhimanyu Mittal ₹15 Lakhs #13 The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
"YouKnowMe!!!!" ₹13.66 Lakhs Bamboo Bounty 30 Natural8 India
Mohit Bothra ₹11.98 Lakhs #12 The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Aayush Arya ₹8.86 Lakhs Big Whale ₹50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Aahil Malik Batala ₹7.50 Lakhs The Summit ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“AiDarwin” ₹7.50 Lakhs The Endeavour ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Anurag Srivastava ₹7.50 Lakhs BSS Superstack ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Anish Arora ₹5 Lakhs The Quest ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Arun Karthik ₹4.63 Lakhs The Pride ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Ankit Bajaj ₹4.53 Lakhs Adda52 Millions ₹25 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Saurabh Rohila ₹4.25 Lakhs The Big Show ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Abhishek Mandal ₹4.16 Lakhs Head Hunter ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“pikapika00" ₹3.91 Lakhs The Ballers ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“checkInTheDark” ₹3.91 Lakhs BSS Super Value ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Gaurav Sood ₹3.54 Lakhs Mystery Bounty ₹25 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Raghav Ananth ₹3.37 Lakhs Godfather ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Mohit Mehta ₹2.35 Lakhs The Endeavour Lite ₹15 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“PokerBro1893725” ₹2.35 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Ashit Sharma ₹2.30 Lakhs The Mint ₹14 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“vabss” ₹2.30 Lakhs PPL Weekly Finale 2 ₹25 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Aniruddha Joshi ₹2.19 Lakhs Summit Lite ₹12 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Jasven Saigal ₹2.10 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Saurabh Rohila ₹1.90 Lakhs Inception ₹10 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Puneeth B N ₹1.88 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Vishal Ojha ₹1.84 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Rishab Malik ₹1.80 Lakhs PPL Thursday Mini Highroller ₹10 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Yash Jain ₹1.79 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Sanat Mehrotra ₹1.69 Lakhs Sunday Big Slick ₹10 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“Enigma21” ₹1.67 Lakhs The Pride Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“harsh1327” ₹1.61 Lakhs Tuesday Takedown ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Sahil Mahboobani ₹1.58 Lakhs PPL Friday Supernova ₹10 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Ambika Chowdhury ₹1.51 Lakhs (6-Max) BSS Sprint ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Jigmee Bhutia ₹1.51 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“noobies” ₹1.49 Lakhs Thursday Thunder ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Mohit Bohra ₹1.46 Lakhs PPL Wednesday SuperStack ₹10 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Sashank Chakravarthy ₹1.46 Lakhs PPL Tuesday Phoenix ₹10 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Rishab Malik ₹1.38 Lakhs The Quest Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Gaurav Sood ₹1.37 Lakhs Wednesday Wonder ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Mohit Mehta ₹1.30 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“ronak1709” ₹83K PPL Monday Monster ₹6 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Pocket52 to Halt Operations in July Amid Industry-Wide Turmoil
Gameskraft has announced a “strategic pause” on its poker platform Pocket52, marking another major shake-up in India’s embattled real-money gaming (RMG) sector. Citing the heavy impact of the 28% GST on deposits and retrospective tax demands totaling ₹21,000 Crores, Pocket52 becomes the latest platform to fold under mounting regulatory pressure. All gameplay on Pocket52 will cease by May 30, with the app remaining accessible until July. Gameskraft has assured that player funds are safe, emphasizing that this is not an exit from poker but a reset aimed at building a “best-in-class” experience for the future.
🚨 #BREAKINGNEWS: @Pocket_52 to halt operations in July! 🚫 #Gameskraft cites a “strategic pause” amid 28% GST heat & ₹21K Cr retrospective tax demands, resulting in another big shift in India’s RMG shake-up. 🧨 Read more 👇🏻https://t.co/rQqUWw0fKl
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 14, 2025
India’s Real-Money Gaming Industry Braces for Supreme Court Verdict on ₹1.12 Lakh Crore GST Dispute
India’s real-money gaming (RMG) industry is facing its most pivotal legal battle yet as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the retrospective GST demands that could decide the sector’s future. Over ₹1.12 Lakh Crores in back taxes have been levied across 70+ platforms, including prominent names like Dream11, GamesKraft, Delta Corp, and Tadka Games 24×7.
At the heart of the matter is a fundamental clash: the government insists that any game involving money qualifies as gambling and is thus subject to a 28% GST on deposits. On the other hand, the industry argues that skill-based games are not gambling and that retroactively taxing deposits is unconstitutional.
Top legal heavyweights such as Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Harish Salve are leading the defense, arguing that the move violates constitutional protections and could cripple a sector projected to generate $5 Billion in annual revenue and supporting over 1 Lakh jobs.
🚨 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
PokerDangal’s Daily Lakhpati Leaderboard Returns With ₹1 Lakh in Daily Prizes
Get ready for a high-octane cash game grind as PokerDangal brings back its popular Daily Lakhpati Leaderboard promotion, running from May 7 to 31. With ₹1 Lakh in prizes awarded every single day, players across all stake levels have a shot at daily rewards. Whether you’re grinding it out at ₹1/₹2 or playing high at ₹100/₹200 and above, there’s a dedicated leaderboard for your action. The promotion features four stake-based leaderboards that reset daily, allowing players to climb the ranks based on the volume of hands played. You can also compete across multiple stake levels to maximize your winnings.
🎉 May Madness on @DangalPoker Is ON! 🎉
Get ready for turbo-charged value all month long because the #DailyLakhpatiLeaderboard promotion is back — and it’s raining ₹1 Lakh every single day from May 7 to 31! Whether you’re building a bankroll at ₹1/₹2 or splashing around at… pic.twitter.com/DaGGD0xfSY
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 13, 2025
CoinPoker’s CSOP Spring Series Launches May 11 With $2.5+ Million GTD Across 86 Events
CoinPoker is bringing the heat with its CSOP (Crypto Series of Online Poker) Spring Edition. It kicked off on May 11 with over $2.5 Million GTD spread across 86 tournaments and an additional 22 high-roller side events. The series is structured across three tiers—Low, Medium, and High—with buy-ins starting at just $1, making it accessible to players of all levels, from casual grinders to high-stakes pros.
The festival includes three Main Events scheduled for May 25 at 11:35 PM IST, and a $25,000 leaderboard will reward consistent performers throughout the series. With 33% rakeback, crypto-based gameplay, and a top-tier welcome offer, CoinPoker’s CSOP Spring is set to deliver exceptional value and fast-paced action all month long.
🎉 @CoinPoker_OFF’s #CSOP Spring kicks off May 11 with $2.50+ Million GTD across 86 events + 22 side showdowns! Buy-ins from just $1, 3 tiers (Low/Med/High), $25K in leaderboard loot, 3 Main Events on May 25, and 33% rakeback in crypto! 🤑
Read the complete report on… pic.twitter.com/AHmcAIpQaq
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 8, 2025
EPT Monte Carlo 2025: Aleksandr Shevliakov Turns €530 Satellite Into €1 Million EPT Main Event Victory Amid Controversy
Russia’s Aleksandr Shevliakov pulled off a dream run at EPT Monte Carlo 2025, turning a modest €530 satellite entry into a staggering €1 Million payday by winning the prestigious €5,300 Main Event. The 37-year-old IT professional from Ljubljana, Slovenia—who describes himself as a “poker hobbyist”—outlasted a 1,195-entry field, capturing his first-ever EPT title in dramatic fashion.
🎉 #EPTMonteCarlo2025: Aleksandr Shevliakov 🇷🇺 turned a €530 satellite into €1M, winning the Main Event! Drama flared in controversial hand & mid-FT rule changes, but the Russian IT pro held his nerve. Apoorva Goel 🇮🇳 finished 41st for ₹16.46 Lakhs! 🏆 Read more 👇🏻
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 12, 2025
Shevliakov’s run wasn’t without controversy. A final table hand involving Jamil Wakil sparked a heated debate online, with allegations of angle-shooting after Shevliakov eliminated Wakil in 6th place. The question: did Shevliakov act out of turn or not? The unclear sequence lit up Poker Twitter, fueling intense discussions. Further controversy followed when new restrictions were imposed mid-final table concerning RFID chip placement and electronic device usage, following fairness concerns raised by players.
Despite the turbulence, Shevliakov held his nerve, navigating past a stacked final table. He outplayed Poland’s Mariusz Golinski, survived an all-in scare from Enrico Coppola, and clinched victory in a high-stakes heads-up battle with Khossein Kokhestani, which saw massive hands and gutsy folds. His win marks the first EPT Main Event victory for a Russian player outside of Russia in 13 years and more than doubles his previous career-best score of $541,206 from EPT Paris 2023.
From India, Apoorva Goel made a solid deep run, finishing 41st in the near-record field for €17,150 (~₹16.46 Lakhs), bringing him within striking distance of the ₹5 Crore live earnings milestone.
Suede Brooks Stuns Jose Canseco to Win Celebrity Poker Tour VI Title at PokerGO Studio
Fashion model and influencer Suede Brooks made a major statement at Celebrity Poker Tour: Game Night VI, outlasting a star-studded lineup to claim the $10,000 top prize. Held at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, the event saw the 24-year-old social media sensation defeat former MLB star Jose Canseco heads-up, sealing the win with a gutsy bluff that made Canseco fold a better full house—one of the most talked-about hands of the night.
🎉 24-year model @SuedeBrooks 🇺🇸 wins @celebpokertour VI at @PokerGOStudio, bluffing @JoseCanseco 🇺🇸 en route to the $10K top prize, shining in a star-studded lineup featuring @MackenzieDern, @talktuahpod, @alexandrabotez, @AdrianPeterson & more. 🏆
Read more:… pic.twitter.com/Lt4s4C1YxD
— PokerGuru (@PkrGuru) May 9, 2025
Global Glance: More Live Tournament Champions Crowned!
Around the globe, more live poker champions were crowned: Chris Nguyen (Won EPT Monte Carlo €100K Super High Roller for $2.03 Million), Matthew Higgins (Won WSOP Circuit Harrah’s Cherokee Event #2: $400 Mini Main Event for $132,204), Aurelio Vallone (Won Malta Poker Festival Spring €550 Grand Event for €94,600), Brad Gafford (Won MSPT Season 16 Sycuan 100 GRAND STACK Series $1,110 Main Event for $87,693), Alexander Goulder (Won Mediterranean Poker Party $1,100 Mystery Bounty for $85,000), and Calogero Morreale (Won GUKPT Luton £1,250 Main Event for £56,720).
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.
This Week in Poker: April 16 – 22
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!
With live poker action hitting top gear alongside the usual online grind, this past week felt like a full-blown poker whirlwind, setting both the live and virtual arenas ablaze. All eyes turned to Goa, where India celebrated its first-ever National Poker Champion, sending ripples of excitement through the community and creating a landmark occasion in Indian poker history.
Internationally, Poker Dream 17 Malaysia penned another successful entry for Asian grinders, while across the globe, the 2025 U.S. Poker Open, known for its elite fields, brought intense competition for high rollers.
Back on home soil, the digital felt buzzed with activity. In an interesting turn, Adda52 grabbed the Sunday spotlight, outperforming regular heavyweights like PokerBaazi and Natural8 India thanks to its newly revamped tournament schedule featuring bigger guarantees. For the remainder of the week, however, PokerBaazi and Natural8 India held their ground with consistent flagship results.
Junglee Poker cranked up the excitement with its ₹50 Crores GTD Battle Ground series finding its ₹50 Lakhs GTD BG Main Event winner on Sunday. Simultaneously, PokerDangal wrapped up its ₹60 Lakhs GTD Dangal Value Series, where the ₹25 Lakhs GTD DVS Main Event didn’t just meet expectations but comfortably surpassed its guarantee.
History Made: Mohit Bohra Crowned India’s Inaugural National Poker Champion!
The biggest headline belongs to Mohit Bohra! Last Thursday in Goa, the player from Gujarat etched his name into Indian poker history, becoming the country’s first-ever National Poker Champion. Outlasting 11 other elite state champions over four days of intense match-play at the Novotel Resort & Spa (streamed live on JioHotstar with PokerGuru updates!), Bohra claimed the monumental ₹1 Crore top prize!
His path was legendary: Bohra played all 191 events at NPS India 2025, cashing 126 times (~₹36.96 Lakhs earned), winning five medals (3 Gold, 2 Silver), and collecting ₹10 Lakhs in leaderboard payouts before sealing the deal in Goa. His victory also triggered a ₹1 Crore “NPC State Freeroll” for Gujarat players (April 26, 7 PM). Sreekanth Narayan put up a commendable fight to finish as the runner-up, while Ankit Wadhawan, who started the finale with the chip advantage, finished third. Bohra’s triumph confirmed his place in history and deservedly makes him our “PokerGuru Star of the Week!”
Poker Dream 17 Malaysia: Sharma, Jolly & Nasa Lead Strong Indian Showing
Shifting gears to the Asian poker circuit, Poker Dream 17 Malaysia wrapped up its 12-day festival at Resorts World Genting on April 21. Though the Indian contingent arrived late to the party, they put together a solid showing, tallying 32 cashes, 10 final table appearances, a title, and another runner-up finish, adding another chapter to India’s successful history on the Poker Dream tour.
Leading the Indian charge once again was Poker Dream legend Nishant Sharma. The three-time Poker Dream Main Event champ cashed three times, his series earnings reaching a blistering ₹81.84 Lakhs, the highest by any Indian at the stop. His biggest hit came in Event #54: MYR 12K Mystery Bounty High Roller, where a third-place finish yielded ₹60.15 Lakhs, including a massive ₹42.92 Lakhs bounty haul (the event’s largest!).
Siddharth Jolly also had a great series, cashing four times for ₹34.96 Lakhs, highlighted by a runner-up finish in Event #8: MYR 2.1K Mystery Big Bounty worth ₹30.11 Lakhs (where he also had the biggest bounty total).
The lone Indian title went to Akshay Nasa. He took down Event #53: MYR 2.7K Monster Stack, claiming ₹20.54 Lakhs. This stands as his biggest live score of 2025 and his second Poker Dream trophy.
Team India Scorecard at Poker Dream 17 Malaysia
Rank Player Name Event Name Prize (MYR)
54 Karan Sitlani Event #2: Malaysia Open 4,800
82 Simones Samsundar Event #2: Malaysia Open 3,400
90 Siddharth Jolly Event #2: Malaysia Open 3,400
189 Jatin Sablani Event #2: Malaysia Open 2,100
3 Jatin Sablani Event #3: Short Deck Ante Only 5,100
15 Abbasali Saleem Hararwala Event #6: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 1,200
19 Birangat Singh Gambhir Event #6: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 1,000
2 Siddharth Jolly Event #8: Mystery Big Bounty 1,53,800
56 Jatin Sablani Event #8: Mystery Big Bounty 1,400
61 Karan Sitlani Event #8: Mystery Big Bounty 1,400
27 Anmol Mehta Event #12: Deepstack 3,900
4 Simones Samsundar Event #20: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 3,200
19 Alok Birewar Event #21: Main Event 37,300
22 Deepak Bothra Event #21: Main Event 31,900
65 Nishant Sharma Event #21: Main Event 11,400
82 Nikesh Chawla Event #21: Main Event 10,000
111 Siddharth Jolly Event #21: Main Event 9,000
114 Jatin Sablani Event #21: Main Event 9,000
4 Karan Sitlani Event #25: Mystery Bounty 57,700
10 Siddharth Jolly Event #25: Mystery Bounty 12,200
38 Nikesh Chawla Event #25: Mystery Bounty 6,800
6 Harsh Dev Jhirmiria Event #26: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 3,600
8 Abbasali Saleem Hararwala Event #37: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 2,000
15 Ankit Jain Event #38: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 1,000
12 Ankit Bhardwaj Event #40: Mystery Bounty - Turbo 1,100
5 Nishant Sharma Event #43: High Roller 99,000
1 Akshay Nasa Event #53: Monster Stack 1,04,800
11 Jatin Sablani Event #53: Monster Stack 8,900
13 Ankit Jain Event #53: Monster Stack 7,900
3 Nishant Sharma Event #54: Mystery Bounty High Roller 3,07,200
6 Abhishek Sharma Event #59: Mini Main Event 17,200
13 Ankit Bhardwaj Event #59: Mini Main Event 5,600
The MYR 5 Million GTD Main Event drew 1,974 entries. Singapore’s Dingxiang Ong navigated this massive field to claim the title and MYR 771,781 after a heads-up deal with China’s Zuyou Wang (MYR 755,555).
Six Indian players cashed in the Main Event, led by Alok Birewar (19th for ₹7.30 Lakhs). He was followed by Deepak Bothra (22nd for ₹6.25 Lakhs), Nishant Sharma (65th for ₹2.23 Lakhs), Nikesh Chawla (82nd for ₹1.96 Lakhs), Siddharth Jolly (111th for ₹1.76 Lakhs), and Jatin Sablani (114th for ₹1.76 Lakhs).
Online Action: Tarun Goyal Extends POY Lead
While live poker grabbed many headlines, the online grind continued intensely, and Tarun Goyal made sure everyone remembered who’s boss! The reigning 2024 Player of the Year stormed back after a brief two-week breather with a Monday night tear. He finished fifth in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters 525 for a staggering ₹22.81 Lakhs – his third-biggest score of 2025. This pushed Goyal’s 2025 winnings to an incredible ₹4.70 Crores, extending his lead over second-placed Anant Purohit (₹3.73 Crores).
Other Online Standouts
It wasn’t just Goyal crushing online. Other notable players putting up big scores during the week included Snehil Aggarwal, Dhinesh Kumar, Aniket Waghmare, Siddhanth Kapoor, Naresh Veeravalli, Pranay Chawla, Kartik Ahuja, Lavesh Meena, and Yash Jaiswal.
Notable Online Winners of the Week
Player Prize Amount Event Poker Site
Rahul Melwani ₹8.93 Lakhs Mini Wednesday Wonderbox 15 Natural8 India
“vabss” ₹8.77 Lakhs BG Main Event ₹50 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Naresh Veeravalli ₹7.81 Lakhs Burstfire ₹1 Crore GTD Adda52
Kunal Kain ₹7.50 Lakhs The Summit ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Nitin Rawat ₹5.13 Lakhs The Endeavour ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Siddhanth Kapoor ₹5.02 Lakhs Sunday Hypersonic 20 Natural8 India
Muhit Ali ₹5 Lakhs The Big Show ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“Shravsmanth” ₹5 Lakhs The Pride ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Dhinesh Kumar ₹4.89 Lakhs Adda52 Millions ₹25 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Lavesh Meena ₹4.72 Lakhs DVS Main Event ₹25 Lakhs GTD Dangal
Bhanuprakash KC ₹4.59 Lakhs BSS Superstack ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Mohak Kapoor ₹4.43 Lakhs Head Hunter ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Sanat Mehrotra ₹4.01 Lakhs The Ballers ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Zarvan Tumboli ₹3.83 Lakhs The Quest ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Manish Gandhi ₹3.78 Lakhs Mystery Bounty ₹25 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Sanat Mehrotra ₹3.76 Lakhs Godfather ₹17.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Habil Jiruwala ₹3.75 Lakhs BSS Super Value ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Pranay Chawla ₹3.27 Lakhs Friday Saver 50 Natural8 India
Pratik Manjrekar ₹3.17 Lakhs WTF ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Adwait Pol ₹2.66 Lakhs The Mint ₹14 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“abhiritz” ₹2.28 Lakhs BG#50 Sunday Special Knockout ₹12 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Prashant Garg ₹2.23 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Jasven Saigal ₹2.20 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“pingu” ₹2.20 Lakhs WTF ₹20 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Vinay Rajpal ₹2.10 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Dhinesh Kumar ₹2.01 Lakhs WTF ₹15 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Inzemaam Husain ₹1.99 Lakhs The Endeavour Lite ₹15 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“amit1258” ₹1.92 Lakhs BG#41 Thursday Mini Highroller ₹8 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Shagun Jain ₹1.91 Lakhs Inception ₹10 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Lakshay Adhikari ₹1.86 Lakhs Friday Mystery Bounty ₹10 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“Yeti” ₹1.83 Lakhs Sunday Big Slick ₹10 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Habil Jiruwala ₹1.79 Lakhs The Big Show Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“Treys” ₹1.76 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Vaibhav Arora ₹1.76 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Goonjan Mall ₹1.73 Lakhs (6-Max) BSS Sprint ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Arpan Majhi ₹1.61 Lakhs Summit Lite ₹12 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“Utkarsh420” ₹1.61 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Anshul Rajput ₹1.59 Lakhs Daily Special 125 Natural8 India
Harsimranjeet Singh ₹1.58 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Nikhil Aneja ₹1.57 Lakhs The Pride Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Amit Kumar Jha ₹1.56 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Arjanveer Singh Chadha ₹1.50 Lakhs Wednesday Wonder ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Amit J ₹1.49 Lakhs BG#38 Wednesday Superstack ₹6 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Laksh Pal Singh ₹1.47 Lakhs Tuesday Takedown ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Pratik Doshi ₹1.30 Lakhs The Quest Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Abhinav Bhanot ₹1.28 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Manish Jangid ₹1.19 Lakhs PPL Tuesday Phoenix ₹6 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
“zrock” ₹1.16 Lakhs BG#44 Friday Supernova ₹6 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
“akgogo” ₹70K PPL Monday Monster ₹3.50 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Anshul Rajput ₹66K Daily Turbo 80 Natural8 India
What’s Coming Up: The MoneyMaker Returns, WPT Hits Bangkok!
Building on the excitement of the National Poker Champion finale, PokerBaazi is preparing for a massive May with the return of its iconic tournament, The MoneyMaker. Scheduled daily from May 1 to 31 at 7:30 PM, this legendary event boasts a ₹1 Crore guarantee every single night for a ₹10,000 buy-in. Each winner will also receive The MoneyMaker championship bracelet. Following the roaring success of April 2024’s The MoneyMaker Mania, this is only the second time the tournament will run daily for a whole month, presenting 31 opportunities for glory and ₹31 Crores in guaranteed prizes.
In major regional news, the World Poker Tour (WPT) announced its debut in Bangkok with WPT Prime Thailand. With backing from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism & Sports, the move highlights the country’s ambition to become a centre for mind sports – and potentially casino tourism, as plans for entertainment zones are being developed. Supported by the government and plans to host 3-4 WPT events annually, Thailand is setting its sights on a billion-baht poker industry expansion. Players can utilise WPT Global India Passport Dollars for all related expenses, with specific event details anticipated shortly.
Industry Buzz: Barbero Out at ACR, Massive BBJ Hits!
ACR Poker officially parted ways with ambassador Nacho Barbero after a string of controversial incidents. The final straw appeared to be Barbero’s remarks during the 2025 U.S. Poker Open live stream, where he was heard seemingly mocking ACR’s anti-cheating measures. CEO Phil Nagy cited a “fundamental misalignment” with the brand`s core values. This followed an earlier incident in which Barbero was caught with GTO Wizard open while playing.
At ACR Poker we take our game integrity and our responsibility to ensure a fair and competitive environment for all players seriously.
We expect the same from the ambassadors who represent our brand. That expectation has been tested a lot this year and in light of recent comments…— ACR Poker (@ACR_POKER) April 17, 2025
Déjà vu struck in Quebec on April 16! Casino du Lac-Leamy‘s OK Poker Lounge triggered the second-largest Bad Beat Jackpot ever—CAD 2.51 Million ($1.81 Million)! A $1/$3 NLH game saw quad tens lose to a straight flush, awarding the ‘losing’ player CAD 1+ million and spreading payouts across 46 players.
Shorr Shines Captures U.S. Poker Open Series Championship in Dramatic Finale!
On the international circuit, the 2025 U.S. Poker Open finished dramatically at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. Shannon Shorr distinguished himself at the series and claimed the overall championship in a down-to-the-wire finish. Shorr won two titles: first, Event #5: $10,100 NLHE ($220,400), and then the series finale, Event #8: $25,200 NLHE. In the final event, he defeated Nacho Barbero heads-up to collect $529,250, claiming his sixth career PGT title (an incredible fourth this year), the Golden Eagle trophy and the $25,000 PGT Passport!
The final heads-up match was more than just a contest for prize money; it decided the overall series championship. Shorr required the victory to overtake Matthew Wantman’s 512 points, and he did exactly that, finishing with 538 points and $749,650 in series earnings. Wantman finished second overall, while Barbero’s late surge placed him third with 402 points.
Around the World: Other Live Title Winners
Other notable live title winners of the week included Boris Kolev (Won Merit Poker Classic Millions $10,400 Merit Millions Event for $1 Million), Simon Wilson (Irish Poker Open Main Event for €600,000), Steve Buell (Won WSOPC Grand Victoria Main Event for $175,684), Robbie Toan (Won Irish Open €10K Super High Roller for €163,800), Bee Yang Scores (Won MSPT Minnesota Poker State Championship for $140,288), Deddi Orpaz Captures (Won SiGMA Brazil Poker Main Event for $58,700), and Beomhui Kang (Won PokerStars Okada Millions Main Event for ₱1,305,000).
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.
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
Player Prize Amount Event Poker Site
Aniket Waghmare ₹20.22 Lakhs Friday Night Fight 150 Natural8 India
Ansh Raj ₹11.19 Lakhs NPS#1 Kickoff ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Ashish Munot ₹9.56 Lakhs NPS#19 Micro HighRoller ₹80 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Vikhyat Ahlawat ₹9.55 Lakhs NPS#12 Monday Marathon ₹75 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Prince Singh ₹9.43 Lakhs NPS#5 Inaugural ₹1 Crore GTD PokerBaazi
Nishaanth Shanmughasundaram ₹7.09 Lakhs NPS#11 Knockout (PKO) ₹40 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Kovid Saraswat ₹6.56 Lakhs The Summit ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Nikhil Aneja ₹5.86 Lakhs NPS#4 (PLO-5) Knockout (PKO) ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Vishal Bajaj ₹5.68 Lakhs NPS#18 Marathon ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Zarvan Tumboli ₹5.68 Lakhs NPS#6 Marathon ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Rupam Thakur ₹4.91 Lakhs NPS#2 SlamDunk ₹50 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Gaurav Sood ₹4.89 Lakhs Adda52 Millions ₹25 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Jogesh Chimnani ₹4.52 Lakhs NPS#21 (7-Max) SPRINT ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“Yasir1986” ₹4.37 Lakhs The Pride ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Snehil Aggarwal ₹4.32 Lakhs NPS#14 (PLO-6) Megadive ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“strpkr95” ₹4.20 Lakhs Sunday Head Hunter ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Ram Kakkar ₹4.18 Lakhs MMA Main Event ₹25 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Neeraj Sattawat ₹4.09 Lakhs The Quest ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Rajneesh Thakur ₹3.89 Lakhs NPS#13 Deepdive ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“Maharaj3” ₹3.78 Lakhs WTF ₹20 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Kughahuto Aye ₹3.78 Lakhs NPS#20 (PLO-5) ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Abhijeet Kumar ₹3.65 Lakhs NPS#8 (4-Max) Hyper SPRINT ₹37 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Vinay Rajpal ₹3.57 Lakhs NPS#7 (7-Max) SPRINT ₹40 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Saransh Garg ₹3.54 Lakhs The Ballers ₹17.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Varunn Gaala ₹3.45 Lakhs NPS#17 DeepDive ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Anmol Narang ₹3.42 Lakhs Sunday Special Knockout ₹20 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Arush Pratap ₹3.39 Lakhs NPS#15 SlamDunk ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Inzemaam Husain ₹3.32 Lakhs Godfather ₹20 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Neil Kanwar ₹3.10 Lakhs NPS#9 Marathon ₹30 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Ankit Agarwal ₹3.04 Lakhs WTF ₹20 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Himanshu Dadhich ₹3.03 Lakhs NPS#3 (5-Max) Hyper ₹25 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“imedh19” ₹2.41 Lakhs WTF ₹15 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Shailesh Patel ₹2.41 Lakhs Bounty Hunters Special 15 Natural8 India
Habil Jiruwala ₹2.32 Lakhs Maverick ₹12.50 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Anurag Srivastava ₹2.27 Lakhs NPS#16 MegaDive ₹20 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“Ksc7” ₹2.18 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“angel89” ₹2.01 Lakhs Big PLO-5 ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Rishab Malik ₹1.96 Lakhs Thursday Mini HighRoller ₹8 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Ayush Goyal ₹1.89 Lakhs NPS#10 MegaDive ₹15 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Deepak Verma ₹1.83 Lakhs MMA HighRoller ₹10 Lakhs GTD Adda52
Tanay Kauntia ₹1.77 Lakhs Pocket Rockets ₹8 Lakhs GTD Pocket52
“siva9889” ₹1.60 Lakhs Friday Supernova ₹8 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Advait Rajguru ₹1.60 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Tejas Anantha ₹1.57 Lakhs The Pride Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Sashank Chakravarthy ₹1.51 Lakhs Wednesday SuperStack ₹7 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Rajneesh Thakur ₹1.50 Lakhs Summit Lite ₹12 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“JC1870” ₹1.50 Lakhs Iron Man ₹8 Lakhs GTD Adda52
“Daddu26” ₹1.40 Lakhs The Quest Lite ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
“D2gamepoker” ₹1.40 Lakhs Daily Last Chance ₹10 Lakhs GTD PokerBaazi
Philip Jude ₹1.22 Lakhs Tuesday Phoenix ₹7.50 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
Aniruddha Joshi ₹1.13 Lakhs MMA ₹5 Lakhs GTD Mega PKO (8-Max) Adda52
“king6643” ₹95K Monday Monster ₹4.50 Lakhs GTD Junglee Poker
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
Rank Player Name Event Name Prize (USD)
11 Ankit Dohare Event #1: NagaWorld SuperStack $1,383
15 Aditya Sushant Event #1: NagaWorld SuperStack $1,163
4 Nishant Kumar Event #2: Superstack Turbo 20 sec $1,050
6 Kabir Tandon Event #2: Superstack Turbo 20 sec $637
10 Ankit Wadhawan Event #2: Superstack Turbo 20 sec $382
12 Dhaval Mudgal Event #3: Championship Warm Up $4,444
23 Ankit Ahuja Event #3: Championship Warm Up $2,101
30 Dhiraj Agarwal Event #3: Championship Warm Up $1,538
39 Asish Ghosh Event #3: Championship Warm Up $1,328
43 Nishant Kumar Event #3: Championship Warm Up $1,328
53 Aditya Sushant Event #3: Championship Warm Up $1,123
1 Arjun Pulak Agrawal Event #4: Single Day Megastack Mini HR $33,524
2 Amit Kaushik Event #6: Deepstack Turbo 20 sec $3,405
2 Chakshu Deep Raina Event #8: Hyper Turbo 15 sec $2,061
6 Dhaval Mudgal Event #8: Hyper Turbo 15 sec $538
2 Amit Kaushik Event #9: Mystery Bounty $30,760
28 Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva Event #9: Mystery Bounty $1,293
32 Harsh Bubna Event #9: Mystery Bounty $1,293
58 Sumit Sapra Event #9: Mystery Bounty $800
4 Arjun Pulak Agrawal Event #12: Single Day HR $15,646
5 Abhishek Paul Event #13: Deepstack $600 Survivor Bounty $1,970
2 Rohit Begwani Event #14: Freezeout $3,121
4 Amit Kaushik Event #16: 1k Hyper Turbo 20 sec $3,768
4 Abhishek Paul Event #17: 8 Max Survivor 2K Bounty to ITM $13,910
14 Dhaval Mudgal Event #17: 8 Max Survivor 2K Bounty to ITM $3,000
18 Ankit Wadhawan Event #17: 8 Max Survivor 2K Bounty to ITM $2,100
40 Amit Kaushik Event #17: 8 Max Survivor 2K Bounty to ITM $1,200
48 Vishal Ojha Event #17: 8 Max Survivor 2K Bounty to ITM $1,200
4 Sumit Sapra Event #18: DeepStack Hyper Turbo to ITM 15 sec $1,687
8 Chakshu Deep Raina Event #18: DeepStack Hyper Turbo to ITM 15 sec $842
5 Asish Ghosh Event #19: SHR Warmup $26,852
7 Arjun Pulak Agrawal Event #19: SHR Warmup $16,198
17 Rohit Begwani Event #21: $300 Superstack Freezeout $647
18 Vishal Ojha Event #21: $300 Superstack Freezeout $647
4 Shivam Shukla Event #23: $400 Megastack Action Clock 30 sec $3,253
17 Nikesh Chawla Event #23: $400 Megastack Action Clock 30 sec $911
19 Maulik Shukla Event #23: $400 Megastack Action Clock 30 sec $780
13 Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva Event #24: $3,000 Mystery Bounty HR $5,500
20 Apoorva Goel Event #24: $3,000 Mystery Bounty HR $3,750
2 Sumit Sapra Event #26: $500 Superstack Turbo Freezeout 20 sec $8,225
12 Karan Sitlani Event #26: $500 Superstack Turbo Freezeout 20 sec $1,048
34 Rajesh Goyal Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $5,700
38 Amit Kaushik Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $5,700
39 Arun Sriram Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $5,700
50 Abhishek Paul Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $4,200
70 Rahul Melwani Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $3,200
88 Ankit Jain Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,600
92 Vishal Ojha Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,400
112 Sumit Sapra Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,200
119 Abhijith Cheruku Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,200
120 Ankit Wadhawan Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,200
121 Harsh Bubna Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,100
138 Anil Adiani Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
139 Abhinav Iyer Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
143 Pradeep Nudurumati Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
150 Apoorva Goel Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
152 Asish Ghosh Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
171 Sreekanth Narayanan Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
173 Sanampuri Somasekhar Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $2,000
8 Chakshu Deep Raina Event #31: $400 5 Card PLO $1,014
3 Arjun Pulak Agrawal Event #32: $800 Hyper Turbo 15 sec $4,302
4 Amit Kaushik Event #32: $800 Hyper Turbo 15 sec $3,073
9 Arjun Pulak Agrawal Event #34: $3,000 Deepstack Turbo HR $4,894
20 Rajasekhar Puttamsetty Event #38: $500 Deepstack Freezeout $1,084
3 Rohit Begwani Event #40: $400 PLO $4,302
13 Amit Kaushik Event #40: $400 PLO $911
4 Abhishek Paul Event #41: $1,100 Big Bounty Hyper Turbo 15 sec $4,029
1 Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva Event #42: Megastack $29,978
4 Harsh Bubna Event #42: Megastack $19,258
66 Nishant Kumar Event #42: Megastack $6,750
14 Vishal Ojha Event #42: Megastack $2,639
19 Digvijay Lamba Event #42: Megastack $1,804
29 Arun Sriram Event #42: Megastack $1,081
1 Nikesh Chawla Event #43: Turbo High Roller $58,080
2 Asish Ghosh Event #43: Turbo High Roller $57,171
5 Karan Sitlani Event #45: Deepstack Freezeout $2,043
8 Sumit Sapra Event #45: Deepstack Freezeout $1,205
12 Ankit Jain Event #45: Deepstack Freezeout $960
2 Priyank Gupta Event #46: PLO Big Bounty $1,810
5 Shivam Shukla Event #49: PLO Hyper Turbo 20 sec $994
29 Akhilendra Singh Event #50: Mini Championship $2,742
31 Sreekanth Narayanan Event #50: Mini Championship $2,742
51 Akshay Jain Event #50: Mini Championship $1,900
58 Arun Sriram Event #50: Mini Championship $1,900
2 Vinay B Event #52: Hyper Turbo 15 sec $2,430
2 Somasekhar Sanampuri Event #54: Bounty $12,118
14 Vishal Ojha Event #54: Bounty $1,407
17 Vinay B Event #54: Bounty $1,188
3 Ankit Ahuja Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $189,000
7 Aditya Agarwal Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $63,000
13 Apoorva Goel Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $28,500
24 Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $17,300
47 Amit Kaushik Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $12,200
53 Sumit Sapra Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $10,200
68 Kunal Patni Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $7,400
72 Karan Sitlani Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $7,400
91 Deepankur Gupta Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $6,400
6 Kunal Patni Event #58: Superstack Classic $5,079
8 Akash Malik Event #58: Superstack Classic $3,515
14 Deepankur Gupta Event #58: Superstack Classic $2,247
21 Vishal Ojha Event #58: Superstack Classic $1,500
WPT Championship Cambodia 2025 Winners
Player Name Event Name Prize (USD)
Johan Lees Event #1: NagaWorld SuperStack $16,281
Zeyu Sun Event #2: Superstack Turbo 20 sec $4,328
Martin Sedlak Event #3: Championship Warm Up $45,578
Arjun Pulak Agrawl Event #4: Single Day Megastack Mini HR $33,524
Chaveewanitkun Kornkit Event #5: Freezeout $2,648
Jack Richard Maris Event #6: Deepstack Turbo 20 sec $5,674
Wee Lim Yew Event #7: PLO $6,882
Tom Maguire Event #8: Hyper Turbo 15 sec $3,496
Erik Rozhynskyi Event #9: Mystery Bounty $42,843
Takahiro Seki Event #10: Short Deck $2,056
Anzhela Vasylenko Event #11: Ladies Cheap Shot $350
Simas Karaliunas Event #12: Single Day HR $50,660
Xiaosheng Zheng Event #13: Deepstack $600 Survivor Bounty $6,857
Justine Rouviere Event #14: Freezeout $5,443
Aleksandr Varakin Event #15: PLO Turbo 30 sec $5,228
Simas Karaliunas Event #16: 1k Hyper Turbo 20 sec $14,698
Hongru Zhang Event #17: 8 Max Survivor 2K Bounty to ITM $46,188
Chun Ping Lo Event #18: DeepStack Hyper Turbo to ITM 15 sec $5,000
Valeriano Toledano Event #19: SHR Warmup $114,767
Takaaki Arai Event #20: Deepstack 20/15/10 20 sec $8,133
Tom Maguire Event #21: $300 Superstack Freezeout $9,917
Amin Riyazati Event #22: $2,000 Hyper Turbo Mini HR 20 sec $17,508
Jerome Khao Event #23: $400 Megastack Action Clock 30 sec $12,500
Erik Rozhynskyi Event #24: $3,000 Mystery Bounty HR $76,000
Tanja Vujanic Event #25: $250 Ladies Championship $2,976
Lewis Michael Cowell Event #26: $500 Superstack Turbo Freezeout 20 sec $8,000
Chun Ping Lo Event #27: $1,000 Hyper Turbo Big Bounty 20 sec $6,739
Alexander Puchalski Event #28: $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia $233,680
Samuel Deering Event #29: $250 Freezeout $4,107
Daniel Neilson Event #30: $10,000 Single Day Challenge $127,255
Nino Pansier Event #31: $400 5 Card PLO $9,347
Francisco Mir Sanchez Event #32: $800 Hyper Turbo 15 sec $11,985
Calvin Tan Event #33: $300 Seniors Championship $3,355
Dominik Nitsche Event #34: $3,000 Deepstack Turbo HR $48,942
Filippos Amelios Event #35: $400 Short Deck Turbo 20 sec $5,728
Junghyun An Event #36: $400 Super Holdem Turbo Freezeout $6,129
Xiaosheng Zheng Event #37: $1,500 Hyper Turbo Mini HR 20 sec $34,464
Ilan Hannich Event #38: $500 Deepstack Freezeout $18,826
Tino Kratz Event #40: $400 PLO $11,628
Valeriy Fokin Event #41: $1,100 Big Bounty Hyper Turbo 15 sec $14,027
Roman Hrabec Event #39: 20,000 SHR $277,779
Somashekar Kurkhepally Mahadeva Event #42: Megastack $29,978
Nikesh Chawla Event #43: Turbo High Roller $58,080
Artem Vezhenkov Event #44: WPT Cambodia Championship $390,650
Ahmed Abdellatif Event #45: Deepstack Freezeout $10,650
Vasily Kwong Event #46: PLO Big Bounty $1,810
Kornkrit Chaveewanitkun Event #47: Monster Bounty ($400) - Reg Pool TOP 3 only $993
Hugues Girard Event #48: Superstack Turbo 20 sec $22,745
Amin Riyazati Event #49: PLO Hyper Turbo 20 sec $5,154
Fabian Rolli Event #50: Mini Championship $79,000
Antonius Krijin Event #51: PLO $14,211
Vilho Laukkarinen Event #52: Hyper Turbo 15 sec $3,583
Jinlong Hu Event #53: Hyper Turbo Mini HR Bounty 20 sec $16,864
Kimlong Lam Event #54: Bounty $18,685
Thomas Boivin Event #55: 5,000 HR $196,315
Yuan Yu Event #56: Superstack Turbo Freezeout 20 sec $9,935
Adrian Boon Chye Chua Event #57: 5-card PLO Deepstack Hyper Turbo 20 sec $1,308
Suguru Sawada Event #58: Superstack Classic $30,634
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.
2024 WPT Cambodia Passport to the World Championship: China’s Sha Chengchun Conquers $500K GTD WPT Championship ($175,542); Nalin Rastogi Adds to India`s Trophy Count
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is wrapping up another exciting series at the legendary NagaWorld Integrated Resorts in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and it’s been one for the books. This year’s “WPT Cambodia—Passport to the World Championship” series has been packed with incredible global talent and high-stakes action, offering players a chance to win a coveted package to the season-ending WPT Championship in Las Vegas and seats to the Prime Championship.
The highlight of the series was the $500K GTD WPT Championship, which concluded on Monday with China’s Sha Chengchun (cover image) taking home the title. Facing a massive field of 913 players over three gruelling days of poker, Chengchun secured his first-ever WPT title and a career-high payout of $175,542. That’s not all – he also secured a package to the WPT World Championship worth $12,230.
The climax of the event was a masterclass in poker drama. The last three players went head-to-head for almost two and a half hours, and things really heated up when Sha turned his pocket jacks into a set, cracking the pocket aces of the then-chip leader, Xiaosheng Zheng, and eliminating Zhang Cheng in one fell swoop. This gave Sha an overwhelming 95% of the chips, and he quickly rode that wave to victory.
Xiaosheng Zheng and Zhang Cheng didn’t go home empty-handed, though. Zheng took home $117,030 for his second-place finish, while Zhang Cheng earned $86,360 for coming in third. Both players also received seats to the WPT World Prime Championship worth $1,100 each, which is no small consolation prize.
After his big win, Sha was all smiles, saying, “I feel so good. It’s a pity there was no live stream for my friends and family to watch. I was very lucky. I also didn’t think I could keep up with the players because they were much younger with plenty of energy. I was getting very tired and sleepy. I feel good I won.” It’s safe to say that this victory was a dream come true for him.
And here’s the kicker: before this event, Sha’s total poker earnings were only a modest $21,828. This win has skyrocketed his career winnings to an impressive $197,370.
The Indian poker contingent, fresh off their record-breaking performance at the 2024 WSOP, has been making its presence felt at the WPT Cambodia, proving its dominance on the Asian poker scene. With an impressive 81 cashes so far, including 32 final table appearances, four titles, and five runner-up finishes, Team India is definitely a force to be reckoned with.
In the WPT Cambodia Championship event, 15 Indian players made it past the money line. While 13 were eliminated during the intense battles of Day 2, it was a testament to the depth and talent of the Indian poker community. Notable exits included Nikesh Chawla (19th for $7,600; ~₹6.36 Lakhs), Amit Kaushik (28th for $5,380; ~₹4.50 Lakhs), Dhaval Mudgal (34th for $4,620; ~₹3.87 Lakhs), Pradeep Nudurumati (39th for $4,620; ~₹3.87 Lakhs), Young Gun Siddharth Karia (43rd for $4,010; ~₹3.36 Lakhs), Akshat Verma (44th for $4,010; ~₹3.36 Lakhs), Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva (59th for $3,140; ~₹2.63 Lakhs), Somasekhar Sanampuri (76th for $2,590; ~₹2.17 Lakhs), Raju Jaruplavath (82nd for $2,410; ~₹2.02 Lakhs), Jatin Sablani (94th for $2,230; ~₹1.87 Lakhs), Sumit Sapra (103rd for $2,130; ~₹1.78 Lakhs), Faiz Alam (106th for $2,130; ~₹1.78 Lakhs), and Raj Vardhan Bagaria (113th for $2,130; ~₹1.78 Lakhs).
Day 3 saw two Indian players still in the running among the 17 finalists: Gagandeep Singh Malik, who finished runner-up in Event #7: $350 Bounty, came in as the third-largest stack with 3.785 Million chips (76 BBs), and Vishal Ojha, who started as the shortest with 415,000 chips (8 BBs).
Malik led the charge for India, securing a 12th-place finish for $13,960 (~₹11.68 Lakhs). This impressive run marked his fourth cash of the series, pushing his total earnings to over $26,000 (~₹22.32 Lakhs). However, his dream run all but ended in a dramatic showdown. Holding , Malik went all-in, only to be outmatched by eventual champion Sha Chengchun’s . A disappointing board left him with a scant 3 BBs. He was eliminated shortly after when his fell to Ho Tuan’s on a board of .
Vishal Ojha, the 2023 USOP Main Event champion and nominee for the 2023 People’s Poker Championship, had an uphill battle with his short stack. Despite doubling up once, couldn’t hold on and was eliminated in 16th place, earning $9,200 (~₹7.70 Lakhs). His final hand saw his also fall to pocket Queens of Ho Tuan. This marked Ojha’s fourth cash of the series, bringing his total earnings to $21,039 (~₹17.60 Lakhs).
But India’s success at the WPT Cambodia didn’t end there. Just before the start of Day 2 of the WPT Championship, Nalin Rastogi joined the ranks of recent Indian champions like Karan Sitlani, Somashekar Kurkhepally Nahadeva, and Peter Hubert Fanthome by emerging victorious in Event #30: $300 20/15/10 15 Sec, securing his first live title and a career-best payout of $3,696 (~₹3.09 Lakhs) after a six-way deal. The deal also benefited other players, including France`s Eric Alexandre Ceret (2nd for $3,575), Korea`s Jongkook Kim (3rd for $4,238), China`s Neng Zhao (4th for $2,965) and Jinlong Hu (6th for $3,245), and India`s own Rising Star Pratibh Saluja (5th for $2,935).
The WPT Championship event, with its enticing $1,300 buy-in, generated a massive prize pool of $1,040,592—more than double the advertised $500K. A total of 115 lucky players made it past the money line, each of them guaranteed at least $2,130.
Day 2 started with 136 players, and it was a wild ride. Several players were eliminated without any winnings. The competition was fierce, and only the best survived to see another day.
Day 3 started with 17 players and saw some dramatic exits, with Van Dan Nguyen (11th for $13,960), Xin Yuan (13th for $11,260), Junpeng Pan (14th for $11,260), Zhihao Chen (15th for $9,200), and Travis Endersby (17th for $7,600) all putting up a good fight but ultimately falling short of the final table.
The tension reached its peak when Joshua Tan was knocked out in 10th place, taking home $17,510 for his efforts and setting up the nine-handed final table.
Final Table Chip Counts
- Xiaosheng Zheng – 9,485,000
- Pham Bao – 6,165,000
- Sha Chengchun – 5,410,000
- Zhang Cheng – 5,005,000
- Adrien Berger – 3,075,000
- Yamamoto Kazuo – 2,385,000
- Trung Ha Nguyen – 2,150,000
- Ho Tuan – 1,690,000
- Thi Bao Nguyen – 1,160,000
Final Table Recap
The final table kicked off with the swift elimination of Vietnam’s Trung Ha Nguyen in ninth place. Crippled to just three big blinds, Nguyen made a bold move, raising to 500K with only 25K behind. China’s Sha Chengchun called from the big blind, and the showdown was on. The flop came down , and Nguyen shoved his remaining chips with . Sha, holding , made a calm check call. The turn and river sealed Nguyen’s fate, sending him to the rail.
The action didn’t slow down as Vietnam’s Thi Bao An Nguyen was the next to fall in eighth place. In a heart-stopping flip, Nguyen moved all-in with , and China’s Xiaosheng Zheng called with . The board rolled out , giving Zheng a pair of threes and eliminating Nguyen.
Japan’s Yamamoto Kazuo was next to go in seventh place when his couldn’t hold up against Zhang Cheng’s mighty on a board of .
Thirty minutes later, Vietnam’s Pham Bao was eliminated in sixth place. With just one big blind left, Bao moved all in from the hijack with . Sha Chengchun, holding , made the call. The board ran out , giving Bao a pair of tens but not enough to beat Chengchun’s overpair.
The tension reached its peak in level 31 when France’s Adrien Berger was knocked out in fifth place. In a blind vs. blind battle, Berger shoved from the small blind with . China’s Zhang Cheng called from the big blind with . The board ran out , sealing Berger’s fate.
Vietnam’s Ho Tuan was the next to fall in fourth place. Tuan four-bet shoved with , and Zhang Cheng, holding , made the call. The board came down , giving Cheng a pair of queens and sending Tuan to the rail.
With three players remaining, the action intensified even further. After two and a half hours of intense play, the defining moment came when Zhang Cheng open-shoved from the button with . Sha Chengchun re-shoved from the small blind with , and Xiaosheng Zheng, the chip leader, called from the big blind with the formidable . The board dramatically ran out , giving Chengchun a set of jacks and crippling Zheng to just four big blinds, while Cheng crashed out in third place.
The stage was then set for the heads-up clash, with Sha Chengchun holding a staggering 87 big blinds against Xiaosheng Zheng’s slim stack of 4 big blinds. Despite the odds, Zheng showcased his resilience by doubling up twice, keeping the suspense alive. However, the final showdown was imminent.
In the final hand, Chengchun moved all-in with , and Zheng called with , putting his tournament life at risk. The board came down [s11, giving Chengchun a full house and crowning him the WPT Cambodia champion.
Final Table Results (USD)
- Sha Chengchun – $175,542*
- Xiaosheng Zheng – $117,030*
- Zhang Cheng – $86,360*
- Ho Tuan – $64,410
- Adrien Berger – $48,560
- Pham Bao – $37,010
- Kazuo Yamamoto – $28,520
- Thi Bao An Nguyen – $22,220
- Trung Ha Nguyen – $17,510
*includes a seat to the WPT World Prime Championship worth $1,100
Content & Images Courtesy: World Poker Tour and SoMuchPoker
