Monisha Jain

News Tagged

Recent Articles

PokerGuru Top Five – Ladies of Indian Poker

Pioneering History with the Indian Women Brigade!

We, at PokerGuru have always strived to bring our readers all the exciting news and updates, as they occur in real time, besides providing information about important aspects and milestones in Poker Land. Recently, we have added to our many regular features and today, we compile a new list – the first of its kind. The PokerGuru Top Five – Indian Ladies of Poker! This is our tribute to the female poker players of India, who have become inspirational models, for many other women, to enter the game.

Little is known about the fairer sex in Poker Land, if anything. Any one traipsing through the virtual world of poker can be excused for thinking that it is a planet, solely inhabited by men. However, as with most other domains, women players are slowly and surely redefining the poker landscape. In many cases, they are even zooming past their male-counterparts, as evidenced by the recent GPI ranking. Team PokerStars poker pro Vanessa Selbst, one of the prominent women players in poker world created a new record, overtaking Schemion, for the No.#1 Spot in the GPI Rankings, after a record four weeks in second place. The other PokerStars lady pro is Liv Boree. Closer home in the Team Asia, we have commendable lady poker players, Celina Lin and Vivian Im.

The Indian Poker scene has been witnessing a boom, with many gentlemen challengers creating an impact on the international playgrounds. Besides these, a growing number of ladies are quietly and determinedly surging ahead in the game.

We decided to give our readers a glimpse into these lovely lady poker pioneers of India and start with 5 of them, featured here and hope to cover many more…

This list in no way covers all the commendable lady players in India, but is a random selection. Unfortunately, we are unable to cover certain eminent women poker players, as they were not comfortable about their details going public.

Starring in alphabetical order, we give you their poker stories –

 

Monisha Jain aka “riverdiva77” (PokerStars ID)

Monisha Jain
Monisha Jain

Monisha admits her ignorance to the existence of poker until 2010, when she saw a friend playing poker on Facebook and tried it. After learning all the hand rankings, Monisha finally got to play for real, when she was invited to the old Casino Royale and played her 1st game. Nervous, yet excited, she walked away with a profit, crediting it to beginner’s luck.

After a regular run at poker between 2011 and 2012, Monisha quit cash games and shifted to Blackjack, except for poker tournaments with buy-ins up to 10k. However, after most tournament organizers phased out buy-ins of 10k and lower, Monica states that she has not played much this year and sees herself mostly as a recreational player in the future.

 

Favorite Poker Place

As a recreational player – everywhere. I have played at all the 3 Goa casinos; Deltin Royale, Casino Pride and Casino Carnival, besides playing online at PokerStars.

 

Self-Proclaimed greatest Poker Achievement

Monica admits to making profit, especially in her recent plays.

 

Live or Online Poker?

Live anyday! As it is more exciting.

 

Hobbies or interests, besides Poker?

Besides poker, I enjoy regular activities, such as Movies, Crafting, Swimming and playing Blackjack.

 

Dream Poker Players?

I began seriously earning money only, after training in Adi’s “Intervention” Coaching Program and now am making profits. I enjoy watching videos of major poker tournaments, but do not have any particular favorite.

 

Comments on WSOP and the current Indian Contingent?

It is unlikely, I will be able to attend WSOP this year. Without doubt my bets are on Adi bringing home the Gold, though most Indian players present at WSOP this year are wonderful and am hoping for more cash outs from them. I am rooting for Adi to make it to the FT of the ME this time.

 

Does the current all-men poker scene intimidate you?

Personally, I have never felt intimidated, though it is amusing to see the reaction of some odd players at seeing a woman at the table. Such incidents do scare off some women, who walk away and I hope this changes, to promote poker among women and couples. Profession poker pros are the best behaved, not surprisingly.

 

Names of friends or those you admire in Poker?

Some people I like – Jasveen, Adi, Abhishek Goindi, and Sameer Rattonsey. For the way they play their poker, and their amazing and consistent results. Marga, Husein, Mohit and Sheetal are some of the people I’m friendly with on the poker circuit.

 

Muskan Sethi aka “musku” (PokerStars Id)

Muskan Sethi
Muskan Sethi

Muskan remembers with shock, how her intelligent doctor/businessman father, who never played poker or even touched cards, would keenly watch poker tournaments and have great respect for the players. She began playing at the young age of 12 years, when her father got her to watch the games with him. Muskan recalls that earlier too, she enjoyed speculative card games with the family, especially during times, such as Diwali. Observing elders play, formed an impression on her young mind, which greatly helped in later years.

Today, this social worker and aspiring entrepreneur began poker again, past four years. She delights in the fact that her family supports her completely and encourages her interest.

Muskan plays with close friends, at an exclusive table in Delhi. She prefers tournaments over cash games, as they provide a player a chance to improve with discipline and patience. She considers cash games to be fun, but not serious, more like playgrounds.

 

Favorite Poker Place

AMAZON ROOM at RIO All suite Hotel and casino is hands down. My favorite poker room to be playing and running deep in! The Holland Casino poker room at Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful places I have seen and one of my favorite places to play. I just loved the cash games at BELLAGIO Poker Room, I finished 4th place in a small tournament at CAESER’S PALACE.

 

Self-Proclaimed greatest Poker Achievement:

According to me, I haven’t achieved anything yet, but have spent a lot of time learning the game. I read books and want to keep on training. My greatest achievement is to realize my potential and what winning a prestigious tournament means to me.

 

Live or Online Poker?

I would any day play live tournaments like EPT or WSOP other than that I only love playing online.

 

Hobbies or interests, besides Poker?

I like to paint and will be showcasing my work soon. Besides this, my hobbies include golf, scuba diving, swimming and dancing. I also, help out in a NGO named after me, run by my mother and derive great joy in helping others, while also spending quality time with friends and my pets.

 

Dream Poker Players?

PHIL IVEY, VANESSA SELBST AND LIV BOEREE are my poker idols.

 

Comments on WSOP and the current Indian Contingent?

YES I AM ON MY WAY TO THE WSOP again this summer and I would like to wish good luck to all those who are playing from India!! Come on guys! One time! Everyone has a chance, it’s about staying calm and running good..

 

Does the current all-men poker scene intimidate you?

I mostly play online so it doesn’t really make a difference to my game because there’s no way of knowing a player’s gender. In live tournaments, it barely makes 1% of difference to me. I believe pros start profiling you before coming to the table. As, I am fearless and focused, it does not affect my game in any way.

 

Names of friends or those you admire in Poker?

I would like wish my hommies, Yudhishter Jaswal, Arjun pasricha, Rahil Bhatia and Karan Radia for the WSOP this year “lets do this!” for me even they are my poker idols and I respect their game a lot and I wanna thank my friends SAARORA0800, BLUEPIRANA, PRANAV1800, Arjun Jain and Mayank Lakhani for all the poker madness.

 

Niharika Bindra aka “thesharkindi” (PokerStars Id)

Niharika Bindra
Niharika Bindra

Niharika recalls growing up in an environment, where Diwali was the most action-packed time of the year, with aunts and uncles playing incessant cash based card games, such as Teen Patti. Hanging around as a child, watching the tables gave birth to the gambler in her. As soon as she could, Niharika began playing herself, until a friend from abroad brought poker to her in India. The lady is profuse in her thanks for being introduced to poker and candidly admits to having bid farewell to Teen Patti, ever since.

Today, Niharika continues to play poker, at least twice a week at friend’s houses. She informs about the Delhi poker community, which is huge and tends to flock together for games and other interests. Niharika prefers cash games, as she has played these more. She has won a live tournament in Goa, besides having won and cashed on PokerStars as well.

 

Favorite Poker Place:

I have played in all the poker rooms in Goa, the Hi5 poker room in Bangalore, The Taj Mahal Trump and Borgata poker rooms in Atlantic City. I have been to Vegas a couple of times but unfortunately, it was when I had just started playing poker and was not confident enough to play at the casino. As far as online goes, it has been a very on and off situation. I have played on full tilt earlier and on PokerStars now and then.

 

Self-Proclaimed greatest Poker Achievement:

Winning a live tournament in Goa. An event which saw many of the regular tournament players. It felt good winning a trophy and beating Sangeet Samoh heads up.

 

Live or Online Poker?

Definitely live. I like the interaction with other players – watching their expressions, their actions. Especially when there are friends around or even if not you tend to end up chatting with people next to you. It’s definitely more fun for me. Live can get boring sometimes, because you are mostly cooped up in a room playing on your own.

 

Hobbies or interests, besides Poker?

I have very recently opened a store of my own called Scarlett in Delhi in Meharchand Market, Lodhi colony. It’s a store that stocks different designer labels for women. My interests are fashion, travel and food, as I am a true foodie, who never misses any new restaurant. I spend a lot of time at my store and also with meeting different upcoming designers. So the days are spent working and the evenings either playing poker or discovering some new restaurant or the other.

 

Dream Poker Players?

Honestly I don’t idolize or religiously follow any poker players. But yes, Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan will hands down have to be my favorites. They are incomparable to the others.

 

Comments on WSOP and the current Indian Contingent?

It breaks my heart to miss the WSOP this year, as many of my friends are there. But, I will be definitely be going to States around the same time as WSOP next year.

I think Adi and Akash Malik with all their tournament experience have a huge chance of bringing back the gold. Of course, it goes without saying that I’m rooting for all my friends out there – Sheepshank Jain, Akashi Malik, Aman Dhamija. I’m sure without a doubt that they will make us proud.

 

Is the current all-men poker scene intimidate you?

It did feel strange at first, but most players were my friends. In new places I personally don’t feel intimidated at all, I use it to my advantage as most men feel that women are clueless when it comes to poker. If you play your cards (pun-intended) right you can make all such men really repent their ignorance. Most men being chauvinistic in nature will try and bully a woman on the poker table. Unfortunately for them I don’t think I’m bully-able. They tend to learn that in time.

 

Names of friends or those you admire in Poker?

It goes without saying that Aditya Agarwal has done wonders within the poker community. He’s been a great mentor to a lot of people and is a great poker player and has much to be admired about.

Apart from that my close friends in the poker circuit would be Akash Malik, Dhaval Mudgal, Shashank Jain, Ravi Goel, Aman Dhamija, Satchit Kapur, Vedant Thadani, Simrit Tiwana, Pulkit Kalia; this list is never-ending.

 

Nitika Luther

Nikita Luther
Nikita Luther

Nitika has been playing poker for 4 years now and claims it to have been a fun ride so far. Her first game started with a Rs. 1000 buy in at a weekend party with friends, which developed into a deep interest that is still ongoing, as she learns and evolves every day. Currently, the lady is not playing as much as last year, which was 4 to 5 times a week. She mostly plays with the Delhi circuit, which is a close group, hanging out together for games and other activities.

 

Favorite Poker Place:

Favorite place would definitely be Delhi. Poker rooms in Goa, Bangalore, Gangtok and Sri Lanka; and home games in Delhi and Bombay. I don’t play online.

 

Self-Proclaimed greatest Poker Achievement:

It was the first tourney I ever played. The event was organized by The Shark. I won a 5k satellite which qualified me to freeroll through the entire event i.e 10k re-buy, 25k freezeout, 5k bounty, and a seat in a 10k satellite for the 100k main event. I ran deep in the 25k, finished 10th (no cash) and went on to win the satellite for the 100k main event!

It’s not much, but being my first tournament, I felt it was a big achievement to come out ahead of a field of a certain number of players to convert 5k into 150k.

 

Live or Online Poker?

Live. I prefer cash games for all the action! Besides, tourneys are too heart-breaking.

 

Hobbies or interests, besides Poker?

I love travelling, I play a lot of pool and I love to read!

 

Dream Poker Players?

Vanessa Selbst.

 

Comments on WSOP and the current Indian Contingent?

I think Aditya Agarwal or Akash Malik holds a great chance to bring home the gold this year. (Though I hope it’s me! ha-ha)

 

Is the current all-men poker scene intimidate you?

Not at all! Ha, it’s the men who feel intimidated by the woman.

 

Names of friends or those you admire in Poker?

Aman Dhamija, Ravi Goel, Shashank Jain, Akash Malik and Dhaval Mudgal.

 

Simrit Tiwana aka SimShine (PokerStars Id)

Simrit Tiwana
Simrit Tiwana

Simrit began to play poker by sheer chance and after an initial bout of gaming for fun, began to realize the depth of the game. From Chandigarh, she moved to Delhi, to complete her college education and became a fashion designer. Simrit took up poker, as a new form of entertainment, but soon fell in love, the more she played the game.

The lady continues to play poker, about two to three times a week. She prefers only cash games and candidly claims to be a bad tournament player, as she cannot spare the time for the practice and regimen it requires. Her favorite way to play, is deep stacked, long cash game of Texas Hold’em Poker, 6 to 8 handed. Simrit acknowledges her group to be a fun one, with players of all ages, including young experts, who she learns from.

 

Favorite Poker Place:

My favorite place to play poker is at a live home game. Nothing beats the comfort of that. Besides I enjoy personal interaction with the players during a hand. Online poker is not for me, apart from occasionally to pass time.

 

Self-Proclaimed greatest Poker Achievement:

I don’t think I have achieved enough in poker to consider anything my biggest achievement. Have booked many good wins over the years, so I’m happy about that and the fact that I’ve always been a positive EV player. But the achievements worth mentioning are yet to come!

 

Live or Online Poker? Live all the way!

 

Hobbies or interests, besides Poker?

So I believe that life, Like your poker game is all about balance… And I really enjoy trying to Balance every aspect of my life. Like I mentioned I’m a fashion designer and I love making clothes. Besides food, I enjoy socializing , going out and meeting new and interesting people. I also work on my fitness and diet… I’ve been into yoga for the past 5 years. Quite recently I have started following the life philosophy of Nicheren Diashonins Buddhism, which I love devoting my time to.

 

Dream Poker Players?

Don’t really admire anyone as such …Vanessa Selbst is pretty baller…. She’s also the only lady in Top poker players right now, so I think my support automatically goes to her.

 

Comments on WSOP and the current Indian Contingent?

Not going for WSOP. Out of everyone I know who’s going, my money is on Akash Malik. He’s a great player and a good friend! If anyone can do it he can.

 

Is the current all-men poker scene intimidate you?

Ha ha ha no. Poker might be a man’s game, but that doesn’t mean I should apologize or feel strange playing it. If I have the brains to play and the skill to hold my own, against the men on the table, I should be proud not intimidated. If anything I feel they should be intimidated by us, besides most of the boys who play on our tables are friends and are forward thinking enough, not to let my being a girl be a factor .

 

Names of friends or those you admire in Poker?

Vedant Thadani, Sachit Kapoor, Niharika Bindra, Akash Malik, Shashank Jain, Apoorva Goel, Ravi Goel, Rishabh Jhunjhunwalla, Aman Dhamija, Dhaval Mudgal and soooo many others. Besides being rock star poker players I consider each and every one of them a good friend.

So folks, here you got it all about our lady poker pioneers, in their own words. We look forward to bringing you many more such interesting tid-bits of poker history in the making! Stay tuned in…

Do write to us your feedback on the top 5 feature and your suggestions for future features at info@pokerguru.in.

Online Rankings

i Top Ranked Poker Players in India
Member Won
Member Won
Member Won
₹1,29,29,197
₹1,25,88,313
₹1,20,69,627
₹1,15,22,676
5.Vinay B Vinay B
₹1,14,52,995
6.M L M L
₹1,14,40,871
₹1,09,13,473
₹1,05,24,690
₹99,60,672
₹99,49,327
Member Profit
Member Profit
Member Profit
₹55,77,649
₹50,59,154
₹47,48,174
₹46,54,932
₹44,93,503
₹43,84,994
₹43,56,316
₹42,00,183
₹41,14,429
₹40,97,624
Member Points
Member Points
Member Points
42,268
35,945
28,827
4.N K N K
28,311
25,814
25,649
24,477
24,446
9.M L M L
23,604
22,922

Top Online Poker Rooms

Top
PokerGuru