For our #WomenInPoker series today, we bring you the poker journey of a well-known figure from Bollywood, Minissha Lamba. The actor made her silver screen debut in 2005 before venturing into television and theatre. Amidst these varied acting gigs, she discovered her penchant for poker at a Diwali party ten years ago – one that sparked an over-decade-long obsession.

In an interview, Minissha revealed how she was introduced to the game, “It happened randomly over one Diwali. A friend, upon returning from America, insisted on teaching us poker. I shied away from it because playing cards wasn’t something that interested me. But as you get to this game, the complexities and sheer need for being on the ball give you a feeling of achievement for a hand well played.”

Since then, she has not only been engrossed in the poker world but has also dedicated time and energy to improving her game, lapping up an impressive ₹66.50 Lakhs in live tournament winnings along the way!

Known for successful films like ‘Yahaan’ (2005), ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ (2008) ‘Kidnap’ (2008), ‘Well Done Abba’ (2009), and ‘Bheja Fry 2’ (2011), the Delhi girl has come a long way in her poker career since.

In 2017, Adda52 signed Minissha as its first celebrity pro. She joined the team of experienced poker players featuring Nikita Luther & Kunal Patni.

As a brand ambassador, she has represented the site at major international events like World Poker Tour (WPT) & World Series of Poker (WSOP) and even domestic stops like the Deltin Poker Tournament & India Poker Championship – where she placed fourth in the ₹15K Weekend Kickoff Tournament in 2011. Her live resume got better with a DPT title and a career-best ₹23.63 Lakhs from a second-place finish in the WPT India High Roller in 2018.

2019 saw her cashing in two WSOP tournaments in Las Vegas and making deep runs in a bunch of domestic tournaments in Goa.

A social media influencer with over 567K Instagram followers, @minissha_lamba constantly shares glimpses of her life – where her love for travel and dogs come piercing through!

Minissha is truly an inspiration for aspiring poker players, especially women who still face inhibition while considering playing the game more seriously.