#1: Why is Indian Poker Getting Better by The Day?!

#1: Why is Indian Poker Getting Better by The Day?!

We try to uncover what has been spurring this growth in recent years.

1. Aditya Sushant – WSOP 2017

2. Nikita Luther – WSOP 2018

3. Abhinav Iyer – WSOP 2019

4. Kartik Ved – WSOP 2020 (Online)

5. Aayush Arya – WSOP 2023 (Online)

6. Santhosh Suvarna – WSOP 2023 (Europe)

7. Santhosh Suvarna – WSOP 2024

8. Aditya Agarwal – WSOP 2024

9. Tarun Goyal – WSOP 2024 (Online)

They say Aditya ‘Intervention’ Agarwal is arguably one of India’s best poker players since a couple of decades now. He’s been playing at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) which is the mecca of poker in Las Vegas, for 17 years! And while it was a lonely few years there for him, there’s a growing Indian contingent each year. And what’s better is that they’re winning and not just coming back with certificates of participation!

He himself won his first bracelet in WSOP 2024, where another Indian player in Santhosh Suvarna also won, the first time Indian players won two bracelets in a single series. So the question I ask today (and will attempt to answer) is, how are Indian poker players getting better by the day / month / year?!

1) Growing Popularity of Poker in India: Over the past decade, poker has grown online and in casinos in India; leagues like Match Indian Poker League (IPL) and Poker Sports League (PSL) have emerged; Parth Jain (YourPokerGuy) and others are involved in full-time poker content; guarantees are higher and more attractive to the common man; advertising norms have eased off. Get it?! It wasn’t this way 10 years back!

2) Great Work by Online Poker Platforms: The rise of online poker platforms in India means you can get gold medals in the National Poker Series (NPS) on PokerBaazi and also win gold and diamond medallions and crowns in Spartan Poker’s India Online Poker Championship (IOPC), where 50+ Crore has been given away in prizes in a single series. Can you ignore these numbers?!

3) Exposure to International Play: Young college kids can now win online packages and satellites to play with international players, understanding different mindsets of players from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and parts of Europe too. They can travel with poker friends and / or mentors in groups and get accommodation for cheap too.

4) Success Breeds Success: There’s no hiding the fact that when players like Sushant, Luther, Agarwal, and others win gold bracelets, it does inspire the masses. Along with Gutshot, platforms like Sportskeeda, Indian Express, and other media sites also cover the achievements, getting the message out to mainstream audiences.

5) Improved Training Resources: The growth of the Indian poker industry has led to an increase in poker training resources, including live and online coaching platforms and bootcamps. Abhishek Goindi’s Poker Bootcamp India (PBCI) teaches you the basics of the game, while advanced learning can be achieved with one-on-one sessions with Indian pros, or you can also get access to quality coaching material online from the best international coaches like Bencb, Phil Galfond, Alex Fitzgerald, and more.

6) Rising Disposable Income: A growing middle class with increased disposable income has led to more people engaging in recreational activities like poker. When I attended the Player Hunt reality show hosted by PokerHigh, I saw players from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities participating, so it’s not only for the elite from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata!

7) Risk-Taking Appetite: Indian culture, while traditionally conservative, is gradually embracing calculated risk-taking, which is essential in poker. It’s not uncommon in 2024 to hear about college kids and / or working professionals willing to take the leap and try the life of being a professional poker player. And this risk-appetite shows in their game as well; we saw some big, bold plays by Anirban Das on his way to a record 16^th place finish in the WSOP 2023 Main Event.

8) Affordable Online Poker: The availability of affordable online poker platforms has made the game accessible to a wider audience, allowing players to gain experience and improve their skills at a lower cost. You don’t need to be the richest man on the block in order to play the biggest tournaments online; Grinders Series on PokerBaazi, Ultimate Value Series on Spartan Poker, Nano Poker Series on Adda52 are all examples of this.

Question of the hour - Can this sustain?

Now it’s easy to say that India’s been doing great globally, but can this sustain? We don’t want a boom for a few years and then the poker ecosystem dying off in India. And for this to happen, we think two main things need to support us: (i) The government – 28% GST + TDS + Income tax means there’s barely any margin left for players, so we need support from the authorities. (ii) Education and awareness – The last thing you want to see is players coming, depositing large chunks of money on poker platforms, and then never being seen again. Poker platforms should also take the onus upon themselves to educate players about the game and long-term sustainability will happen for both, the players and the platforms.

WIN FREE TICKETS!

Now that you know about some of the reasons why Indian poker players have been getting better over time, it’s your time to contribute to this conversation! Tell us one more reason why Indian players have been getting better results and the best 2 answers will receive a free tickets worth ₹999 each to Dynamite Series ₹7.5 Lakh GTD TNT Rush Event, Mon-Sat at 8PM IST on A23 Poker. Reply here with your answers!

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