Let us know about these gamers and what they discussed with PM Modi Ji in the meeting!

Naman Mathur (Mortal) – Mortal is a popular BGMI player and one of the pioneers of the Indian esports community. The navi-mumbai player also has an esport organization with a partnership with Animesh Agarwal. With 7 million subscribers on YouTube, he is one of the richest gamers in India.  

Animesh Agarwal (8-bit thug) – Animesh Agarwal, aka 8-bit thug, is one of the first few players from India to start the esport craze in India. 8bit Thug has more than 1.05 million subscribers on YouTube, where he shares his knowledge regarding Esports while showcasing his luxurious lifestyle through Vlog. 

Mithilesh Patankar (Mythpat) – Mithilesh, has more than 14 million subscribers on YouTube. Mithilesh is one of the popular gamers in India. He has won numerous awards, such as the Streamy Awards. He is best known for his mimicry and dub comedy gaming videos.

Payal Dhar (PayalGaming) – She is one of the most popular female gamers in the Indian gaming community, with more than 3.71 million subscribers on YouTube channels. She uploads vlogs as well as BGMI streaming weekly. 

Anshu Bisht (Gamerfleet – Anshu is best known for his Minecraft videos, and over the years, he has built a huge audience of more than 3.38 million subscribers. 

Ganesh Gangadhar (SkRossi) – Ganesh became different through his Counter-Strike gameplay and as a CSGO Esports player. He is currently part of the Revenant Esports roster.

Tirth Mehta – Tirth Mehta is a Hearthstone esports player, and through his gameplay, he won a Bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games. Aside from esports, he also works as a game developer at Unity.

What was discussed in this gamers’ meeting with PM Modi?

Several Important topics were touched upon in the meeting with PM Modi ji, right from discussing pressing issues like gaming regulations and combating discrimination to exploring the potential of social awareness games. Here are the key highlights.

No Regulation on Gaming 

Gamers asked PM Modi if we could see some regulation regarding games, to which Modi Ji replied that the government doesn’t want to put its hands on everything and that there shouldn’t be any regulation for gaming.

Difference between gambling and gaming 

One of the questions was regarding the distinction between gaming and gambling. Some gamers face discrimination as people think that they are Gamblers. Gamers want the government to spread awareness regarding the difference between gambling and esports. 

Games based on Social Issues and Awareness 

During the meeting, PM Modi asked gamers if there is a possibility of developing social awareness games, particularly on climate change, and related topics. According to Tirth, such initiatives are  viable, citing examples of gaming studios that have successfully executed similar projects.

The meeting ended with PM Modi engaging in VR gaming, signing shirts, and playing a session of the game Raji. Looking ahead, there is optimism that the Government of India will extend support to Indian gaming studios, similar to the backing seen in European countries.

Keep following PokerNewz for the latest updates and news from the gaming industry!

The post A Revolutionary Moment in Indian Gaming: India’s Top Gamers Meet PM Modi  first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

This was a two-day event running inside the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas. While the top 14 finishers made the money, only seven contenders made Day 2. Six-time WSOP bracelet winner and two-time WPT champion Daniel Negreanu held the chip lead when the final day started, while Wantman began with the second largest stack. Unsurprisingly, the shortest stack Paulius Plausinaitis (7th – $36,800) was the first to fall after his A-K failed to beat  the Q-J of Grant Wang. The next to fall was four-time bracelet winner David Peters whose A-3 suited was beaten by the K-3 of Negreanu. It was a king-high flop and Negreanu held from there to bust Peters in sixth place ($46,000).

A few hands later, Victoria Livschitz shoved with pocket kings leading pocket threes of Negreanu who spiked a set on the flop to send her packing in fourth place($82,800). This was her fourth cash of the series. The eventual champion Wantman scored his first elimination of the day when his A-J held up against the A-8 of the ten-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel, who started this series with a victory in the very first event. While both players flopped a pair of aces, Wantman’s kicker played to bust Seidel in third-place ($110,400) and move him into the heads-up for the title.

The heads-up battle began with Negreanu holding a 6:5 chip lead over Wantman. However, the latter fought his way back and earned a crucial double up when his Kh Qs bested As 5d of Negreanu on a Qh 4s 2d 8c 9d runout. Negreanu was left with just 1.5 big blinds after that hand. He managed to win a pair of doubles, but was soon at risk again with his J-8 facing the K-3 of Wantman. A king-high runout dashed Negrenau’s dream for his eighth career PGT title. Negreanu earned $151,800 as the runner-up. This marked the 10th final table of the year for Negreanu who has won two titles in 2024.

Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Payouts

David Coleman Wins Event #4: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em

David Coleman was the last player standing in Event #4: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2024 U.S. Poker Open. The fourth event of the series drew 83 entrants for a prize pool of $830,000 and paid out the top 12 players.  Coleman started the final table with the chip lead, and despite losing his lead to Shannon Shorr four-handed, he battled his way back into the lead to capture his fourth PGT title of 2024 and an impressive $202,300 after a heads-up deal with Shorr (runner-up for $179,500).

Event #4: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Payouts

Dan Smith emerged victorious from a field of 84 entries in Event #3: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2024 U.S. Poker Open. Smith entered the final table with the third largest stack but wiith his strategic moves, he ultimately clinched victory to capture his second career U.S. Poker Open title, and his fifth career PGT win along with the $235,200 first place prize. This was his second title of 2024 as he had also shipped a $50,000 bounty event at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju last month for $951,000.

Event #3: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Payouts

Rising star Jesse Lonis showcased exceptional skills,  eliminating all six final table opponents to secure his third PGT title and the $252,450 top prize in Event #2: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2024 U.S. Poker Open.  It was a historic moment in the tournament as two women, Kristina Holst and Victoria Livschitz, made it to the final table. Holst placed third for $113,850, while Livschitz finished sixth for $49,500.

The heads-up was a short-lived affair. Lonis took a three-and-a-half to one chip lead over Zobian in the heads up and finished off his opponent when he hit a straight flush to capture the title. Zobian was eliminated in second place to collect his $163,350 prize, the ninth six-figure cash of his career.

Event #2: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Payouts

The first title of the 2024 U.S. Poker Open was earned by none other than American poker legend and ten-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel, who overcame a field of 116 entries in Event #1: $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em to secure $145,000 in top prize. This was the second title for the 64-year-old Poker Hall of Famer, who took down a $10,500 buy-in event at the Wynn Millions less than a month before this grand victory.

The strong turnout resulted in a prize pool of $580,000, which was finally shared by the top 17 finishers. Seidel came into the final table with a sizable chip lead but received setbacks with four unsuccessful all-ins early on. However, he didn’t let the early run shake his confidence, and scored a double knockouts three-handed to send Eric Afriat and Dylan Linde packing to win the title.  

 On the final hand, Afriat opened with pocket nines and Linde moved all-in for 175K with Ks 8c, Seidel holding pocket aces put out enough to get the remainder of Afriat’s chips. Afriat finally made the call. The board ran out Jd 10d 5s 5c 3d where Seidel’s aces held to earn him the double knockout and the title.

Event #1: $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Payouts

The post Matthew Wantman Beats Daniel Negreanu in Epic Showdown at U.S. Poker Open Event #5 first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Poker is a game of skill and is ready to accept anyone and everyone with the skill and the passion for the game. Meanwhile, there are several Indian female poker pros who are doing exceptionally well in the poker space globally just like their male counterparts.

Be it the tournaments in the Asian circuit or bigger events like the WSOP, our very own female contingent has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names globally and continues to do so. Needless to say, their results and achievements speak volumes for themselves. 

The current 2024 GPI Female rankings have the women of India ranking at impressive spots. Let’s have a look at the current standings of the Indian female pros on the GPI rankings.

1. Nikita Luther 

Rightly dubbed as the ‘Queen of Indian poker,’ Nikita Luther unsurprisingly tops the charts, and it’s obvious why. The Delhi-based player has been one of the most consistent poker players in the country and has achieved incredible results ever since she set foot in the poker world in mid-2010. The most shining feature in her hat is obviously the WSOP gold bracelet she won in 2018. This makes India’s first and to date only female player to have a bracelet to her name.

Besides, she has several other cashes at the WSOP, WPT, Estrellas Poker Tour, EPT, and APT, among others. She made a lot of headlines during the 2023 WSOP Main Event for her deep run. The Natural8 ambassador finished 96th and bagged a paycheque of $ 78,900 for her finish. She even received a shoutout from 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth for her feat.

She even appeared on Poker After Dark last year. Luther has a lifetime total earnings of $535,583, as she ranks first on the GPI female rankings for India, and 9862nd on the overall GPI rankings with 570.54 points. Among the Indian players, she ranks 41st.

2. Kanchan Sharma

Not very far behind Luther, is another pride of Indian poker, Kanchan Sharma. The Agra-based player has several titles to her name, including online as well as live titles. Although Sharma is yet to make it to the WSOP, her achievements in other series like WPT, APT, and more prove that it won’t be long until we see her grind in the Mecca of Poker.

Most recently, she was seen at the Asian Poker Tour – APT Hanoi Billions in December 2023, wherein she cashed at two events. Sharma boasts of $67,648 in total lifetime earnings from live games, apart from an impressive online resume too.

She stands at the second spot among GPI female rankings for India, and 10,571st on the overall GPI rankings with 550.13 points. Sharma ranks 46th among the Indian contingent. 

3. Muskan Sethi

Another well-known name in the Indian poker circuit is Muskan Sethi. The female poker pro has, through her talent and skills, carved a name for herself in the poker domain. In fact, she was one of the first few female poker players in the country. She even won The President’s “First Ladies” award in 2017. 

Like Nikita, Muskan too has a pretty elaborate and impressive poker resume. She has represented the country and cashed at several poker tournaments worldwide including WSOP, EPT, WPT, Grosvenor UK Poker Tour, 888poker LIVE, and several others in Las Vegas. Sethi was last seen cashing at the 53rd WSOP at Bally’s Casino in 2023.

The poker diva boasts $122,122 in total live tournament earnings. Besides, with 351.46 GPI points, Sethi ranks third among the GPI female rankings for India and 84th among the Indian players. On the overall GPI rankings, Sethi ranks 21,254th. 

4. Shuchi Chamaria 

At the fourth spot is power lady Shuchi Chamaria, who has made her way to the top with her sheer dedication and passion for the game. She is a well-known and respected name in the Indian poker fraternity. 

Shuchi has multiple impressive cashes under her belt at events including WSOP, WPT, PokerStars Festival London, Grand Poker Series, and APT. The Kolkata-based player was last seen at  WPT Prime Vietnam, Hanoi in May 2023, where she claimed her first ever live poker title after taking down the  No Limit Hold’em – Big Bounty event for a paycheque of $5,905. Interestingly, this also happens to be her best live cash to date.

On the GPI female ranking for India, Shuchi sits at the fifth spot with 184.65 points. With that, she ranks 147th among the Indian poker players and 44,402nd among the global players.

5. Vitaliya Dubovik

At the fifth spot is Vitaliya Dubovik. Although not a lot is known about this player, Hendon Mob data indicate that Vitaliya is an Indian player with $10,890 in live tournament earnings. She has four live cashes between 2022 and 2023. 

In 2022, she cashed at two events at the 53rd WSOP, and in 2023 she cashed at two USOP Da Nang events, both of which were final table finishes. She ranks fifth on the GPI female rankings of India and 223rd among the GPI rankings for India. With her 105.29 points, she ranks 74,369 among the global poker players.

The other Indian female poker pros on the GPI female rankings of India are Sonam Jaun at 6th with 102.62 points, Parm Mehmi at 7th spot with 99.45 points, and Radhika Shankar at 8th place with 30 GPI points. The list of top 10 female pros on the GPI Rankings ends with poker player and Bollywood actress Minissha Lamba sitting at ninth place with 28.40 points. 

GPI Female Rankings of India

Keep following PokerNewz for the latest updates on the GPI Female rankings! 

The post Nikita Luther Continues To Lead in GPI India Female Rankings first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Also Read: ANKIT AHUJA CONTINUES TO REIGN SUPREME IN GPI INDIA RANKINGS AND GLOBAL POKER SCENE

Currently ranked fourth on India’s all-time money list with over $2.64 million in earnings, Ahuja is  no stranger to winning big on the international stage. The two-time GPI POY (India) winner and last year’s  EPT Cyprus Eureka Main Event champion is off to a flying start in 2024. The Indian poker sensation has already notched up over a dozen cashes in 2024. This was his first live title of the year, following two final table finishes at the Eureka Poker Tour – EKA last month. He finished fourth for € 77,800 in the Eureka Poker Tour Main Event (Event #11) and then followed up that with a 3rd-place finish worth € 8,122 in the Super High Roller (Event #25) of the same series last month.

Also Read: MEET ANKIT AHUJA: A RISING STAR MAKING WAVES IN GLOBAL POKER

GUKPT 2024 Edinburgh High Roller Final Table Recap

Coming to the GUKPT 2024 Edinburgh High Roller, Ahuja started the final table as a chip leader and maintained his lead to win the title. With his strategic moves and skillful play, he eliminated Ciprian Berdan (5th place) and Keith Littlewood (4th place). Berdan shoved his 6-2 of spades and ran into the Jacks of Ankit, while Keith ran his pocket eights into the pocket queens of Ankit. Down to three-handed, Ahuja held a 117-big blind stack. After Thomas Clack bowed out in 3rd place, Ahuja entered the heads-up against Jamie Nixon. While Nixon doubled up twice, Ahuja maintained control, ultimately sealing the title.

In a climatic final hand, Ahuja’s Q-10 clashed against Nixon’s K-5. The latter shoved his remaining 9 big blinds and hit the top pair. However, Ahuja rivered a straight and claimed the pot as well as the title. Ahuja’s stellar performance underscores his rising prominence in the global poker arena.

GUKPT 2024 Edinburgh High Roller Final Table Payouts 

The post Ankit Ahuja Wins GUKPT Edinburgh High Roller To Claim His First Live Title Of 2024 first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

However, that changed on June 5th, 2017, when Indian pros Nipun Java and Aditya Sushant turned the bracelet dream into reality. Java, who resides in the US, rightly remarked,“It’s kind of surprising we didn’t have a bracelet already with the size of the population.”

The bracelet win for India came in Event 10: $1,000 Tag Team at the 2017 WSOP. When this event was just about to begin, Java’s pre-arranged teammate dropped out at the last minute because he couldn’t wake up on time for the event. 

Sushant’s mentor and ace Indian poker pro Aditya Agarwal brought both Java and Sushant together for a last minute collaboration, and what followed was a history. The duo that came together went on to take down the $1,000 Tag Team Event for $150,637 and the first-ever WSOP bracelet for themselves and their country. 

The event had a total of 843 players competing for the prize pool of $758,700, and the coveted bracelet, of course. The top 127 places among these made it in the money. Day 1 of the event saw the money bubble burst and the day ended with 94 teams. These 94 teams then marched their way into Day 2 when the action resumed. 

Day 2 ended when the final table with the top 9 teams was set. The 9-handed final table began on the final day with Team DJ MacKinnon and Esther Taylor leading the pack with the heaviest bag of 908,000 chips at their disposal. 

The Indian duo entered the final day with the fourth-highest stack of 565,000. However, when the final table began they began dominating and stopped only after claiming victory. The heads-up began with Team Aditya Sushant – Nipun Java holding a massive lead with 3,270,000 chips against Team Pablo Mariz – David Guay who had 945,000 chips. 

In just the second level of heads-up, Sushant closed out the tournament in style. The final hand had Sushant open to 125,000 while Pablo Mariz announced all-in holding Ks Qd. Sushant made the call and flipped his As 8h. The flop showed Qs Qc 3c and Mariz flopped a three-of-a-kind.

The dealer opened the turn to an Ac, as Sushant’s rail yelled “Ace!”. The poker gods smiled at Sushant as the dealer flipped Ad on the river. Celebration erupted as India won its first WSOP bracelet!

To observe the momentous occasion, the WSOP organizers even played the Indian national anthem at the venue the next day. Interestingly, it was the first time ever that the anthem was played in Rio, Las Vegas and the moment will never be forgotten.

Talking about the win Java said, “It was definitely an emotional moment I’m really, really happy, especially for all the people who travel. I live in the United States but people who travel here… Well, everyone needs some sort of inspiration to keep coming back. This game wears you down. The bracelet came at the right time. Poker is booming in India.”

Although poker may not be widespread and as popular in the country today, it isn’t far till Indians actually start viewing the game of skill as a real sport. And when that happens, Nipun Java and Aditya Sushant will be remembered with the same respect and reverence with which we Indians remember Kapil Dev for winning the first World Cup for India in 1983.

Keep following PokerNewz for the latest updates and news on live poker events!

The post Flashback – Reflecting On India’s First WSOP Bracelet Win first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

ALSO CHECK: UPCOMING LIVE POKER TOURNAMENTS IN APRIL 2024

“With great pride, we unveil the festival dates for the highly anticipated 2024 WPT World Championship,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “The tradition continues as we enter our third year alongside the incredible Wynn Las Vegas team, so mark your calendars in preparation for what is sure to be another memorable December.”

Record-Breaking 2023 WPT World Championship

The record-setting 2023 edition paid out $100 million in prize money across 23 thrilling events, with 14 of the tournaments collecting over $1 million in prize money. While the $10,400 buy-in Main Event fell a little short of its $40 million guarantee, it saw a record-breaking participation with 3,835 entries – the largest WPT main tour field ever in history. Dan Sepiol, a poker pro based out of Indiana, emerged as the eventual champion, securing his first WPT title and a massive $5,282,954 in top prize.

Team India at 2023 WPT World Championship

From India, Ankit Ahuja made waves at the 2023 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, leaving an indelible mark with his stellar performance. He notched up an impressive 34th place in the Championship event and walked away with a remarkable $132,500 for his deep run in the event.

The 2023 WPT Prime Championship featuring a buy-in of $1,100 buy-in also set a new record for a live WPT event with 10,512 entries. Calvin Anderson ultimately emerged as the champion, pocketing nearly $1.4 million.

“We are ecstatic to continue our partnership with the WPT for the third consecutive year,” said Ryan Beauregard, executive director of poker operations at Wynn Las Vegas. “Over the coming months, we’ll work diligently to craft an event schedule poker players from all over the world won’t want to miss.”

2024 WPT World Championship schedule

The complete schedule for the 2024 WPT World Championship is expected to be announced in the coming month. Keep following PokerNewz for the latest updates and news on live poker events!

Image Credit: WPT

The post Mark Your Calendar: Dates Unveiled For 2024 WPT World Championship At Wynn Las Vegas first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Poker in the country is now being viewed as a promising career option, thanks to our poker champs breaking barriers and inspiring thousands of Indians to take up the game as a career choice.  

One such poker champion that India has produced in recent years is Amit Kaushik.

Who is Amit Kaushik?

Originally from Kurukshetra, Haryana, Amit Kaushik is a Noida-based poker player with more than $435k in live earnings. This young talent is consistently climbing up the ladder and is currently ranked 22nd on India all-time Money List. Particularly in recent years, he has made a lot of noise in the Asian circuits. Kaushik has consistently made his presence felt on the virtual as well as live felts, making waves in the Indian and Asian circuits with excellent performances on both live and virtual felts. 

ALSO READ:MEET ANKIT AHUJA: A RISING STAR MAKING WAVES IN GLOBAL POKER

ALSO READ – FROM ROCKETS POKER ROOM TO GLOBAL GLORY: SANTHOSH SUVARNA’S NET WORTH STORY

Amit Kaushik’s Poker Journey

Talking about his educational background, he did his postgraduate in Applied Mathematics from IIT Roorkee. He started his poker journey way back when he was in college. Initially, he played card games with friends in college. Eventually, his interest in poker started to grow. This led to Kaushik watching ‘Poker After Dark’ on YouTube religiously, which further grew his interest in the game. However, Kaushik began playing poker full-time only after taking a break from his corporate career in July 2020. 

Climbing Up The Ladder 

Since then, Kaushik has refused to look back. Transitioning from online felts to being a familiar face at the Asian poker events, he has quickly moved up the ranks, delivering some amazing performances along the way.

He first grabbed eyeballs when he secured his biggest online score to date in January 2022. The pro finished second at Spartan Poker’s India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) ₹1.50 Crore GTD Blaze, earning a massive ₹16,28,782.

However, this was just the beginning of his ascendence. 2022 marked a significant turning point in his journey. He made his first live tournament appearance in March 2022 at the Baazi Poker Tour. In his first outing itself, he claimed a 35th-place finish at the NLH BPT Big Bounty Event pocketing ₹25,800. 

Just a few weeks later, he went on to ship his first-ever live title at the coveted Deltin Poker Tour (DPT) NLH ₹5K Bounty to add ₹5,34,140 to his bankroll. 

Exploiting the Asian felts

Following his success on the home turf, Kaushik began to grind outside the county. He was seen grinding at multiple live events while also exploiting the online felts. He debuted into the Asian poker circuit with a bang after shipping his debut tournament. He took down the No Limit Hold’em – Deep Stack Hyper Turbo (Event #18) at the Asian Poker Festival – APT Summer Festival Hanoi – VSOP 2022, Hanoi in July 2022 for $2,163. Later, he finished third at the very next event of the series. 

He later recorded many other cashes at other series including Asian Poker Tour – APT Vietnam Ho Chi Minh, World Poker Tour Prime – WPT Prime Cambodia, Phnom Penh, World Poker Championship – SEAPT Hanoi in 2022. He continued his streak in 2023 with notable cashes at WPC Hanoi, Hanoi, World Poker Tour Prime – WPT Prime Cambodia, Asian Poker Tour – APT Phu Quoc, WPT Prime India, Asia Pacific Poker Tour – APPT Cambodia, World Poker Tour Prime – WPT Prime Vietnam, Asian Poker Tour – APT Summer Series Hanoi, World Poker Championship – WPC IV Hanoi, Asian Poker Tour – APT Summer Series Da Nang, USOP Ha Noi, USOP Da Nang, APT Hanoi Billions, and Asian Poker Festival – APF Hanoi.

2024: A Year To Watch Out For Amit Kaushik

Coming to 2024, Kaushik is showing no signs of stopping. He has already posted seven cash finishes, including a 5th place finish in January 2024 at the WPT Cambodia Championship Main Event where he secured $118,906, his biggest score to date. 

He started this year with the Hanoi Series Of Poker – HSOP Grinder Series in January, where he secured the 38th position in the Kick Off event. He then competed in the WPT Cambodia Championship in Phnom Penh later that month. He started his campaign with a 12th place finish for $ 5,092 in the Championship Warm-Up event. Subsequently, in the 8-Max Survivor 2k Bounty event, he secured the 48th position for $ 1,257, which he followed up with a 3rd-place finish for $ 8,125 in the Megastack Action Clock event.

Kaushik’s success in Cambodia reached new heights when he secured a fifth-place finish in the WPT Main Event, where he earned a career-best $118,906. His journey in Cambodia concluded with an eighth-place finish in the Superstack Turbo event. March saw Kaushik competing in the U Series of Poker – USOP Da Nang Part 1 in Vietnam. Despite facing tough competition, he secured notable finishes in the Mini High Roller and Main Event, finishing 10th for $ 2,129 and 155th for $ 2,377, respectively. Most recently, he recorded four cashes at the Poker Dream 9 Malaysia, including a 7th place finish in Event #34 Mini High Roller for RM 18600 and a 171st place for RM 12,700 in the Main Event. 

Career Graph 

Within just a matter of over two years, Kaushik has accumulated $432,880 in total live earnings. Kaushik currently ranks 5th on the GPI Rankings for India with 1,685.09 points, which is an incredible feat given his short span of playing the game professionally. 

His GPI rankings skyrocketed in 2022 and since then he has refused to bow down. In July 2022, his GPI rank was around 32,972. By August of the same year, he had made his place among the top 10,000 with a rank of 5,678. Currently, he is among the top 1,000 poker players around the world, with a rank of 772 as of April 4, 2024.

Talking of his online exploits, he has over 226 online title victories and over ₹7.3 Crore in online winnings to his name. His most recent online titles include PokerBaazi’s NPS#131 Marathon 15L GTD where he triumphed over 481 players for INR 2,01,392, and Saturday Smash PKO – 5 Lac on Spartan Poker for INR 1,26,791.

With such impressive stats already making his poker resume shine and stand out, Amit Kaushik is truly a rising star in the Indian poker circuit who continues to rise higher and higher. Given his current form and his talent, it won’t be surprising to see Kaushik overtake fellow Indian poker players in terms of ranking as well as earnings in the coming months.

Keep following PokerNewz for the success stories and journeys of rising poker stars from the world of poker!

The post Meet Amit Kaushik – A Rising Poker Star From India first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Jihao overcame a star-studded final table featuring Singapore’s Toh Soon Lee Lyvin (3rd for RM 682,800), Hong Kong’s Wong Ka Fai (4th for RM 496,600), China’s Guo Jingwei (5th for RM 393,100), Malaysia’s Leong Juns (6th for RM 307,900), Malaysia’s Micheal Soyza (7th for RM 235,500), Malaysia’s Lim Xin Ann (8th for RM 166,300) & Hong Kong’s Chan Cho Hin (9th for RM 127,400).

ALSO READ:HARSHDEV JHIRMIRIA TRIUMPHS IN MYSTERY BOUNTY AT POKER DREAM 9 MALAYSIA

Team India made their mark in the main event, with an impressive seven players notching up cash finishes. Harsh Dev Jhirmiria, Event #11: Mystery Bounty champion, headlined the India’s scorecard, finishing 47th for RM 27,900. He also emerged as the biggest Indian earner of the series, securing four cashes and amassing a hefty RM 347,800 (close to INR 61 lakhs) in total cashes from the series.

The other Indians to score cash finishes in the Main Event were Chirag Shah (49th for RM 27,900), WSOP bracelet winner Abhinav Iyer (53rd for RM 27,900), Poker Dream 8 Malaysia Main Event champion Zarvan Tumboli (60th for RM 22,400), Anil Adiani  (64th for RM 22,400), Nishant Sharma (109th for RM 16,500), Akshay Nasa (167th for RM 12,700), Amit Kaushik (171st for RM 12,700), and WPT Vietnam Main Event champion and Pocket52 Team Pro Dhaval Mudgal (190th for RM 11,500).

 Poker Dream 9 Malaysia Main Event Final Table Payouts (RM)

1. Chen Jihao – 1,731,000
2. Tao Chen – 972,752
3. Toh Soon Lee Lyvin – 682,800
4. Wong Ka Fai – 496,600
5. Guo Jingwei – 393,100
6. Leong Juns – 307,900
7. Micheal Soyza – 235,500
8. Lim Xin Ann – 166,300
9. Chan Cho Hin – 127,400

Following their stellar performances at the 2024 USOP DaNang, Indian challengers continued their momentum in Malaysia, securing more than three dozen of cashes, which included four final table scores and a title victory by Harsh Dev Jhirmiria who emerged victorious in Event #11: Mystery Bounty to win RM 286,000. He also ran deep in Event #29 Mystery Bounty Turbo, securing a 3rd-place finish worth RM 13,200.

Amit Kaushik made his mark with a 7th-place finish in Event #34 Mini High Roller for RM18,600. Chirag Shah showcased his prowess, finishing 4th for Event #19 Mystery Bounty Turbo and banking RM 11,400. Here is the list of Indians who cashed at the recently-concluded Poker Dream Malaysia:

Keep following PokerNewz for the updates and results from live poker tournaments!

Image Credit: PokerDream

The post Poker Dream 9 Malaysia: Jihao Chen Wins Main Event; Harsh Dev Headlines Team India’s Scorecard first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

ALSO READ: RISHABH, SAMYAK, VIKHYAT & TARUSH AMONG TOP SCORERS OF THE WEEK

Top Five Winners Of The Past Week

>Gopal Bajaj – Adda52’s Mega Millions – Prize: INR 16.21 Lac

>Rubin Labroo – Spartan Poker’s Millionaire VIII – Prize: INR 14.44 Lakhs

>Aditya Das – PokerBaazi’s #1 TheMoneyMaker – Prize: INR 10.68 Lakhs

>Karan Dembla – PokerBaazi’s #7 The MoneyMaker – Prize: INR 10 Lakhs

>Kabir Tandon – PokerBaazi’s #5 TheMoneyMaker – Prize: INR 10 Lakhs

Sunday – Adda52’s Mega Millions 75 Lakhs GTD – Gopal Bajaj

One of the key highlights on Sunday night, the 75 Lakhs GTD Adda52 Mega Millions featured a buy-in of INR 11K and drew in an impressive 904 challengers, building INR 91,60,003 in total prize pool. The top 89 places were paid out, with Gopal ‘TheAceCrown’ Bajaj walking away with the lion’s share worth INR 16.20 lakhs. The high-stakes tournament crusher Ashish ‘ragspoker’ Munot (second for INR 11.76 lakhs) and Rahul ‘rahulpalawat’ Jain (third for INR 8.53 lakhs) rounded out the podium finishes.

Final Table Results (INR)

Featuring a buy-in of INR 5,750, Spartan Poker’s Millionaire VIII was one of the two 1 Crore GTD tournaments on the Sunday schedule. Online MTT crusher Rubin ‘CalmLikeABomb’ Labroo emerged victorious, claiming the coveted title and the second biggest top prize of the day worth INR 14,43,609. This victory marked the third title of the year for the former PPL Main Event and IPC Main Event champion. Labroo eventually struck a heads-up deal with Vinay ‘ConCrete’ B (runner-up for INR 11,74,391). Amit ‘Kavipri’ Gehani took the last spot on the podium finishing third for  INR 6,47,000).

The INR 5,750 buy-in Millionaire VIII attracted a massive field of 1,935 players across six qualifying flights. The Day 2 finale on Sunday night saw 287 hopefuls (196 unique) vying for the coveted title.

Final Table Results (INR)

The second 1 Crore GTD tourney on the Sunday MTT schedule was PokerBaazi’s 1 Crore GTD The MoneyMaker. This was the seventh tourney in April’s The MoneyMaker mania. Featuring a buy-in of INR 5,750, the tournament saw a field of 1,887 entries (1,141 unique) and crowned a champion in Faridabad’s Karan Dembla aka ‘zomunk’ who walked away with the coveted bracelet and a career-best score of INR 10 lakhs. Finishing close behind him was Vinay ‘vinay09’ Rajpal (second for INR 7 lakhs). The user ‘HeadKnocker2’ took the third spot for INR 5 lakhs.

Saturday – PokerBaazi’s #6 The MoneyMaker 1 Crore GTD – Jitendra Ojha

Saturday belonged to Jitendra “Jitendrk” Ojha from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He overcame a field of 1,612 competitors in the 1 Crore GTD #6 TheMoneyMaker, securing a career-best INR 6,55,539 after a three-way deal with ‘AceOfSpades15’ (second for INR 7,72,377), and ‘insomniacattack’ (third for INR 8,38,084). The MoneyMaker final table also witnessed stellar performances from MTT regs like Dhirendra Kumar (4th for INR 3,94,000) and Pradip Ghosh (5th for INR 2,55,000).

Friday – PokerBaazi’s #5 TheMoneyMaker – Kabir Tandon

Online poker sensation Kabir ’tiltplay’ Tandon is crushing it on the virtual felts. His most recent victory came in PokerBaazi’s #5 TheMoneyMaker on Friday night. He trampled a massive field of 1,751 entries (1093 unique), securing the coveted bracelet and a hefty INR 10 lakhs. Tandon, who won Fifty Stack 55 on Natural8 India and a Bronze medal in PokerBaazi’s NPS#69 Mini HighRoller in March, finally bested the user ‘M3ssy’ (second for INR 7.26 lakhs) in the heads-up.

Also on the final table were several other notables regs including Shubham ‘backchod’ Agarwal (third for INR 5,25,000), and Aditya ‘Istredd’ Agarwal (sixth for INR 2,00,000).

Thursday – Poker Baazi’s #4 The MoneyMaker 1 Crore GTD – Chandan Kumar

On Thursday, PokerBaazi’s #4 #TheMoneyMaker was the biggest guaranteed tourney of the day, which crowned Chandan ‘David29’ Kumar as its champion! The Bihar-based MTT grinder bested a field of 1,710 competitors to grab a career-best INR 10 Lakhs prize and the prestigious  bracelet. Jaikishan ‘royalking7424’ Jangid finished a whisker away from victory, pocketing INR 7.26 Lakhs as the runner-up. Chess prodigy turned poker ace, Ishita ‘Warrior08’ Arora, notched up an impressive finishes across four events, collecting INR 5.78 Lakhs, including a third place in #4 The MoneyMaker (INR 5.25 Lakhs).

Wednesday – PokerBaazi`s #3 TheMoneyMaker – Harsh Bubna

On Wednesday, Kolkata’s poker prodigy, Harsh ‘harsh1327’ Bubna became only the second player after the WSOP bracelet winner Aditya Sushant to clinch The MoneyMaker title twice. To clinch his second victory in the tournament, he defeated a massive field of 1780 entries, claiming the coveted poker bracelet and a prize of INR 7,84,123. The tournament ended in a three-way deal, with ‘Inferior’ (second for INR 6,71,264) & ‘bonomo (INR 7,95,614) being other beneficiaries from the deal.

Tuesday – PokerBaazi’s #2 The MoneyMaker 1 Crore GTD – Praveena K

Poker dreams came true for Praveena ‘darveen’ K as he clinched a thumping victory in PokerBaazi’s 1 Crore GTD #2 The MoneyMaker. The 26-year-old Graphic Designer from Bengaluru outlasted a field of 1527 entries and banked INR 8,66,282, following a three-way deal with Prateek ‘DABANGG2’ Sharma (second for INR 8,63,718) and Mitesh ‘mikeknp’ Gupta (third for INR 5,40,000).

Monday – PokerBaazi’s #1 TheMoneyMaker 1 Crore GTD – Aditya Das

History was made on Monday as Kolkata’s Aditya Das aka ‘gomzi77’ outperformed a field of 2,136 entries on the first day of the week to emerge victorious in the first The MoneyMaker of the month. The PokerBaazi regular clinched not only the prestigious poker bracelet but also a career- high INR10.68 Lakhs. With the hefty top prize, he became the third single largest scorer of the week. Kashish ‘realkdpoker’ Durgiya (second for INR 7,58,280) and Aniket ‘Anteman’ Waghmare (third for INR 5,34,000) rounded out the podium finishes in the tourney. 

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The post Weekly High-Five: Gopal Bajaj and Rubin Labroo Headline The Past Week’s Winners first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

The 33-year-old player from Gurugram defeated a field of 338 entries in the Poker Palace Warm Up event at the Australian Poker Open (APO) 2024, securing  $34,475 from the $589,000 prize pool. This was the first live title of 2024 for Bansal and took his live earnings close to $800k.

 In his recent Instagram post, Bansal proudly displayed the 2024 Australian Poker Open trophy.

Paawan Bansal’s Journey To Victory in Poker Palace Warm Up 

Bansal’s journey to victory in the Poker Palace Warm Up event at the Australian Poker Open (APO) was nothing short of remarkable. He overcame a tough field of formidable opponents with finesse and precision, showcasing a blend of calculated strategy and unwavering determination.

ALSO READ: BERNARDO DEL TORO & CHRIS MOUSSA WIN BIG AT 2024 AUSTRALIAN POKER OPEN

At the final table Poker Palace Warm Up event, Bansal found himself pitted against some of the finest players in the competition, including seasoned pros like Travis Endersby and Nurlan Boobekov. However, Bansal remained determined in his pursuit of victory, exhibiting the tenacity and skill to prove his prowess on the international poker stage.

The climax arrived in a gripping heads-up battle between Bansal and Endersby. In the final duel for the title, both players opted for an even chop, each walking away with a substantial prize of $34,475.

Bansal’s triumph not only secured him a significant prize but also solidified his status as a formidable force in the global poker arena. His APO victory serves as an inspiration for aspiring players in India and highlights the immense potential existing within India’s growing poker community.

About Poker Palace Warm Up event At  2024 Australian Poker Open

Talking about the Poker Palace Warm Up event, this tourney featured a guarantee of $125,000 for a buy-in of $550. With four starting flights, players had multiple chances to enter the competition, leading to Day 2 taking place on April 6th, 2024. The event received an overwhelming response, collecting a whopping $589,000 in prize pool and making it a resounding success.

Poker Palace Warm Up Final Table Payouts

The post Pawaan Bansal Triumphs in Poker Palace Warm Up at Australian Poker Open 2024 first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.