It’s been a great couple of weeks for the Indian games community. Not only did the country bring in our largest tally of medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but back home, the India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) broke all records through their “record-crushing hauls” (see box). IOPC had received an overwhelming 1.26 lakh entries from across India, and Vaibhav Temani from Lucknow, was crowned the winner where he bagged a gold badge, a diamond badge, and the coveted diamond studded 18K gold crown.
But Delhi-NCR players had their day in the sun too. Mohit Bhati from Greater Noida was the high-roller of the tournament, raking in over Rs 23 lakh. “I began playing poker with my friends five-six years ago, but started taking it more seriously in the last three years,” notes Bhati, 34, adding, “I have worked in the construction business, but now am hoping to pursue playing professional poker full time.”
Delhi-based Nikita Luther, of Spartan Poker and one of the country’s best professional players, was on the ground (digitally), commenting on key matches and playing the occasional hand, as she was occupied with some family issues meaning this time around she was not playing to win.“Professional players just tune out from everything, telling friends and family to not expect to see them at the dining table or anywhere else for the weeks before the tournament takes place. We see so many familiar faces that are committed to the game, making it like a homecoming,” explains Luther.
She adds, “The guaranteed prize pool was Rs 30cr which was crushed and finally totalled to Rs 33cr.” Indeed, catching up with other seasoned players is what Bhati and his fellow consummate players miss. “It used to be like a community reunion. Then the pandemic happened...”But the tournament is not only a dedicated player’s playing field. “This time, we saw many recreational players enter the tournament; many of them being those stuck at home in the pandemic, looking for an outlet, have played their part,” explains Luther.
Bhati agrees that online poker is fast gaining a serious fan base, something he has notced first-hand. “So many of my friends in different industries, from banking to hospitality, who are working from home, have also committed to playing poker. They ask me which are the best resources to learn from and are willing to pay for tutelage to become better, as they see it as a legitimate investment because of the ever-growing platforms to play and win in it,” signs off Luther.