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WSOP 2018: Brian Hastings Wins 4th Bracelet in Event #76 – $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. For $233,202

354 players had turned up for the final mixed tournament of the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) i.e. Event #76: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E., but only 19 runners returned to fight for the top honours on the final Day 3. It was the Day 3 chip leader Brian Hastings (cover image) who topped the remaining field to win his fourth WSOP gold bracelet and take home the first-place prize money worth $233,202.

Hastings had won his first bracelet in Event #12: $10,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship (512 max) in 2012 for $371,498. He followed it up with back-to-back bracelet wins in 2015 in Event #27: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship for $239,518 and Event #39: $1,500 10-Game Mix for $133,403. He has a total of 32 cashes at the WSOP and cumulative earnings of $1,836,309.

When asked about his fourth bracelet win in the post-event interview, Hastings said, “It feels amazing, this was my last event of the summer and I had a couple of runs before this, but to end it this way just feels great.” He added, “I came into heads-up with a four- or five-to-one chip disadvantage, but the cards ran my way and I made a few hands. Andrew is a good player and things just went my way.”

WSOP 2018 Coverage
WSOP 2018 Coverage

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Hye Park – 1,110,000

2. Brian Hastings – 1,095,000

3. Tim Marsters – 820,000

4. Bruno Fitoussi – 785,000

5. Andrew Brown – 620,000

6. Jeff Madsen – 575,000

7. Dutch Boyd – 270,000

8. Lee Markholt – 195,000

Final Table Recap

The first one to depart from the eight-handed final table was Frenchman Bruno Fitoussi. In a Omaha Hi-Lo hand, Lee Markholt opened from late position and Fitoussi shoved all-in from the big blind. Markholt called and both players tabled their hands. Markholt tabled against Fitoussi’s . With the board running , Markholt cracked Fitoussi’s pocket rockets with two pairs of queens and fours and Fitoussi was eliminated in eighth place.

In the very next hand of Razz, Dutch Boyd opened and tabled an ace which was countered by Tim Marsters with a raise showing a seven. Boyd moved all-in for 80,000 and both players turned their cards. Boyd’s Ax9x3x2xAxJx3x lost out to Marsters’ 7x6x2x8x5x6xQx as the latter hit an eight low to rake in the pot, confirming Boyd’s exit in seventh place.

Sometime later, Hye Park raised from the button and Jeff Madsen defended from the big blind. The flop fell , Madsen check-called to see the turn . Madsen checked again and Park moved all-in with his remaining 95,000. Madsen snap-called and showed while Park tabled . Madsen was in the lead with two pairs of nines and sevens while Park had a pair of sixes and the outs for a flush draw. However the river was not in Park’s favour and he was eliminated in sixth place.

A few hands later, the eventual champion Hastings opened from the cutoff and Lee Markholt called from the small blind. The flop brought , following which Hastings led out and Markholt immediately raised, prompting Hastings to call. On the turn , Markholt moved all-in for his last 65,000, Hastings tanked for a few minutes and called. Markholt flipped over :13c against Hastings’ . The river made no difference and Markholt was busted in fifth place.

Finishing in fourth place was Jeff Madsen. Hastings opened from the button with and Madsen moved all-in from the small blind with . Hastings called and the flop fanned out . Hastings picked up the lead with top pair. The remaining two streets and missed both players and Madsen made his way to the rail.

About an hour later, in a Omaha Hi-Lo hand, Hastings opened from the button and received a 3-bet from Tim Marsters in big blind. Hastings called and the dealer brought the flop . Marsters bet again and Hastings called. The turn brought and Marsters bet for a third time and Hastings went all-in. Marsters called with and held a pair of aces while Hastings had and had hit a straight on the turn with a seven low. The river did not improve Marsters’ hand and he moved on to collect the third place prize money.

With the heads-up play set between Andrew Brown and Brian Hastings, three games of Stud, two of Stud Hi-Lo and Hold’em and a game each of Omaha Hi-Lo and Razz were played, before the final Omaha Hi-Lo hand declared a champion!

On the final hand of the event, Hastings raised from the button and Brown moved all-in with his last 300,000 from big blind. Hastings called with and Brown tabled . The flop opened and Hastings maintained his lead with pocket tens. The turn gave Brown the possibility of nines-up and the outs for a flush draw, but the dashed those chances and Brown was relegated to a runner-up finish while Hastings won the WSOP gold bracelet and the top prize of $233,202.

Brian Hastings
Brian Hastings

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Brian Hastings – $233,202

2. Andrew Brown – $144,128

3. Tim Marsters – $97,340

4. Jeff Madsen – $67,121

5. Lee Markholt – $47,275

6. Hye Park – $34,027

7. Dutch Boyd – $25,040

8. Bruno Fitoussi – $18,849

WSOP 2018 Coverage
WSOP 2018 Coverage

Content and image courtesy: WSOP.com.

Keep following the latest updates from WSOP 2018 right here on PokerGuru!

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3. WSOP 2018: Former Main Event Champion Joe Cada Among Final 6 in Event #65 – $10,000 NLHE Main Event World Championship

WSOP 2018: Guoliang Wei Wins The Little One For One Drop For $559,332, Aditya Sushant Finishes 11th For $37,530 (~₹25.67 Lakhs)

4,732 participated in Event #68: The Little One for One Drop – $1,000 +111 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP), entering through three separate starting flights. The final 14 runners returned on Day 4 and a vigorous battle ensued which ultimately found a champion in China’s Guoliang Wei (cover image).

Having only one score at a WSOP event prior to his The Little One for One Drop victory, Wei had a 163rd place finish in Event #58: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em (30-minute levels) for $1,568 in 2016 to show on his poker resume. But his career-best score of $559,332 in The Little One for One Drop has swelled his tournament series winnings to $560,900. Ranked 28th on the China All Time Money List, Wei has total live earnings of $1,221,674.

Talking about his bracelet win in the post-event interview, Wei said, “I’m excited and happy. It means a lot to me. Poker is booming in China right now. A lot of people watch this game regularly, but only a few of us can be here and compete. We consider poker an epic game, like the World Cup. It’s our dream to come and win a bracelet in Vegas; that’s the only goal.”

Several Indian challengers were seen in action in the event. While poker veterans Paawan Bansal and Aditya Agarwal along with 9stacks qualifier Aditya Singh were unable to make it in the money, 9stacks qualifier Sanjay Taneja (29th for $15,042 – ~₹10.31 Lakhs), Nipun Java (172nd for $3,187 – ~₹2.19 Lakhs), Tarun Ravi (269th for $2,806 – ~₹1.92 Lakhs), Sriharsha Doddapaneni (288th for $2,806 – ~₹1.92 Lakhs) and 9stacks qualifier Mayank Jaggi (429th for $2,025 – ~₹1.39 Lakhs), all cashed in the event.

However, it was bracelet winner Aditya Sushant who re-ignited hopes of a fourth bracelet for the country when he made it to the final day with a stack of 2,385,000.

Sushant had started Day 4 seated at the same table as the Day 3 chip leader Christopher Staats, along with Paul Byrne, Richard Douglas, Richard Cox, Lester Edoc and Renato Kaneoya. In one of the very first hands of the day, Sushant lost 910,000 from his stack. He raised 205,000 from middle position while Cox and Edoc defended their blinds. On the flop , Edoc bet 275,000 and Sushant raised 575,000, as Cox folded. Edoc moved all-in and Sushant mucked his hand.

But soon enough he was able to double up through Byrne as Sushant open-shoved 1,315,000 from the button. Byrne reshoved from the small blind holding against Sushant’s . The runout brought a pair of deuces for Sushant and this lucky break got him 1,325,000 in chips to add to his pile of 2,800,000.

However the Indian pro was unable to make the cut for the final table. On Sushant`s final hand at the event, Kaneoya raised to 240,000 and he 3-bet shoved from the cutoff with 1,235,000. Douglas cold-called from the button and Kaneoya folded. Sushant’s were up against Douglas’ . With the board fanning out , Sushant was only able to pick up a pair of jacks and his deep run ended in 11th place for $37,530 (₹25.67 Lakhs).

Aditya Sushant
Aditya Sushant

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Erwann Pecheux – 12,200,000

2. Richard Douglas – 6,025,000

3. François Tosques – 5,820,000

4. Renato Kaneoya – 5,180,000

5. Christopher Staats – 4,700,000

6. Richard Cox – 3,775,000

7. Sung Joo Hyun – 3,620,000

8. Lester Edoc – 2,940,000

9. Jon Hoellein – 1,560,000

10. Guoliang Wei – 1,320,000

After Richard Douglas eliminated Richard Cox in 10th place for $37,530, the official nine-handed final table was convened.

WSOP 2018 Coverage
WSOP 2018 Coverage

Final Table Recap

Lester Edoc was eliminated on the tenth hand of the final table. François Tosques moved all-in from big blind with and Edoc snap-called with his last 1.9 Million holding . The community cards ran and Tosques found a king on the flop, besting Edoc’s hand and busting him in ninth place.

Three hands after the dinner break, Erwann Pecheux open-shoved 3,700,000 from the cutoff and was met with a re-shove from Tosques for 5,120,000 from the button. Pecheux tabled against his fellow countryman Tosques`s . With the rundown missing both players, one Frenchman railed the other in eighth place.

A few hands into level 36, with the blinds at 150,000/300,000 and ante of 50,000, Renato Kaneoya moved all-in from the cutoff with and was called by Christopher Staats on the button with a better . The flop fell and both player found a pair but Staats was in the lead with his higher two pairs. The turn brought Kaneoya a club flush draw, but on the river , Staats hit a full house and Kaneoya was sent packing in seventh place.

On the 102nd hand, Staats raised from the button and Tosques 3-bet to 2.25 Million from the small blind. Jon Hoellein called with his last 640,000 from the big blind and Staats folded. Tosques tabled vs Hoellein`s . Tosques flopped a top pair of queens with , while Hoellein got a club flush draw. However the and , missed Hoellein’s outs and his run ended in sixth place.

Finishing in fifth place was Richard Douglas. Douglas 3-bet shoved from the button and was immediately called by Tosques from the cutoff. The board dealt , and Douglas’ p3ocket eights lost out to Tosques’ pocket tens.

Five hands later, Sung Joo Hyun joined Douglas to the rail. Tosques raised from under-the-gun and Hyun moved all-in from small blind. Tosques called and the cards were tabled. Hyun held and Tosques had . Tosques hit top pair on the flop and Hyun had the outs for a diamond flush. fell on the turn improving Tosques’ hand and the river sealed Hyun’s fate in fourth place.

Almost an hour later, Christopher Staats shoved all-in from the button and Tosques called from small blind. Staats’ was no match for Tosques’ as he flopped a pair of kings, on the board . Staats moved on to collect the third-place prize money.

The heads-up play between François Tosques (20,650,000) and Guoliang Wei (26,710,000) began with the latter in the chip lead and the batle for the title continued for about 2 hours.

On the 167th hand of the final table, Wei called from the button and received a raise from Tosques in the big blind. Wei called and the flop came . The Frenchman bet and Chinese pro check-raised prompting the former to call. The turn showed , following which Wei bet 8 Million and Tosques moved all-in for 9,250,000. Wei called with and Tosques tabled . Whilst Tosques had three-of-a-kind jacks, Wei held a pair of queens and a spades flush draw. The dealer turned the last board card to show and Wei’s rail erupted in cheers as Wei successfully hit the flush to claim the top prize of $559,332 along with his career-first WSOP gold bracelet.

Guoliang Wei
Guoliang Wei

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Guoliang Wei – $559,332

2. Fracois Tosques – $345,415

3. Christopher Staats – $254,580

4. Sung Joo Hyun – $189,098

5. Richard Douglas – $141,565

6. Jon Hoellein – $106,822

7. Renato Kaneoya – $81,251

8. Erwann Pecheux – $62,299

9. Lester Edoc – $48,157

WSOP 2018 Coverage
WSOP 2018 Coverage

Content and image courtesy: WSOP.com

Keep following the latest updates from WSOP 2018 right here on PokerGuru!

Related Articles:

1. WSOP 2018: Denis Timofeev Wins Event #73: $1,000 DOUBLE STACK No-Limit Hold’em For $199,586

2. WSOP 2018: Aditya Sushant Inches Closer to 2nd Bracelet, Makes Final 14 in The Little One For One Drop

3. WSOP 2018: Event #65 – $10,000 MAIN EVENT – World Championship Reaches Final Table, Former Main Event Champion Joe Cada Eyeing Rare 2nd Title

WSOP 2018: Arne Kern Denies Sam Razavi Bracelet in MILLIONAIRE MAKER

The four-day long Event #21: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em MILLIONAIRE MAKER at the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) finally came to an end in the late hours of June 13. Having begun with a staggering number of 7,361, the final day saw only 17 survivors return to the tables. With a WSOP gold bracelet and top prize of $1,173,223 on the line, the game play was intense from the get go. Ultimately, Germany`s Arne Kern (cover image) was crowned the winner and won his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet.

Kern, who is a relatively new face on the WSOP circuit, has been playing poker since 2014. He had participated in the MILLIONAIRE MAKER last year, which was his first WSOP event, and placed 795th for $2,659. He has total live earnings of $1,229,924.

The runners-up Sam Razavi is a notable personality in the poker community and for all the right reasons. Popular amongst poker players for his humours side, Razavi holds the unprecedented record of winning the Asian Poker Tour ‘Player of The Year’ title four times in a row. Razavi has also participated in several domestic tournaments in Goa including the Poker Sports League. With total live earnings of $1,725,436, the Englishman is ranked 57th on the England All Time Money List.

Sam Razavi
Sam Razavi

India’s Raghav Bansal made the best finish from the Indian camp at the event. Running deep to make it to Day 3, Bansal’s dream run was ended by Ralph Massey in 21st place for $40,898 (~₹27.64 Lakhs). This was Bansal’s second appearance in the MILLIONAIRE MAKER, following his run last year when finished 377th for $4,683 (~₹3.16 Lakhs).

Raghav Bansal
Raghav Bansa

Final Day Recap

Day 4 opened with Chad Hahn leading the remaining 17 players with 6,525,000 in chips, followed by Sean Marshall (6,160,000) and Manuel Ruivo (5,930,000).

In a span of about three hours, eight players were eliminated starting with Manig Loeser (17th place for $51,188), Aaron Messmer (16th place for $51,188), Jared Narzem (15th place for $64,552), Enio Bozzano (14th place for $64,552), Richard Dixon (13th place for $64,552), Michael Finstein (12th place for $82,018), Kelly Wolfe (11th place for $82,018) and Hahn (10th place for $82,018).

Final Table Recap

The final table featured the likes of Sean Marshall, Ralph Massey, Barny Boatman, Manuel Afonso Soares Ruivo, Justin Liberto, Michael Souza, Joe McKeehen, Sam Razavi and Arne Kern with McKeehen leading the way (11,020,000), followed by Liberto (9,570,000) and Ruivo (7,760,000).

Sean Marshall departed early when he moved all-in from the middle position with pocket fives and was called by Barny Boatman in the big blind with . With the board fanning out , Boatman won the pot as Marshall finished in ninth place.

33 hands later, Ralph Massey joined Marshall at the rail. Joe McKeehen raised from under-the-gun which caused Michael Souza to 3-bet from the middle position. Massey jammed with from the button, McKeehen folded as Souza called with pocket rockets putting Massey at risk. The rundown showed ending Massey’s run in eighth place.

It took two more hours to bring about the next elimination. As Barny Boatman shoved all-in from under-the-gun holding , Kern came over the top with and all other players folded. The community cards were tabled giving Kern a two pair of aces and jacks, eliminating Boatman in seventh place.

Two hands later, Manuel Ruivo was busted in sixth place. Ruivo went all-in from the button with pocket nines and Sam Razavi snap called with from the big blind. With the board missing both players, Ruivo was sent to the rails.

On the 94th hand, Justin Liberto was removed from the felts by Michael Souza. Souza raised 800,000 from the button and Liberto jammed holding from the small blind. Souza called with which put Liberto at risk. The flop gave an advantage to Souza with the top pair of aces. The turn gave Liberto hope of hitting a back-door flush but the river could only get him a pair of kings instead which were no match for Souza’s aces.

Michael Souza however was next to go. He limped in from small blind with and Razavi raised from big blind with . Souza shoved all-in and Razavi snap-called. The flop fell and Razavi clipped two pair. Souza was hoping for ace or king next but unfortunately for him the turn and river missed Souza’s outs and he was sent into the arms of his supportive rail in fourth place.

2-time WSOP bracelet winner and former world champion Joe McKeehen’s dreams of a third bracelet came to an end when he moved all-in from small blind with . His move was countered by Kern who called with from the big blind. The showdown brought Kern a pair of nines which won him the pot eliminating McKeehen in third place.

The heads-up play between Sam Razavi and Arne Kern went on for another 62 hands. On the final hand, Kern moved all-in with and Razavi snap-called with . The flop gave Kern hopes of drawing a flush. On the turn , Kern got there with his spades flush and Razavi was already drawing dead. The river officially declared Kern as the champion while Razavi was relegated to the rail in second place.

Arne Kern
Arne Kern

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Arne Kern – $1,173,223

2. Samad Razavi – $724,756

3. Joe McKeehen – $538,276

4. Michael Souza – $402,614

5. Justin Liberto – $303,294

6. Manuel Afonso Soares Ruivo – $230,120

7. Barny Boatman – $175,865

8. Ralph Massey – $135,383

9. Sean Marshall – $104,987

Content & image courtesy WSOP.com

Keep following the latest updates from WSOP 2018 right here on PokerGuru!

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1. WSOP 2018: Raghav Bansal Finishes 21st in Millionaire Maker For ₹27.64 Lakhs

2. WSOP 2018: Brian Rast Clinches 4th Bracelet in $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship, Brunson Finishes 6th

3. Catching Up With History-Maker Sam Razavi, As He Takes APT Player of the Year Title for 3rd Year in a Row

Industry Talk: PokerStars India CEO Ankur Dewani on Company’s Plans & Association With GPL India

From being an avid poker player to the newly appointed CEO of Sachiko Gaming Pvt. Ltd (PokerStars India), Ankur Dewani (cover image) is in the thick of things within the Indian poker community. Being a poker enthusiast himself, who had participated in several live and online tournaments collecting total live earnings of $16,621 and a ranking of 194th on the India All Time Money List, Dewani has both the recreational and professional poker players best interests at heart.

Talking about India’s current poker scenario, the young CEO believes that although poker in India is in a nascent stage, it is on the rise. He explains how PokerStars India is trying to not only inspire the youth interested in the mind sport but also striving to provide a platform to the existing talent to display their prowess through live and online events.

He gives us a preview of all the exciting offerings that have been lined up by PokerStars India which includes the launch of the 5 Card Omaha variant and ₹25 Lakhs GTD Sunday Special and the assurance that the number of flagship events will be increased. He further shares his opinion on the disparity that exists in the supply and demand of online poker sites that may benefit players but does not benefit the industry. He also shares his views on how GPL India will help promote the game among the youth of the country by encouraging them to participate and allowing them a chance to meet their poker idols.

He also talks about the need for the state governments to support the poker industry for it to prosper. Here are excerpts from our conversation with him.

Hello Ankur, thank you for speaking with PokerGuru. Congratulations on the grand launch of PokerStars India. How do you look at Indian poker market and PokerStars brand’s presence in the country?

We are very excited to have finally brought PokerStars to India. It’s heartening to see the growth of Poker, and it is 100% thanks to early adopters, enthusiasts and those that have discovered a passion for the game. Obviously, it’s been well supported by the industry operators and hopefully PokerStars India will be the next growth catalyst for the game.

There has been comments from many in the Indian poker community that the PokerStars India launch was disappointing. You started off very aggressive with a ₹10 Lakhs welcome freeroll, huge guaranteed events and high value deposit codes but somehow the promotions seemed to have slowed down recently. What is the reason for the same?

I want to preface this by saying I am a poker player first, and fully understand the expectations. We launched with a very generous deposit offer, that is still ongoing, and the biggest freeroll ever in Indian poker history. We had a record breaking 3,387 registrations, which is a big win for Poker.

We always want to make sure we provide the best possible experience, so we wanted to focus on getting things right for players! With that taken care of, we are redoubling our efforts and concentrating on bringing exciting promotions and activities, such as our partnership with the GPL.

What can the Indian poker players expect from PokerStars India this Summer and even later this year?

We have a bunch of exciting initiatives lined up!

Following on from your previous question I’m glad to announce that starting tomorrow we’re ramping up our weekly schedule and introducing some very high value deposit offers. Our Sunday Special will change from ₹12 Lakhs GTD to ₹25 Lakhs GTD becoming the biggest weekly Sunday main across the board. Additionally, there will be a few other featured tournaments on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, totalling to over ₹1.2 Crore GTD every week.

We try to listen to what players are saying and have responded to requests to provide similar events to the ₹10 Lakhs welcome freeroll, which incidentally had the biggest field in the country. Players want the excitement of competing against a large field, and to emulate the experience, we have introduced a Saturday Eliminator that has a ₹500 buy-in with a ₹5 Lakhs GTD (1000x) Progressive Knockout. To make it even juicier, players who deposit over ₹2,500 in a week can enter for free using one of our new deposit codes. These will run until August! More to follow but it’s too soon to comment and I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

You recently roped in Muskan Sethi as brand ambassador of PokerStars India. What will be her role? Are you planning on adding more Team Pros to your rooster this year?

Muskan has been working really hard at her game, and her dedication, love for the sport and PokerStars brand has shone through over the last few years. She’s not only one of the first few female poker players in India, but her energy and drive to promote the game is what is most exciting for us. Not to mention her recent accolades and recognition by the President of India! Our role is to simply enable her and provide a platform to create awareness and create educational content to help those looking to learn more about the sport. But more about this will be revealed in the weeks to come.

Team Pros are a key part of our ecosystem and we absolutely plan on adding more Stars to the roster, albeit possibly in a slightly different format.

PokerStars.com continuously introduces new formats and variants of the game like the recently introduced Showtime Holdem. Can the same be expected from PokerStars India?

Absolutely, in fact we have just launched our 5 Card Omaha variant just last week! There’s a lot more planned and we will make sure Indian players get to experience the latest and best in poker innovation.

Tell us about PokerStars India`s association with GPL India.

We’re very excited to partner with GPL and our objective is to provide a free to play platform for enthusiasts across the country. Starting from June 25th, anyone can participate in GPL’s Online Qualifiers to vie for a spot in or simply play with some of the most respected players in Indian Poker.

The winning team will receive ₹1 crore (5 packages worth ₹20 lac each) and be eligible to participate in the PokerStars Players Championship that will be held in January 2019. The championship has a prize pool of over ₹65 crores! This is a life changing opportunity for anyone and I wish I could’ve participated!

Please share your views on GPL India format. What are your predictions/expectations from Season 1 of GPL India?

The aim is to make poker accessible, mainstream and to include the widest audience, hence free to play with a long schedule giving everyone enough opportunity to participate and back their favorite city, mentor, or just for a shot the massive PSPC prize pool.

In terms of expectations, we want to add as many new names and faces to poker as possible, but this is just our first year and it’s hard to gauge what numbers it will attract.

I am going to refrain from making any predictions, whilst I want my home city Mumbai to win, with such skillful mentors all around I’d be a fool to discount any team!

Many claim that India is one of the next high potential poker market. What are your views here?

India is surely one of the final frontiers for poker and there is no doubt in my mind that our poker boom hasn’t started yet. It’s still a very niche sport played by a small number of people (in the grander scheme of things).

Our goal setting up PokerStars India was to think of ways to help make poker accessible and mainstream. By 2020, we want to be able to have added at least 8-10x new poker players to the community.

After the online poker boom, we have seen a decline in live events being hosted in the country and turnout figures as well. Online sites offer way more guarantees and are hosted much more frequently. Do you think online poker will make live poker redundant in a country like India, given the taxes and traveling overheads?

Live tournaments play a vital role in the discovery or retention of the game. Whilst online may work for many because of convenience and frequency of high value tournaments, the overall experience of a live event is impossible to replicate. Live poker is more about an experience rather than the availability of a game.

There are cost implications and various factors to consider, but we need to start separating the two rather than comparing them as both offer different things. Travelling for a tournament isn’t just about profitability, it is a great way to socialize and stay in touch with the community, exchange thoughts on strategy and so on. New players get to meet some of their idols, attend unforgettable player parties, and who doesn’t like a holiday!

There are a lot of new poker sites that are opening every week in India. Do you feel there is room for new entrants to grow in the current environment?

In my honest opinion, there’s surely an imbalance in the supply versus demand at the moment. Over the last few years at least 20 or more sites have mushroomed (most didn’t survive) and all seem to be fighting for the same market share, as a result giving away tons and tons of value in guarantees and reload offers to the same set of players.Whilst this benefits the players, I’m not convinced that’s the right approach. It would be better if we used those resources to create more awareness about poker and help grow the community instead.

Unless sites can provide something which is a massive differentiator, I am not sure how so many sites can survive.

What are your views on the overall poker ecosystem in the country? What according to you lacks currently and what can be done about the same?

The poker ecosystem in India is young so it’s a time for growing, nurturing and learning. What’s important is to ensure that that the conditions are right on the industry side and that means making sure that players are well protected. PokerStars India offers responsible gaming, player protection and fraud detection mechanisms to help ensure the integrity of games and the safety of players

Regulation is an absolute must, of course. We, at PokerStars India, adhere to best practices and having regulation in place means that other approved operators will also have to be accountable when it comes to player protection and adhering to advertising codes and standards. Personally, I’d like to see support from local government bodies for live poker events, but it’s still early days.

What is your vision for PokerStars India in say 2 years from now?

We want to grow the game by making it available to all. We want people to enjoy the sport like it is enjoyed all over the world, alongside other much-loved mind sports and games of skill. I’d love to see poker growing three, four, five times over but our focus is on doing things right for the customer. If new players enjoy the game and experience, then word of mouth will spread. We’ll focus on doing what’s right and hopefully the community will grow along with us.

Any parting words or anything you would like to add?

Get involved – the GPL starts in a couple of weeks and is a great way to start off a poker career and support your city.

Dewani signs off!

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

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