PokerGuru Top 5: Interviews That Rocked 2017

PokerGuru Top 5
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  • PG News December 29, 2017
  • 4 Minutes Read

It’s certainly been a historic year for Indian poker and there was barely any month that passed by without news about our Indian challengers, who made a mark, both on the national and the international fronts. Whether it’s live or online, the players were at it and as a result, we saw the biggest year for poker in the country till date!

India got its hands on the first WSOP bracelet, online sites took the whole country by storm with their massive guaranteed events and our challengers made their presence felt all around the globe!

So, continuing our annual tradition, we bring you the top 5 interview pieces published this year by PokerGuru! Must admit, the choices were tough, with so many interesting personnel and their extraordinary stories. Finally, these five made the list for significant reasons, as you will discover below.

 

1. PokerStars Pro Aditya Agarwal – His Association With GPL India, His Summer Grind in Las Vegas & PokerStars India

India’s pioneering pro and Team PokerStars pro Aditya Agarwal needs no introduction. Agarwal has had an illustrious 12-year career playing professional poker and a long list of achievements on his poker resume.

This has been another breakout year for Agarwal as he made his first official World Series of Poker (WSOP) final table. On his 11th annual pilgrimage, Agarwal cashed an incredible ten times!

Aditya Agarwal
Aditya Agarwal

The soft-spoken Kolkata native was announced as the manager of the first-ever Global Player League (formerly Global Poker League) India leading his hometown team – Kolkata Creators.

The interview with PokerGuru perfectly captured his long summer grind, his views on the Indian performance at WSOP, association with GPL India, his views on the impending entry of online giant PokerStars in India and what is currently wrong in the Indian Market.

On the growth of WSOP as a series, Agarwal aptly said, “The series has evolved a lot and the structures have changed. The formats have changed, the variance has changed, the fields have changed, and so it’s been an interesting eleven years at WSOP. A lot has changed and a lot for the better, so it’s a great series and looking forward for it again next year”

On the maiden bracelet winners, Agarwal said, “It was quite an amazing WSOP for the Indian contingent. I think with the numbers increasing every year, the results are going to show. Also, the standard of play in India is getting better.

I think it’s only a matter of time before the Indian poker players break out on the scene.

Three bracelets yes, Nipun (Java) won two and Sushi (Aditya Sushant) won one, so it was really amazing. Even though I didn’t win the first bracelet from India I was very happy with Sushi and Nipun winning. They definitely put India on the map and I was quite emotional. Now that we have got our first, hopefully we will get some more and I can win one too.”

Read the complete interview here.

 

2. Aditya Sushant – On India’s First WSOP Bracelet and WSOP experience

One of the earliest generations of poker pros that followed pioneer Aditya Agarwal, Aditya Sushant seems to have cracked the poker code. He made the entire country proud this year after clinching the first WSOP gold bracelet of the country after he teamed up with Nipun Java and shipped the $1,000 Tag Team at WSOP 2017. Even better, he went on to make another final table finish! What a beast, right?

Aditya Sushant
Aditya Sushant

We caught up with Sushant after his return and he aptly summed up his experience and his mindset post the victory.

He started by sharing his feelings, “It obviously feels very amazing, it was both an honor and a privilege to have been the first one to get the bracelet for the country. I am overjoyed and very happy. I remember screaming out in joy right after the last hand. I ran up to the rail, gave a hug to Nipun (Java) and I was just overwhelmed with emotions. It was such an amazing moment.”

He mentioned how Aditya Agarwal was responsible for the idea behind the pairing of the champion duo. He revealed, “The pairing with Nipun actually happened by chance. I wasn’t really playing anything and was looking for somebody to pair up with for the Tag Team event. On the day of the team’s event I was speaking to Adi who said that why don’t you try to talk to Nipun as he is busy with the colossus event. I spoke to Nipun again, he was like, yea sure you can go ahead and register the team. It’s going to be you playing for now, you being the captain and I will come later.”

The Chennai based poker phenom (Sushant) even mentioned Agarwal in his bracelet acceptance speech. To PokerGuru he said, “Adi has helped shape my poker journey so far, he was my first mentor and he has helped me both shape and define my poker journey so I will be forever grateful to him for that. He has played a major role and he really got me going specially when it comes to online poker.”

Read the complete interview here.

 

3. Nipun Java – On India’s First WSOP Bracelet & A Worthwhile Advice to Young Players

The second half of India’s first WSOP bracelet winners was Nipun Java who claimed not just one but two of those shining beauties.

Together with Sushant, Java created history by becoming the first Indians to win the bracelet. Java then went on to do the unimaginable and claimed a second gold bracelet after winning $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em Championship!

Nipun Java
Nipun Java

PokerGuru couldn’t miss the chance to bring you his story and well he started with, “It feels amazing to win two bracelets. I recognize that there is a lot of luck factor involved in poker and feel very fortunate that I was able to win two titles this series. I have put in the hard work but the fact that you win two in one summer – it’s a crazy coincidence. I am very happy and really grateful.”

On his bracelet partner, the L.A resident Java said, “My bracelet partner, I love sushi. Aditya ‘donkab0mber’ Sushant was my bracelet partner whom I have known for a few years now and I have seen him grow as a person and as a poker player.He has lost a lot of weight this year and I can see the focus that he brings to the table and I’m really happy that he was my partner. He closed out the event and needled me that he won it for me so I had to get the second bracelet to prove that I can win something on my own which is kind of funny.”

Java didn’t leave without giving a few important tips for budding poker talent. He said, “I think being successful and good in poker involves a lot of good and smart decision-making both on and off the poker tables. Don’t know if people realize that you really need to be smart about things besides your poker game and skill. You need to handle your emotions, making good decisions with your bankroll.

Surrounding yourself with smart people and seeking their advice is very important.

Poker players are known to have a big ego and its part of the game because you need ego to win but at the same time ego is a roadblock in getting better. The day you start thinking that you have figured it out, it’s probably going to be downhill from there.

Keep looking on your game and your fitness. Put your best effort into the game and the game will reward you eventually. Don’t complain, done blame your luck as all these are not in your control.

My belief is that anyone who puts in the maximum effort is bound to succeed.”

Read the complete interview here.

 

4. Devesh Thapar – Winning The MoneyMaker and Gaining Family’s Support

This one was not that hard to pick. A 22-year-old shipping India’s biggest online tournament till date – that’s Delhi’s Devesh Thapar for you. Thapar was also one of our latest Young Gun`s and boy was his story an inspiring one.

Devesh Thapar
Devesh Thapar

From leaving Law college to pursuing poker full time, he knew his struggles and so did his family who were initially against Thapar`s career choice of going the unconventional route. He firmly says, “my dad knows what it takes, he believes there is no shortcut to money. They don’t have a legacy to pass on to me and were worried that I am leaving my studies to play a game that they didn’t understand back then.”

Well, in his own words – “There was no bankroll, just a will and a wish to play.”

It wasn’t until he shipped PokerBaazi’s The MoneyMaker that he got to hear the golden words from his Dad. First “Acche se khelna”, then “tilt kyun ho raha hai?” and finally “Well done, beta”. Thapar didn’t just create history, he finally made his dad proud.

He told PokerGuru – “I backed out on studies, I compromised my career and that day it all came together and it was worth it.”

Read the complete interview here.

 

5. Anuj Gupta – Setting Up India’s Largest Poker Site Adda52 and A First-Of-A-Kind Collaboration with Delta Corp

Imagine talking with your friends about India’s largest online poker site and how much you enjoyed playing on it. Well, now imagine being the one to take a calculated risk and setting up the platform at a time where poker in the country was far from even a recognized business.

We caught up with Adda52 co-founder Anuj Gupta in November where he spilled the beans on the hurdles he faced setting up India`s largest online poker site.

Anuj Gupta
Anuj Gupta

Gupta admitted that convincing the ecosystem about the legality of Poker in India was a tough task. He told PokerGuru, “The going was not easy in the beginning as it was difficult to convince the ecosystem about the legality of Poker in India. We had to literally educate our investors, banks and everyone around by showing the legal framework. We had to educate the people about the difference between gambling and games of skill.”

But, man did those efforts pay off with Adda52 getting acquired by gaming and hospitality giant Delta Corp for a whopping ₹223.9 crores (paid partly in cash and rest in equity)!

His ideology is simple, “The aim is to create the largest Poker eco-system that is committed to providing the players the best poker experience across all platforms in a safe and secure way.”

Read the complete interview here.

 

We would like to state that each and every one of our pieces in 2017 were excellently spoken by our guests and unique in their own way. We look forward to bringing you many more such features in 2018.

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