This Week in Poker: Highlights from the Indian Poker Scene
Welcome to This Week in Poker! This weekly recap aims to bring you the latest and most significant scores by Indian MTT players alongside the top stories from both live and online poker circuits. This week, there’s a lot to cover, from tournament victories to trending stories that have the poker world buzzing. Let’s dive straight into the highlights!
Deltin Poker Tournament (DPT) Grand Returns to Goa
This past week marked the Deltin Poker Tournament (DPT)’s grand comeback. Rebranded as the DPT Grand, this highly anticipated event took place in the picturesque surroundings of Goa at the luxurious Casino Deltin Royale. Promising grander prizes and multiple tournaments, the DPT Grand is hosted with an exciting twist—the introduction of five coveted DPT bracelets, reminiscent of the prestigious World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets.
The inaugural event kicked off on October 22, featuring 15 thrilling tournaments. The spotlight of the opening day was on two premier events: the ₹11K DPT Grand Rush and the ₹40K Mystery Bounty.
Triumph of Sagar Raj
Emerging victorious on the very first day was Sagar Raj, who clinched the DPT Grand Rush title, pocketing a career-best ₹18.31 Lakhs along with the prestigious first-ever DPT bracelet. Sagar’s impressive performance showcased his online prowess, having already racked up over ₹2.50 Crores in winnings this year alone. His path to victory involved outmaneuvering a competitive field of 96 players, ultimately defeating Ramji Kishore G heads-up, who took home ₹13 Lakhs as the runner-up prize.
Caption: Sagar Raj, DPT Grand Rush Winner
The Mystery Bounty Event
The ₹40K Mystery Bounty drew a substantial crowd with 137 entries. After an intense Day 1, Chirag Sodha emerged victoriously following a three-way deal at the final showdown, securing his name in history and earning ₹5.18 Lakhs. Other notable mentions include Debayan Das and Kishore Kumar, who walked away with ₹4.15 Lakhs and ₹6.64 Lakhs, respectively.
Caption: Chirag Sodha, Mystery Bounty Event Winner
Success at EPT Cyprus
Meanwhile, from October 14-20, the 2024 PokerStars EPT Cyprus captivated players at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. Among the winners was the German pro Oliver Weis who triumphed in the $5,300 EPT Cyprus Main Event, taking home an impressive $1.03 million and marking his third significant title of the year.
Another standout from the Indian contingent was poker powerhouse Santhosh Suvarna, whose determination took him to 21st place in the main event, earning $31,940 (~₹26.85 Lakhs). Additionally, he turned heads with three more significant cash finishes throughout the series, accumulating a total of $113,640 (~₹95.94 Lakhs).
Caption: Oliver Weis, EPT Cyprus Main Event Winner
Indian Contingent at APPT Manila Championship
On the Asian poker circuit, Indian players made remarkable contributions to the PokerStars LIVE APPT Manila Championship 2024 hosted at Okada Manila. The team racked up a whopping nine cashes, including Pranav Agrawal clinching his first live title, earning ₱207,200 (~₹3.03 Lakhs) in Event #13 after a heated heads-up deal.
Caption: Pranav Agrawal, Winner at APPT Manila Championship
Online Poker Scene Heats Up
Back home, the online poker arena was fully electrified by PokerBaazi’s 10th Anniversary celebrations and high-stakes tournaments hosted by Natural8 India.
Top Online Performers
Our spotlight this week shines on Akash Malik, who skyrocketed to the top of the online leaderboard claiming ₹18.03 Lakhs through six deep runs, including an impressive sixth-place finish in Natural8’s Sunday Grande Main Event for ₹9.13 Lakhs.
Caption: Akash Malik, Top Online Winner
Other noteworthy online winners of the week included Shouryaanga, who won ₹18.72 Lakhs in the Zodiac Sunday Main Event, and Uttam Gope, who secured ₹15 Lakhs in the MoneyMaker event.
Comprehensive Online Rankings
| Player | Prize Amount | Event | Poker Site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shouryaanga | ₹18.72 Lakhs | Zodiac Sunday Main Event | Natural8 India |
| Uttam Gope | ₹15 Lakhs | The MoneyMaker ₹1 Crore GTD | PokerBaazi |
| Premnath | ₹12.52 Lakhs | The Weekender Omaholic Bounty 54 | Natural8 India |
Important News: India’s Gaming Industry Update
In groundbreaking news for India’s real-money gaming industry, a new system called "The Skill Games Framework" has been introduced. This framework aims to classify online real-money games based on objective criteria, utilizing a data-driven approach developed through collaboration with prominent statistician Dr. Bimal Roy. Not just a game change—this is a landmark step for the burgeoning online gaming market!
Caption: Dr. Bimal Roy, Developer of the Skill Games Framework
The PokerGO Tour Comes Back
The PokerGO Tour (PGT) returned to glamour with the PGT PLO Series II, featuring top players vying for glory at the iconic PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. Notable performances included Matthew Wantman, who excelling at Event #3 and also earned the series champion title with the most PGT points.
Wrapping Up
This week’s poker news showcased not only the triumphs of our native Indian players but also highlighted the vibrant ongoing developments in the global poker landscape. Whether it was thrilling live tournaments or remarkable online successes, the spirit of competition continues to flourish.
Stay tuned for more updates and until next week, may the cards be ever in your favor!
