Poker is a mind game that is being embraced by Indians as a viable, and lucrative, profession now. Playing cards has been a popular hobby and somewhat of a tradition in India. But only in recent years has poker emerged from the shadow of gambling. It is now being recognised as a game, a sport that requires a specific set of skills and talent. Thanks to various online gaming websites and other platforms, the right kind of guidance is available these days for aspiring poker players.
The Global Poker League (GPL), hosted across America and Europe, is where the world’s best poker players compete online. The event has now expanded to India. GPL India is touted to be a premier poker league on a quest to search India’s next poker star. The venture is owned by Mediarex Sports and Entertainment, and is organised in association with PokerStars India, an online poker platform. The league has been launched here and will be broadcast soon on an Indian TV channel.
Rajat Agarwal, India head of GPL, commented about the brand arrival in India. He said, “After a successful inaugural debut about three years back, we wanted to expand more. In India, the best part about online gaming is accessibility. The metro cities are showing a robust growth and have a citable market. On the other hand, tier-two cities don’t have such facilities. Hence, the platform is effective as one only requires internet connection and a smartphone to learn and play.”
GPL India features six region-specific teams, namely Kolkata Creators, Pune Alphas, Chennai Sharks, Delhi Diehards, Mumbai Jetsetters and Bengaluru Hackers. The league started with weekly online qualifiers on PokerStars India, out of which 10 players were selected for each team. This made a total of 60 players who were further screened at GPL Bootcamp in New Delhi on 9 September. So now, there are two players per team who have been chosen over the ten qualifiers.
The teams will now compete for the Season-1 Championship to win poker tickets worth Rs 20 lakhs, and a chance to bag Rs 1 crore by playing in the Players No Limit Hold’em Championship in the Bahamas next year.
Even though the Indian poker industry is still at a nascent stage, the perspective on poker’s association with gambling is changing. Not many people know that the Public Gambling Act, 1857, classified as gambling only those games in which there is a high dependence on chance and little room for skills. But poker relies wholly on skills and doesn’t fit this bill. It has positioned itself as a legitimate mind sport accepted by a large audience.
Ankur Dewani, CEO of Sachiko Gaming Pvt. Ltd., which operates PokerStars India, told us about the current poker scene in India. He said, “PokerStars India was launched in April following a long market research. We found that the local backdrop is suitable. It is a fast growing industry today and the game is rapidly increasing its reach. There is education, marketing and awareness in the field. Some people play it for a living, some for the entertainment; but people should know what the game is about. We are trying to work with the government to get poker recognised as a sport at the national level.”
As for the basics of the game, there are in all 52 cards from which 1,000 virtual combinations can be created. The beauty of the game lies in the opportunities it creates for players to manoeuvre their way towards victory. One requires the right combination of skills, speculation and strategy to do well in this game.
The advantage with online poker is that the games can be tracked easily, so there are no safety issues. Here, established and amateur poker players can compete against one another without worrying. Whether your interest in poker is recreational or professional, opportunities abound in the online space. What adds to the safety factor are policies related to responsible gaming, player protection and fraud detection.
PokerStars India offers a variety of tournaments, including free entry games for players who want to begin from scratch. Such games include Depositor Freeroll, Weekly Stars Rewards Freeroll, etc. The GPL series was one such chance for players to play for free.
PokerStars School, a free online poker learning website for the Indian market, is also helping the poker scene in the country. It is a community of experienced players, who frequently interact with beginners, share their knowledge, give tips and discuss the basics of poker with them. This helps poker enthusiasts to get the nuances of the game right. The community also hosts live training sessions by poker pros Aditya Agarwal and Muskan Sethi. Besides this, the site also carries informative videos and new strategy-related content on poker.
Aditya Agarwal, Ambassador, PokerStars India, who built his career by playing poker online, shared some insights on the scope of such platforms for aspiring poker players. He said, “Gaming websites are player-friendly. Previously, poker used to be taught live and it was hard to get proper training. Now, one can learn it for free and participate in tournaments to win real money. The game has become easier and accessible due to technology.”
So is it the right time to be a professional poker player in India? Agarwal concluded, “It’s the best time. The industry is booming. There is a lot of scope for new and upcoming players. Even established players can do very well. People have come together to get the game regulated. Standards are being set for player safety and to maintain the integrity of the game.”