GUTSHOT APRIL 2021 ISSUE

Volume 2 | Issue 4 | Mumbai |

www.gutshotmagazine.com

April 2021 | Pages 42

A ‘MEGA’ DISRUPTER ENTERS INDIAN REAL-MONEY GAMING LIVE POKER RETURNS

KEEPING THE ‘AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT’ SPIRIT IN GAMING

SIDDHARTH KARIA: SCHEMING WITH ALL GUNS BLAZING

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CONTENTS

05

Editor’s Note

08

Poker News

09

Rummy News

10

Fantasy Sports News

11

Esports News

POKER:

12

Skill Meets Brawn In PokerBaazi Boxing Match

31-32 A ‘Mega’ Disrupter Enters Indian

Real-Money Gaming

RUMMY: 26-28 Does Online Rummy Have A Future in India?

29-30 Nostragamus: A Prophetic Driving Force

20-21 I Came, I Saw, I Conquered:

Saurabh Ramola 22

Live Poker Returns To India!

COVER STORY:

14-19 Siddharth Karia: Scheming With

All Guns Blazing

SPECIAL FEATURES:

23- 25 Keeping The ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’

Spirit In Gaming

COVER STORY:

Siddharth Karia:

Scheming With All Guns Blazing

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MOBILE GAMING:

33-35 Indian Gaming League: Up And At ‘Em 36-37 Moving Onwards & Upwards

ESPORTS:

FANTASY SPORTS:

38-39 Ultimate Battle: Fighting Its Way To

The Top

40-41 A Phenomenal ‘PlayerzPot’

In The Making

EDIT

EDITOR’S NOTE

www.gutshotmagazine.com

April 2021

Volume 2

Issue 4

RMG + LIFESTYLE

MANAGING EDITOR Sameer Rattonsey EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Peter Abraham CONTENT Manthra Koliyer Donna Amo Mrinal Gujare Athira Laji CONTENT STRATEGY Shriya Ghate DESIGN HB Design Pvt. Ltd. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sajid Moinuddin

Volume 2 I Issue 4 APRIL 2021

Cover Shivonne Flanagan

Printed and Published by: Peter Abraham for Gutshot Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., S/6-8 Khira Industrial Estate, B.M.Bhargava Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai-400054 Gutshot Magazine is not responsible for the opinions or views expressed by individuals or writers that may be included in any part of Gutshot Magazine. The views expressed are for encourage - ment and entertainment purposes only.

By being an author on this site all writers transfers copyright ownership of the manuscript to Gutshot Magazine. for publication in print, on line and in downloadable form. Permission is also given to publish all subsequent electronic media, reprints, and any other subsidiary print rights worldwide of this article for Gutshot Magazine. The author(s) will have the unrestricted right to reuse this material on condition that credits are included for prior publication in Gutshot Magazine, to include the issue and date of publication. Interviews are the personal opinions of the interviewee and are not necessarily the views of Gutshot Magazine or it’s Publishers Gutshot Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. take no responsibility for any of their answers or comments. All interviews are subject to editing spelling, grammar, and any content that is not useful may be disregarded when posted/published.

Gutshot Magazine reserves the right to change, update this disclaimer and policy at will without any notice.

March madness has ended with the usual rush for everyone to file their taxes in time. And now that April beckons the new financial year, we hope that it’s a prosperous one for everyone with things hopefully moving towards normal with the second stage of vaccination having started.

The good news with that is now there is light at the end of the tunnel with live poker events set to start this year and we bring you some information on that in these pages. But the action as usual continues online and our cover feature is a player who has been blazing the virtual felts for the past several months now.

Siddharth Karia, who won the Main Event at the recent Final Table Series 2.0, just added one more feather to his quite loaded hat and he shows no signs of slowing down as we talk to him about his recent achievements and future plans.

Plenty more of the good stuff across these pages with content from esports, rummy, fantasy gaming and even boxing! In keeping with the mantra of Aatmanirbhar, the Indian gaming industry too has been taking steps in being creators and disruptors which we have a couple of features on. The second (or is it just a really extended first?) wave of Covid-19 is now causing some jitters with an increase in positive cases.

However, vaccines are rolling out and we still need to follow necessary protocol so be vigilant even if you have received the jab.

Till next time, stay safe and keep crushing!

PETER ABRAHAM Editor-In-Chief GUTSHOT

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ADVISORY BOARD

ADVISORY BOARD As a part of our journey to develop into a world-class publication with the highest reputation, we happily present Gutshot Magazine’s first Editorial Advisory Board members. These thought leaders in their areas of expertise will vitalise the editorial scope and focus of the magazine and will be our eyes and ears to the Real Money Gaming industry.

Amin Rozani, MD, Spartan Group

Siddhant Sumon, CEO, PokerHigh

Karan Vig, Head of Production, Mind Sports League

Richard Haridasoham, Poker expert and commentator

Muskan Sethi, Professional Poker Player Responsible Gaming Ambassador

Ramesh Rao Thotapalli, Casino Pride 1 Poker Room

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POKER NEWS

World Series of Poker and 888 Extend Their Partnership Till 2026 In a recent announcement, 888 Holdings PLC and Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) which owns the World Series of Poker (WSOP) will be extending their business partnership for another five years.

This means that 888’s software will continue to power the WSOP online network till the year 2026.

Since 2013, 888 has been supporting the WSOP online client along with being its official sponsor for live festivals for the last six years.

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GGPoker To Host A Mega USD 150 Million GG Spring Festival GGPoker, one of the biggest online poker platforms in the world, has announced that it will be hosting a Spring Festival this April.

To promote the massive event, the platform has partnered with deadmau5, a popular Canadian musician and music producer, to kick start the event. The almost month-long event will run from 4 – 25 April. The event will host a USD 100K Freeroll Houseparty and will be streaming an exclusive music set on GGPokerTV. Poker players will also be able to challenge the star in a USD 10K GG Legends Bounty Tournament. Players can expect a total prize pool of USD 150 Million for this online poker festival.

PokerStars Postpones Its Players NLHM Championship Due To COVID-19

The highly anticipated second edition of PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC) has now been indefinitely postponed by the poker platform. The live poker event which was rescheduled from its initial 2020 date has now been kept on hold due the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The next location of the PSPC event was Barcelona. According to organizers, the uncertainty of the pandemic in Europe and the concern for the health and safety of their guests compelled the organizers to take a tough call of postponing the event. However, PokerStars assured disappointed poker fans that the event will be back once the time is right.

RUMMY NEWS

Vishal Gondal faces police complaint over comment on real money gaming platforms nCore Games’ Vishal Gondal tweeted about online gambling apps a few weeks ago and received legal notices for accusing real money gaming players. He was sent six identical notices by online rummy players. Notices claiming damages of upto INR 70 Lakh have been sent to Gondal for his comment on online rummy platforms. Gondal’s lawyer highlighted that several real money gaming platform users lose a significant amount of cash. This legal issue between Gondal and real money gaming platforms took place at a time when several state governments have been imposing a ban on online gaming portals.

Uttar Pradesh plans to enact a law to control online gambling Uttar Pradesh state government will be enacting a law to regulate online gaming and online gambling as the central government will be scrapping the Public Gambling Act 1867. This will mandate the state government to issue laws to control gambling. Chairman of state law commission, AN Mittal told a media organization that a draft is being prepared to look into this law stringently. The law will also have special provisions to keep a check on online gambling. With this, Uttar Pradesh will become the latest state to address the subject of online gambling and the state has joined the bandwagon along with Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Rummy Culture collaborates with sports legends to promote a campaign

Rummy Culture, founded by GamesKraft has introduced a campaign called ‘Champions yahan bhi bante hain, Rummy Culture, Champions ka culture.’

This campaign aims at breaking the taboos surrounding rummy and features legendary sports stars like Harbhajan Singh, Abhinav Bindra, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Pankaj Advani. GamesKraft’s vision is to change the way people perceive rummy in India.

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FA N TA SY S P O R T S N E W S

LivePools Rebrands As BLITZPOOLS Mumbai-based fantasy sports app, LivePools has rebranded itself as BLITZPOOLS. BLITZPOOLS recently received a large investment from Interactive Games Technologies (formerly i3 Interactive Inc.), a gaming company based in Canada. “We are very optimistic about our investment and will further aim to establish a strong foothold in the Indian fantasy gaming market. Prioritizing our customer, we will continue to create a world-class

product for the Indian audience. We will offer industry-leading bonuses for all existing players as they migrate from LivePools to BLITZPOOLS. All new players are welcome and BLITZPOOLS will offer best in class bonuses, worldclass product innovation and customer support,” said a spokesperson from IGT. As part of its rebranding, BLITZPOOLS has brought on Wriddhiman Saha, Rahul Chahar, Shreyas Gopal and Ishan Kishan as ambassadors.

Ajinkya Rahane joins My11Circle as ambassador Ahead of the Indian T20 League in April, My11Circle has appointed Indian cricketer, Ajinkya Rahane, as brand ambassador. With this appointment, Rahane joins Saurav Ganguly, Shane Watson, Rashid Khan and VVS Laxman as part of the MyCircle11 family. “I am really excited to partner with My11Circle that offers a truly personalised game experience to fantasy sports enthusiasts. Fantasy cricket has gained immense popularity amongst cricket fans, especially those who have a deep understanding of the game. The passion and love of cricket fans for the sport is the biggest strength of the game, and in that sense, I am delighted to collaborate with a brand, which is committed to making cricket fans feel special,” said Rahane. MyCircle11 is owned by Games 24x7 which also operates RummyCircle and Ultimate Games. It is considered to be one of the top gaming operators in India today.

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Majority wants online fantasy sports to be regulated says LocalCircles 68% respondents in a study

by LocalCircles said that they would like online fantasy sports platforms (OFSPs) to be regulated by government guidelines. The survey took responses from 50,000 Indians across 309 Indian districts.

More surprisingly, only 12%

respondents felt that fantasy sports was not a game of skill, while 67% felt that it was gambling. The study comes on the heels of the NITI Ayog paper which discussed the regulation of online gaming.

ESPORTS NEWS

Team Vitality Announces All-Indian CODM Roster Europe’s most famous esports brand, Team Vitality, has announced an all new Indian team for its Call of Duty Mobile (CoDM) roster. This move has come as a part of its expansion plans in India. The new team will consist of captain Arav ‘MonK’ Narang and team mates Armaan ‘Moonscope’ Dharni, Akshan ‘Argon’ Madhani, Priyank ‘DEATH’ Birajdar, Samruddha ‘SAMS’ Ghadge and Samartha Ganesh ‘JOKOs’ Ghadge. The team will be managed

by Melson ‘mello’ Miranda, a popular esports content maker, and coached by Harnoor ‘Toxy’ Mutneja, a veteran CoD player. “Our aim was to start an esports

team in India that would have its own unique identity while imbibing core Team Vitality values. We are very happy with the roster as they have the right skills, as well as the potential be the No.1 team.

We are eagerly looking forward to making our mark in a brand-new category,” said CEO of Team Vitality, Nicolas Maurer.

Global Esports Federation teams up with UNESCO

Nodwin Gaming gets USD 22.4 Million from PUBG Mobile Developer

The Global Esports Federation (GEF) has announced that it will collaborate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to help them attain global sustainability goals. The two organisations have been working on their own programmes, namely the GEF #Elevate 2030 and UNESCO’s Fit for Life. As an active agents of change, they seek to support the sustainable goals by using pooled resources and activating the world’s esports and sporting communities to work on ‘building back better’ as part of their initiative.

Indian gaming company, Nodwin Gaming, received a whopping USD 22.4 Million from Krafton, the South Korean developer behind PUBG Mobile.

Nodwin Gaming, a subsidiary of Nazara, recently went public. Recently went public. Akshat Rathee, the co-founder and MD of Nodwin Gaming said that the investment from Krafton would go a long way in developing esports in India. “With Krafton coming on board, we have an endorsement from the mecca of gaming and esports, South Korea, on what we are building from India for the world based on our competence in mobile first markets,” he said.

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Skill Meets Brawn In PokerBaazi Boxing Match WORDS BY DONNA AMO

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hile the offshore casinos in Goa are usually famous for their glitzy atmosphere, poker rooms, and slot machines, the Majestic Pride Casino had a little more in store for its guests. The rooftop of the casino on the evening of 19 March, 2021 was filled with spectators and celebrities for the highly anticipated boxing event titled ‘Battle On Ship 2021.’ Sponsored by PokerBaazi, one of the top poker brands in the country, the event was all set to welcome Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh into the boxing ring.

PokerBaazi’s association with Singh goes way back in time. Singh was first brought on board as the brand ambassador in 2018. PokerBaazi has always supported homegrown talent and Battle On Ship 2021 was very much for the same. Singh’s highly successful career in boxing has caught the attention of many enthusiastic sports fans in the 12

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country. Likewise, the brand also wanted to draw attention to the skill involved in poker through this association.

Navkiran Singh, Founder and CEO of Baazi Games commented on this partnership saying, “We are glad to support the Battle On Ship 2021 event as their associate sponsors.

At PokerBaazi, it is our primary endeavour to promote poker as a game of skill. Just like poker, the sport of boxing involves tremendous strategy and talent. This partnership is a testament to our commitment towards promoting competition and skill amongst professional players as well as passionate gaming fans.”

Vijender Singh also commented saying, “It’s an honour to be associated with PokerBaazi, a brand that has always tried to promote skill-based gaming in India. I was associated with the brand in the past and couldn’t be happier about this reunion.”

‘Battle On Ship 2021’ is the first Las Vega style event of its kind held in India.

Promoted by IOS Boxing Promotions, the night saw 12 top Indian boxers battle it out in six undercard fights. Vijender Singh was pitted against the Russian super-middleweight boxer, Artysh Lopsan. The boxing match was a comeback for Singh post his one-year break from professional boxing.

COVER STORY

Siddharth Karia: Scheming With All Guns Blazing WORDS BY ATHIRA LAJI

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S

iddharth ‘Schemer’ Karia is unbelievably chilled out, despite the fact that he is currently one of the most popular players in the poker fraternity. The charming poker pro and previous FTS Head Hunter champion, ‘Ari Tribbiani’ brought a spectacular end to the India Poker Championship’s (IPC) Final Table Series (FTS) 2.0 by winning the FTS 2.0 Main Event title and walking away with a whopping INR 32,26,143 and a 18K diamond studded medallion. Smart enough to be rooted in the present, self-deprecating his achievements, quashing all the myths about poker being a tough, luck-based game and reinstating the belief that ‘being a positive you’ are what your gameplay needs, Siddharth Karia shatters the notions about poker.

and the chance to interact with friends and colleagues made it grander for me. I was over the moon but to be honest I was not that overwhelmed by the win.

The win has not changed my perception towards poker or how I play it.

What was it like on the D-day?

I got time to de-stress before the Main Event run.

Generally, what happens is you play and play and then reach the final table.

Though it is fun, the long grind is sometimes too much. But this year’s FTS gave us one whole day before the FT. I got up in the morning, had my coffee, thought about how to go about the game and mostly reminded myself to be calm till I reached the end. I was mentally prepared for it.

Peter Abraham, cofounder of IPC and Spartan Porker, at the event said he wished to Was there a special see you at the FT and feeling after winning win it. Did that motivate your FTS 2.0 Main event, your gameplay? a carpe diem moment Yes! Definitely! I am a or just a regular ‘That’s firm believer that we, as great! Now, what’s humans, attach a meaning next?’? to positive sayings or A big score, indeed, it was! happenings. I try to Agreed! But to be honest implement my belief while it was not a Carpe Diem playing poker. So, before moment! I was happy the FTS 2.0 Main Event, because it was a live stream Gutshot Magazine arranged

for a promotional panel meet where Peter, during the FTS Head Hunter interview, while wishing me luck said that he hoped to see me on the final table and win the series. So, when I was inching closer to the final run, my mind was like “Interesting! I am doing well! Since these guys are rooting for me to win, it would be fabulous if I end up winning. Now, I need to keep going and just play the right strategies’’. You definitely need to have such positive vibes around you!

Did winning the previous FTS Head Hunter help you warm up for this year?

Winning FTS Head Hunter last year did boost my confidence to go for this year’s FTS. What I had in mind was “I had previously cracked the FTS Head Hunter and has been consistent in my game– winning and with very close finishes. So, why not give this year’s FTS series a shot!” Apart from that, the diamond studded medallion and the cash prize at the FTS was always a crowd puller.

Cash prizes are a common thing, so how do you feel about the 18K diamond-studded Medallion?

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To state the exact expression of winning the medallion was, “Woow”!

Winning a diamond medallion was a game changer. It is one thing to get a ‘shiny’ memento or a trophy, but it is totally a different thing to get an 18K diamond studded medallion. The feeling cannot be put into words!

care of itself! I got a double up early on and once I got that I trusted my heads-up game and got some small pots going on and then my eyes were on the medallion!

Once both of us inched closer, I knew that the medallion would play a big role in ICM consideration.

So, my goal was not to try to win it outright but to get a triplet. But once I got What was going on in a triplet and keeping the your mind when you diamond medallion in mind, were going head-to head I was fine with making a with Avinit Bagri? deal with Avinit.

Playing with Avinit Bagri was simple! He had a lot of chips Can you let us in on any and I just had 10-12 bigs. of the hand details that I constantly thought ‘I had led to your eventual nothing to lose’. So, I went success? all guns blazing! During the In the FTS 2.0 Main Event, final moments, the game there was not a particular and the strategies are as hand that led to the win it comes–the cards take but a series of timely and

right decisions made–right shows, rights folds etc. that led to the success.

However, in the last FTS tournament, in the Head Hunter game, when only three players were left, there was a huge bluff made by the player ‘Violator’ and I made the hero call which almost led me to win the tournament.

Your game at Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP) – Platinum Series XV in Macau was a turning point. Was it then that you decided to give poker a serious try?

Asia Championship of Poker at Macau was not a turning point but yes definitely a highlight moment. I went there as a recreational player and getting placed second at the ACOP did trigger my love for poker. But it was after PSL (Poker Sports League) that I took it seriously. It has been three years since I started playing poker on a professional level and now it is my source of income.

Could you tell us about the mistakes made and challenges you faced in poker?

I think the best thing that I have done is keeping a check on bankroll management and I give

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a lot of credit to that.

While the initial days were challenging, I constantly worked and improved my game, and acquired as much knowledge as I could about poker. Even in tough times, where I was not dominating, I never really felt lost. During my downswings, I work more around the game; getting to know its intricacies have helped me sort whatever issues I had. However, even during a low phase, I was as chilled and comfortable as one can be. For me, things have always been in control. I have personally taken things in its right stride.

Have you developed a specific pre-game routine for analysing the previously played hand?

I do not follow a pre-game routine. It is the same as every day along with a 1015 mins meditation. I do not give much time to analyse the previously played hands.

My learning and analysis have been in phases where initially I used to dedicate two hours per day for learning and scrutinising my game whereas there is no specific time dedicated. I always take the game as it comes. My learnings have always been in a rhythm where I gradually improve. I owe my game’s success to

“

Players who are positive about poker as a skillbased game and who do not fall for the stigma attached to it, should promote it in whatever possible way. all those learnings, but that has been a gradual and not a routine process.

What are the areas you pay most attention to when it comes to playing poker?

The mental and the technical side! If I have a mental struggle while playing poker, I analyse why it is happening; if I am not motivated to play, then I try to figure out the reason behind it. Analysing the reason behind such uneasiness or struggle and taking some time off from the game have helped me

in overcoming the stress that is involved in poker.

The major area that needed development was poker’s technical side. I believe that I still have a lot more learning to do. That said, poker has helped me become a calm and sorted person in real life with a good frame of mind.

Did you take any poker lessons from other established professional players?

I have discussed a few hands with established professional players, but have not taken any lessons nor was under their guidance to learn and improve the game. I have taken online courses to understand the technical aspect of poker. I prefer to do things that come naturally to me and I never felt the need so far to opt for external guidance.

Self-learning is what I am comfortable with.

Who do you look up to from the industry and who do you prefer to play against the most?

Why? I like playing against recreational and professional players, both!

Professional players, because they can challenge my game a bit and recreational players to make money and show off some GUTSHOT

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COVER STORY

skills that you developed by playing against the pros.

I look upto things like consistency that the veterans like Daniel Negreanu, and Indian poker players like Aditya Agarwal, Raghav Bansal and Danish Shaikh have exhibited. They have been killing it for so long that we ought to admire their level of game. This is the level of consistency and longevity I am trying to implement in my game. The gameplay of Indian players Arsh Grover and Gaurav Sood have been pretty much impressionable!

Your career went through a lot of diverse choices – from a state level cricket player to a professional poker player! What made you go for this?

My career graph goes from cricket, MBA, family business, to starting my own company firm and then to poker! Before every choice I make, I do ask– why am I doing this?’ When I left cricket, my answer was simple ‘I was not cut out for it’. Business came naturally to me owing to my family’s background. Though the business and my company could have given me a big financial stability, I decided to do what I enjoy the most 18

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– playing poker. But before jumping, I had pepped myself with reasons as to why I am doing this. This made my transition from business to poker very smooth. Now I feel at home with poker!

Poker has an image problem with terms like ‘gambling’ and ‘degenerate’ associated with it? How can this perception of poker be changed?

I think people who use terms like gambling and degenerate for poker are those who do not understand this game at its best. Professional players, too, sometimes use such words as they feel

awkward to admit that they play poker and decide not to promote it on a public platform as it might cause distress to people around them. So, when it comes to promoting poker, it is each to its own. Players who are positive about this skill-based game and who do not fall for the stigma attached to it, promote it in whatever possible way.

This has paved the path for the budding players who wish to enter the industry without any qualms.

What were your thoughts initially regarding the game?

Since the start, I could always see a pattern among the winners who

were always doing well.

They were not based on luck or randomness but on skills and strategies.

Though I was doing quite well as a recreational player, I never gave it a shot at professional level owing to the legal issues of playing poker in India.

However, since the past few years, a new path opened for Indian poker industry, legalising it, and making it taxable. Since then there has been no turning back for me.

What would be your advice to the newbies or to the players who are planning to go professional?

Any newbie entering the industry should do that with

the right mindset i.e., playing poker is not an easy and simple way to earn money.

Keeping a positive mindset throughout the game is something that people, new or old, need to muster on. Also, always keep your parents in loop, study and play poker around them and let them see the learning process that is being built– earn their trust!

Where do you see yourself in the future?

Is it all poker or do you have something else in mind?

Poker will play a huge part in my life at least for a couple of more years. I am looking forward to more challenges and boosting my game. I may try my

hand at poker content as I plan to remain dedicated to poker for a long time.

TELL TALES

Decode ‘Ari Tribbiani’?

Ari Gold from Entourage + Joey Tribbani from Friends

‘Not-so’ secret ingredient of your

A game Self-awareness

Dream tournament?

WSOP Main

Your favourite up

coming poker player ‘lilmessipranjal’

Favourite venue Las Vegas

One poker book/ coaching series you vouch for Raise Your Edge

Coolest thing about

being a poker player

Playing for a living

You are binge watching

Modern Family

Biggest pet peeve

Bad coffee

Hashtags that describe you #schemer

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POKER

I CAME, I SAW, I CONQUERED: SAURABH RAMOLA

W

WORDS BY MRINAL GUJARE

e all know about the man who first walked the moon. You must think, how is that relevant here?

Well, the man just didn’t happen to walk on the moon out of the blue.

Neither was he alone in 20

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making this remarkable feat happen. Many forces came together; the man himself studied, struggled, strived hard and then eventually succeeded. The same is true for a rising poker star. He isn’t alone, there is a force behind him. The force of conviction in oneself, one’s own determination, hard work

and support of others.

Well, the stars were surely aligned for this go-getter, Saurabh Ramola. In a chat we had with the player, he revealed a lot about his journey to the top.

Ramola hails from the serene state of Uttarakhand. The 30-year-old poker player was brought

up in Delhi and received his post graduate degree from IP University.

He kick-started his poker journey three years ago as an online cash regular.

He played a lot of Hold’em and PLO, but soon shifted his focus to poker tournaments. When quizzed about winning Wednesday Vibes 5.50 Lakh GTD tournament on Spartan Poker, this effervescent player said, “I did nothing special for this particular tourney. It’s just that I have recently made it a habit to study the game. And it has helped me a lot. So, I was just playing with the right mindset and I was pretty confident when I entered the final table of the tournament.”

We pushed him a bit to reveal his go-to strategy which comes in handy if the game turns tricky.

“Nothing fancy,” he said in a straightforward fashion. “Just kept my basics right and was waiting for the right time to make my move.” When probed further, he gave up some details. “When my heads up play started, my opponent had a 6:1 chip lead which is a lot to be honest. So battling a chip lead that steep and finishing at the top was quite a

happy feeling.

You have to be very patient when you play poker. You don’t want to make a lot of mistakes. You should wait for your opponents to make mistakes and then stab them when you get the right opportunity.”

Gaurav Sood. Interestingly, Sood was our cover star for the January 2021 We are really impressed edition. Speaking furwith this player who says it like it is. Folks who have ther about why he chose a mentor in Sood, the witnessed his gameplay Wednesday Vibe winner will agree that Ramola’s says, “Gaurav Sood is a game is as effortless as very good friend of mine. his answers. His view on downswings demonstrates He’s been giving me some his ability to keep his cool. time lately and I am really “Downswings are a part of blessed to have him as my the game. You can’t win all mentor. I wish to share a final table with him some the time. People say that day.” you should take a break when you’re going through To conclude our insightful a downswing, but I prechat with this charmer, we fer to put in more volume when I am going through a quizzed him about his vision for the next five years. downswing.”

“I wish to see myself rising through the ranks and Poker isn’t something hope to be one among the one can just crack while crème de la crème of the on the go. It is always Indian poker community.” good to have a guiding With this outlook and paslight, a mentor who can sion, we are sure he is not show you the path in line far from making that hope with your skills. Ramola’s mentor is none other than a reality!

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POKER

LIVE POKER RETURNS TO INDIA! WORDS BY MANTHRA KOLIYER

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hen was the last time you were on a live table? Shook hands with a new player?

Fiddled with poker chips in a casino? Social distancing has helped us understand the vital role that human touch plays in our lives.

To contain the spread of coronavirus, a year ago on 24 March, a countrywide lockdown was imposed.

From then onward all the live tournaments came to a standstill. While casinos in Goa did open in November 2020, it is only recently that the action came back to the tables.

“DPTx had a far greater turnout than expected. It was great to see live poker back at Deltin Royale in full glory. The DPTx is a live tournament poker springboard for the new players and it is always overwhelming to see new entrants at the felts alongside the usual pros. Post a one-year break it was great to meet and greet players and give bump fists in real life,” said Adnani.

Radhika Shankar, one of the star players at DPTx 2020, was eagerly waiting for the tournament in 2021.

After attending and grinding intensely in the three-day tournament, Shankar said, “When you’re at the DPTx, you don’t feel it, the adrenaline keeps you going!”

Live tournaments challenge One of the biggest touryour poker face, put you naments to take place in a on the spot, and bring out live set-up recently was the the child in you. The panDeltin Poker Tournament demic took away the joys Xpress (DPTx) that ran from Like DPTx, Spartan Poker’s of a hug, a firm handshake poker room in Big Daddy 11-14 March, 2021. We and cheerful high-fives. casino and Casino Pride got in touch with Manish Though online poker is One’s poker room operatJ. Adnani, the Business the latest upgrade in the Head for Delta Corps’ poker ed by poker pro Ramesh market, the charm of a live division to know more about Thotapalli, are other live poker tournament continvenues that have been ac- ues to stay. the DPTx tournament. tive in the last few months.

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S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

KEEPING THE ‘AATMANIRBHAR BHARAT’ SPIRIT IN GAMING

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ince Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in May 2020, it has captured the nation’s attention. The phrase which translates to ‘Self-Reliant India’ is is an inspiration for

WORDS BY DONNA AMO

every sector in the country.

It is an umbrella concept that veers towards making India establish a strong global presence by implementing policies that are more self-sufficient.

the COVID-19 pandemic that it gained notable recognition. Since then, many companies and ministries have used the phrase to guide them in their mission and goals.

While the phrase itself has been used by PM Modi since 2014, it was during

The gaming industry has been an active participant in keeping the ethos of GUTSHOT

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S P E C I A L F E AT U R E

Atmanirbhar Bharat alive.

Various gaming companies ranging from game development to esports platforms are actively trying to work towards this goal of being a more self-reliant India. The gaming market in the country is already on the cusp of being one of the most lucrative markets in the country, with its market value estimated to be around INR 90 Million in 2020, according to Statista.com.

During the lockdown, while many businesses were shutting down, the online gaming market experienced an incredible boom.

The global mobile gaming 24

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market had managed to register USD 87.7 Billion in sales which was a 24 % increase from the previous year (MarketWatch).

India rose to the number one spot in mobile game downloads and is now one of the largest mobile gaming markets in the world.

ogy and innovation should meet global standards.

This has encouraged many in the gaming sector to work on this goal.

One such notable effort has been made by nCore Games, the developers of the home-grown gaming app FAU-G. Keeping up with the Prime Minister’s viIn a statement made in sion, FAU-G which stands August 2020, PM Modi for Fearless and United stated that India should Guards, is a multiplayer take advantage of the huge action game that aims to potential of the digital gam- highlight the sacrifices of ing sector. He encouraged the country’s soldiers. The game developers and de- game takes its inspiration signers to start developing from the real-life encoungames that were inspired ters of the Indian Secuby the nation’s culture and rity Forces when dealing folktales. Along with this he with internal and external asserted that the technolthreats. The first level of

the game has the Galwan Valley as its backdrop.

recognition from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) who deemed it as an official sport in the country.

This is a moment of celebration for many esports enthusiasts as the official declaration by the IOA will give more opportunities to professional esports gamers in the coming days.

aims to be India’s first one-stop esports online platform, we asked GupIt’s supported by the fata how this platform was mous Bollywood actor, Akcontributing towards the shay Kumar, who took to Atmanirbhar Bharat initiasocial media to announce tive. “Since the inception of this game. In his post he Ultimate Battle, the scope also mentioned that 20% of work and effort put into of the net revenue generthe platform has been ated from the game will conceptualized, modeled, be donated to the ‘Bharat designed, and implementKe Veer’ Trust which gives ed here in India. For our homage and support to tech requirements, we’ve the country’s fallen solalso built in-house critidiers. After a few delays, cal modules like platform the game finally released analytics, game integration, on 26 January, 2021 i.e. chat support system, and Republic Day. many more in cohorts with our development team.

Vishal Gondal, founder and Ultimate Battle is a platchairman of nCore Games form for nurturing gamers. stated, “It is a matter of One of the core objectives great pride to respond to The organizers at the Asian of Ultimate Battle is to proPrime Minister Modi’s call Games 2022 also included duce great talent who can and present a world-class esports as an official med- represent India at the world game, which will help al sport, another incredible level,” he said. gamers fight the forces of step forward in the area of evil in a virtual setting while competitive gaming. With While the gaming indusalso contributing to naofficial recognition from the try is still in the nascent tion-building by supporting IOA and the Asian Games, stage, its growth trajectory our martyrs.”

Indian esports players is promising. Charged up have the opportunity to win with PM’s initiative, many Within the gaming market, medals for their country. gaming enthusiasts in India the esports sector has Esports athlete Tirth Mehta can expect more homealso experienced an inhad already won a bronze grown gaming companies credible rise in the country medal in esports at the to crop up in the coming accounting for about 4% of Asian Games 2018 for the years. At least in the gamall online gaming users and game titled Hearthstone. ing sector, the country is 9.13% of the total revenue well on its way to achieve from the online gaming Ultimate Battle is an upthe vision of a ‘Self-Reliant market in 2020. Just recoming esports platform India.’ cently, esports also manin India founded by Tarun aged to gain national-level Gupta. Since the platform GUTSHOT

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RUMMY

DOES ONLINE RUMMY HAVE A FUTURE IN INDIA?

I

INTERVIEW BY DONNA AMO

ndia is a hotspot when it comes to the real money gaming (RMG) industry. Expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 40%, the industry is estimated to be worth USD 2.8 Billion by the year 2022 (Deloitte). Within this, the online rummy industry is slated to be among the biggest markets,

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accounting for USD 335 Million of the online gaming market in 2019 (Statista).

Even with the huge market potential, the legal issues in the country continue to hamper its growth. We got a chance to converse with Satya Mahapatra, the former CMO of Junglee Games which owns and operates Junglee Rummy, one of the most popular

and larger rummy sites, to give us a bit more insight into the current state of the rummy industry in India.

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have banned online rummy. How are these state-specific bans impacting the growth of rummy in the country? What is the

nature of the impact on revenue generation pre and post-ban?

The states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala contribute to approximately 70-80% of the new rummy players and about 60-70% of the revenue. A ban in these states has impacted the growth and revenue for all rummy operators. Having said that, rummy has been traditionally played at homes in India and it’s a matter of getting these players online. The industry will keep growing even after these bans. Delhi and states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh are the high growth states. Most mature rummy operators have invested in branding and have the expertise to invest the money in the bank to continue with the aggressive acquisitions.

clear differentiation should be made between games of skill and games of chance.

While the Supreme Court considers rummy as a game of skill, the state governments are interpreting the law as per their will. How can this issue be tackled?

There’s a clear misinterpretation of the impact of banning rummy by the stakeholders in the government. Banning is not a solution as this leads to a situation where legitimate operators refrain from accepting players from these states. But unscrupulous operators still accept players and the problems continue.

In India, gambling is a state subject, the primary law used by the states for the gambling legislation is a British-era law called the Public Gambling Act, 1867.

Ironically, while India still The Online Rummy follows this law, the U.K. Federation (TORF) has has legalised and regulated suggested that Niti Aayog include rummy in various forms of gaming the draft policy. What is and gambling. Thankfully, Niti Aayog has initiated the your take on this? process of much-needed It’s a valid ask. Not just reform in one of the games rummy, all forms of online gaming should be included. and they should include The government should set other formats of gaming in guidelines/regulations for all India too. online games played with The issues faced can be money in the country. A

addressed by implementation of uniform responsible gaming policies –deposit & gameplay limits, regular audits, cool off and self-exclusion are musthaves along with policies to safeguard the interest of the players. The operators should maintain and share a common pool of problem gamblers to restrict them and appoint a body to help them overcome the condition. Along with the above, responsible advertising policies are also a must-have.

According to an InMobi report, India is the fifthlargest mobile gaming market in the world, and close to 44% of the population is expected to be playing online games on their devices by 2022. How will this impact the growth of rummy in India?

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From your experience of working with Junglee Rummy, how difficult or easy it is to advertise an online rummy platform in India?

Advertising rummy on online platforms is easier than fantasy and poker.

All large platforms like YouTube, Google Adwords, Facebook and Networks allow rummy advertising.

From an online rummy operator’s point of view, how do you think a platform should expand its base, given the bans in various Indian states?

The gaming industry is about offering entertainment to the players. Maintaining the right balance in providing value for money entertainment and protecting the interests of the players should be considered as the No.1 28

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priority by the operators.

The advertisements promoting messages like make money, get rich playing rummy, should be toned down or completely taken down.

Branding has been a key growth driver of the top rummy brands in India.

Position your brand with the

“

When it comes to user acquisition, how does the process get impacted when there is negative coverage about rummy in the press.

The negative coverage will affect all acquisition initiatives and the customer acquisition cost (CAC) will increase. Operators should get together and address

With a huge gaming

community supported

by affordable data and

smartphones, India is poised for exponential growth.

And with rummy leading the vertical in terms of revenue, online rummy in India is

“

The Indian gaming ecosystem is led by adoption via mobile phones. With a huge gaming community supported by affordable data and smartphones, India is poised for exponential growth. And with rummy leading the vertical in terms of revenue, online rummy in India is definitely poised for growth.

definitely poised for growth. right values and features via targeted localised video campaigns and influencer marketing. Support these with targeted performance marketing campaigns to convert. The marketing mix stays the same, only your targeted territories/states change.

the reasons for these negative coverages in the press.

Where do you see the rummy industry in the next five years?

I expect to see at least 3-4 unicorns in the industry in the next 5 years.

RUMMY

NOSTRAGAMUS:

A PROPHETIC DRIVING FORCE

I

am sure most of us know who Nostradamus was. But for the benefit of those who don’t, he was a French astrologer, physician and also a reputed ‘seer.’ This well-known persona also wrote a book called Les Prophéties. Channeling his quality of foresight and a play on his name is Nostragamus–a platform which started off as a news site with sports coverage but

WORDS BY MRINAL GUJARE

has now turned into a gaming app. Shortly after turning into a gaming app, Nostragamus introduced us to NostraRummy and rummy lovers around the country have enjoyed getting their hands on it. Gutshot got in touch with co-founder & CMO of Nostragamus, Deepak Venkatramani, to know what he envisages for Nostragamus going forward.

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE REAL-MONEY GAMING INDUSTRY ATTRACTED YOU THE MOST? Being a real-money gamer myself, I know the first-hand thrill when I make intelligent plays and there are so many tactics that can be used to beat the opposition. It is truly a game of skill and when one has mastered it, it is a visceral experience.

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deliver that thrill to millions of players in India in a simple and fair way. Few experiences in life match that.

ARE THERE ANY GAMES THAT YOU PERSONALLY PREFER TO PLAY? I personally love to play Pool Rummy. It is a game of intelligence, doesn’t have the extreme highs and lows of poker and I don’t need to wait for the match schedule to start a game.

WHAT IS THE VISION WITH RESPECT TO NOSTRA RUMMY? Primarily, the idea is to create a vibrant gaming arena which offers many choices for players in terms of not just skilled games, but also game plays at any time of the day. In addition, we want to deliver this in a fair and entertaining way with no hidden costs.

We also recognize that players just like the game want to get better and we want to help them do that.

These principles will help us become one of the top three preferences for players to play rummy in India.

WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITIES DOES NOSTRA RUMMY UNDERTAKE TO INCREASE USER ENGAGEMENT? We do a variety of things 30

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like offering bonuses in a simple way to reduce the risk factor of a hit on the player’s pocket. Our bonuses can be used without any hassles. There is no locked bonus, or bonus released in chunks of 50; you get the bonus and you can start using it immediately without any limit.

We reward gameplays with leaderboards, which give you an additional way to make winnings, even if you have lost individual games.

These leaderboards are based around a variety of criteria–hands played, total points generated in a day, number of pure sequences made with more than five cards, etc.

We also incentivize players to start playing every day.

Further, we will be live with an in-game store shortly to reward long-term loyalty with cool merchandise and experiences. We aim to disburse INR 1 Crore in leaderboard winnings in April 2021.

WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK ON THE RECENT BANS AND THE NEW GUIDELINES BY NITI AAYOG? Official regulation is the need of the hour in the real-money gaming industry. This will add trust in the minds of the players with respect to serious operators. This will also stop a host of unfair practices deployed by the non-serious players, whose only objective is to maximize money in the shortest time possible.

The state bans are unfortunate. We hope this heightens the seriousness with which the traditional operators treat the situation and speed up the path towards regulation.

We hope with this interview, the players will look for real-money operators who are providing its users the best in-class experience with respect to the product offering. And not to forget that a unified and fair regulation will put this industry in top gear.

GAMING

A ‘MEGA’ DISRUPTER ENTERS INDIAN REAL-MONEY GAMING

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ast month, a gaming app made big news when comedian and YouTuber Tanmay Bhat received a ‘tip’ of GBP 500 or approximately INR 50,000 at the app’s unique launch event. The plan was to invite fans with the highest tip, ranging from INR 20 to INR 10,000 to play

WORDS BY SHRIYA GHATE

a game of carrom with him while he streamed it live on his channel. However, some of his Indian fans managed to override the superchat cut-offs by asking their friends in the UK to tip Tanmay.

The name of the app was GetMega, a startup founded by Mayank Kumar and Lokesh Jangid,

serial entrepreneurs from Bengaluru. While no one knew of the app’s existence until mid-March, the duo had been working behind the scenes for almost two years to create a unique proposition in the world of gaming–a social real-money gaming platform. India already has 300 Million registered GUTSHOT

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users that contribute to the billion dollar real-money gaming market.

“India is already leading the world in real-money gaming category and in that space, we’re further innovating to build a real-money gaming platform—our Atmanirbhar solution inspired by the vision to build a global product from India that is respected and revered by the global technology community,” says Kumar.

The aim was to hit 5 Million users from the get-go and ramp up to 50 Million by the end of 2021. In a competitive market such as this one, the disrupting factor is the social aspect of the app. By turning on video or audio calling, players can recreate a real-life game with their friends.

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Available games include casual games such as carrom and pool, trivia games such as GK (general knowledge) quiz and Maths Ninja, as well as card games like rummy and poker. Players can host games by deciding on a buy-in amount. Conversely, players can bid to play with YouTube celebrities and get invited to their live-streaming games.

Kumar feels that the app is tapping into something quintessentially Indian in its offering. “There is a large festive and social element associated with that poker match during Diwali. Now imagine if you could do that sitting anywhere using a video chat and feel as if you are sitting in the same room. We want to deliver that human emotion on demand with

2021

GetMega,” he says.

All of these social features require top-notch software which was not easy to create. “Building a multi-player gaming platform integrated with video chat technology without disrupting the gameplay experience due to hardware problems like phone overheating, network lag, and battery optimizations is an extremely difficult problem to solve. We are extremely proud to have solved it for India in time for the launch,” says Jangid.

The app recently raised USD 9 Million through Venture Partners, Accel Partners and others.

If their current pace is anything to go by, the app can look forward to a ‘mega’ success in the months to come.

GAMING

INDIAN GAMING LEAGUE: UP AND AT ‘EM

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hen we speak of gaming in India, how can we not mention Indian Gaming League (IGL)? IGL was birthed by passionate gamers who felt that Indian gaming enthusiasts needed a platform to showcase their talent. This idea turned into reality when IGL was launched.

IGL is a platform where you will find a mixed bag

WORDS BY MRINAL GURJARE

of gamers. If you are a newbie dipping your toes in gaming, then there is a lot for you to learn and earn from IGL. And if you are a professional, then you can expand your horizons and compete with other pros on this platform.

and also the dynamics of what a thriving gaming operator looks at while doing business in an ambitious market. We spoke to Yash Pariani, CEO, IGL to get a deeper understanding of this industry which witnesses cutthroat competition.

Entertainment companies are investing jaw-dropping amounts in gaming firms like IGL. We at Gutshot wanted to know more about this phenomenon

Why are digital entertainment firms investing heavily in the gaming industry?

Gaming is growing at an exponential rate especially

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pact the gaming space overall?

The investment will help us develop the overall esports ecosystem in India.

Currently, India lags behind even when compared to its Asian counterparts.

This is largely because esports aren’t taken as a serious profession in India.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the online entertainment industry was one of the few industries to experience growth as people were seeking ways to pass their time while being isolated at home. Gaming was something that was always loved by young adults but till the last decade it was a leisure just for the privileged as the gaming setup, i.e. the computer or a console would almost cost a fortune.

We aim to create a platform, wherein the players can get returns on the time invested in the form or prize pool or incentives.

This will be a stepping stone towards changing the perception that gaming has and will encourage the players to continue with the hard work which will eventually help in the development of the gaming industry.

However with the growth of mobile gaming, it’s now available for the masses and has become a major source of entertainment for a large percentage of the population. I am sure we will see a number of digital entertainment firms entering this segment.

How will Hindustan Talkies and Hungama’s investment in IGL im34

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IGL reportedly stated that it has grown its user base by over 3X in the last 12 months and has hosted over 3,000 gaming tournaments in 2020. What is your aim for 2021?

We have experienced great growth, both in terms of users and the number of tournaments played in the past 12 months. At the start of 2020, we were hosting around 3-4 tournaments per day which is now al-

“

We are aiming to be the highest viewed gaming platform as I think esports viewership will be on par with the sports viewership by the end of the

“

in India due to the growth of mobile gaming. As a result, like any other sport, it’s not just the number of players that are growing but also the number of viewers.

As the gaming industry is slowly making inroads in the entertainment industry, it has attracted investments from the same.

decade.

most over 15 tournaments per day.

We plan to increase it further every week and by the end of 2021, we aim to build a complete platform for gaming wherein, it’s

A report by Maple Capital Advisor revealed that the gaming sector attracted USD 544 Million in investments between August 2020 and January 2021. Your comment.

Definitely online gaming was one of the very few industries to grow during the COVID-19 lockdown.

As most of the entertainment industry, like, sports or movies were stalled.

Online gaming became a primary source of entertainment for many.

Naturally, with a larger population investing their time into gaming, a number of global conglomerates like Amazon and Reliance have also recently hosted events.

Tell us about the launch of Indian Gaming League Championship Cup Season 1.

“

On account of Women’s Day on 8 March, we unveiled Call of Duty Mobile: Women’s Cup which is one of the most prestigious female-only events in

“

not just the professional players who come to compete but also for the aspiring players and casual gamers looking to start their career. We are even aiming to be the highest viewed gaming platform as I think esports viewership will be on par with the sports viewership by the end of the decade.

India.

IGL Championship Cup Season 1 is IGL’s inaugural championship which will last about 40 days and has a total prize pool of INR 2.5 Lakh across the five most popular games in India. It also has a INR 1.5 Lakh prize pool for the viewers through a number of giveaways on the live stream.

The qualifier rounds started in the second week of March and will be played upto the end of the first week of April. The most exciting part starts in the second week of April when all the top qualified teams will be a part of some high intensity action in the final week of the championship. On account of Women’s Day on 8 March, we unveiled Call of Duty Mobile: Women’s Cup which is one of the most prestigious female-only events in India.

We hope to see the gaming industry grow by leaps and bounds. As for Indian Gaming League, there is no stopping this gaming firm. With an influx of investments from digital entertainment companies, all eyes are on IGL to see how the company fulfils its aim of having a dream run in the gaming industry.

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MOBILE GAMING

MOBILE GAMING: MOVING ONWARDS & UPWARDS WORDS BY MRINAL GUJARE

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T

he Indian mobile gaming market was pegged at USD 1.2 Billion for the year 2020. This colossal figure points towards the growth opportunities available for the industry. The mobile gaming industry has come under the spotlight as international firms are now looking to invest in Indian mobile gaming companies.

Factors like internet penetration in the country, number of gamers (326 Million) and average revenue per user has led to the future CAGR of the mobile gaming market to stand at 6.1% for the period 2020-2025. This gives us hope that India will make a prominent mark on the global mobile gaming industry.

As per a report by KPMG, the gaming industry is expected to see a jump from INR 43.8 Billion to INR 118.8

Billion by the year 2023. This translates to a growth rate of 22.1%. Currently, all eyes are on the 5G rollout in the country. This is particularly important as the latest rollout will improve mobile gaming speeds and will make it all the more seamless to engage in those high on action games on your mobile phones.

If estimates are to be believed then over 2.2 Billion people utilized their mobile phones for gaming over the last 10 years. Chipset technology is keeping up by enabling mobile devices to go head-to-head with the likes of Xbox and PlayStation.

This advancement will also bring a lot of cheer to the operators in the business as it directly impacts the firm’s net income. More media brands will likely venture into the mobile gaming arena given the positive outlook that’s been observed.

Another aspect of the gaming industry is the spectators it attracts. Mobile gaming isn’t considered to be a spectator sport but this perspective is changing steadily. Multiple industry reports suggest that by 2021, the number of spectators between 18-25 years will surpass the total number of active gamers in the country.

If these estimates stand true then India will soon hold a bigger ground in the global mobile gaming market.

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ESPORTS

Ultimate Battle: Fighting Its Way To The Top WORDS BY DONNA AMO

U

shering the country into a dawn of a new kind of entertainment is the esports industry. Currently, the gaming market in India is worth INR 90 Billion according to Statista. Tapping into this lucrative market is Ultimate Battle. This first of its kind platform aims to provide a 360 degree experience to India’s gaming community.

Founded in 2017, Ultimate Battle is the culmination of founder Tarun Gupta’s dream to provide the best experience. The platform 38

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includes popular esports game titles and allows gamers to participate in organized competitions for awards and recognition.

Gamers have the option to play 1v1 challenges, team matches, ladders, double elimination brackets, and more.

When asked to tell us more about his vision and dream for the platform, Gupta replied, “Ultimate Battle’s vision is to provide a onestop experience for the gaming community. Apart from gameplay, the plat-

form offers gamers multiple opportunities for engagement fronts in the form of social networking, All India Esports League (AIEL), news portal, and the Game Shop.”

“The purpose of creating a 360-degree platform for gamers is to give the gaming community something that is not just limited to gameplay but also forays into other aspects of the requirements of a gamer making Ultimate Battle a one-stop experience.”

Being an unconventional platform in the country, we wanted to know what made Ultimate Battle different from other one-stop gaming platforms. “The platform beautifully blends gameplay along with features like social networking, news, and online game store, to enhance the overall user experience. The platform provides a focused designed playing facility with unparalleled competitive gaming experiences for gamers, the esports community, and millions of esports fans around the amongst gamers,” he says. world,” Gupta said.

“With Ultimate Battle our Given that the gaming vision was to bring esports sector is still at a nascent to the forefront, organize stage in the country, the events and celebrate gaming in all its glory. Our onroad to success was not an easy one for Gupta and line gaming format broke his team. We asked him to the geographic barriers and enabled real talent delve a little more into the from all over the country to challenges he faced when trying to launch his dream. compete with each other irrespective of the loca“Back in 2016, esports tion. Events became more was hitting mainstream organized with real-time worldwide, and India had not taken any notice of the updates and notifications which enhanced their same. Whatever little esports events that were held overall experience,” Gupta were mainly offline and had explains. a very limited reach restricted to the city in which Despite these hurdles, the the events were hosted. future looks bright for the The events were unorgaplatform as it gets ready to nized and had haphazard launch the 2021 AIEL (All protocols that led to huge India Esports League) in wait times and frustration the coming months. “The

league will feature some of the top esports gaming titles including chess. In addition to this, we expect to add more games to the platform. We are also looking at introducing some great social networking features that will allow users to engage with the community in a better way,” Gupta shares.

Apart from this, the company is also looking into the idea of esports gaming cafes to provide a LAN (local area network) environment for players to come together and enjoy gaming.

With so much in store for gamers, there’s no doubt that Ultimate Battle is on its way to become one of the best esports platforms in the country.

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FA N TA SY S P O R T S

A Phenomenal ‘PlayerzPot’ In The Making

W

WORDS BY MANTHRA KOLIYER

hen two energetic and ambitious people set out with high aspirations, even a brand that started from a garage 40

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becomes a hit. We are refferring to none other than Playerzpot, a one-stop-app for fantasy sports.

Playerzpot recently changed its social media

strategy, roped in cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, and have been growing steadily ever since. The platform has invested a substantial amount in advertising to

improve engagement. We got in touch with Mr. Mitesh Gangar, co-founder & director of PlayerzPot Media Pvt Ltd, to know how they made a race to the top.

“We are always at the forefront of improving our engagement quotient. To keep our audience hooked and also scale our user base, we planned on a substantial investment in advertising. The previous year’s budget during the India Premier League (IPL) (September-November) was INR 4-5 Crore, whereas this year, we pushed the envelope with 3x the previous budget. We believe investing in marketing is a good idea to create brand awareness and garner attention via user expansion,” said Gangar.

According to statistics by datareportal.com, during 2020 - 2021, the number of social media users in India has increased by 21% or 78 Million. Playerzpot aims to connect with tech savvy Indians by employing a unique social media strategy. Gangar added, “We went ahead with a mix of digital assets. We boosted our social media campaigns, digital cam-

paigns, and also bought OTT airtime during select matches. We also blended our affiliate campaigns with influencer-based campaigns that proved to be instrumental.”

The content on social media is highly driven by influencers who are the driving forces for products or brands to reach the masses. PlayerzPot used

housie, snake ladder, etc., and are also planning on introducing new games in the upcoming months. We are anticipating 3X growth in user base and 5X in revenue in 2021. With new games and diversification of our real money skill-based gaming portfolio, we aspire to connect with the Gen Z.”

In the next five years, Gangar aims at a user-based approach. He adds that from its inception, PlayerzPot has been a user-centric brand. “We were the first to bring instant withdrawals, to give importance to influencers to promote the brand. Gangar believes that the bowlers and provide equal weightage to them in when an influencer promotes a particular brand, terms of point systems. We users feel attached to it also laid the foundation for and wish to give it a shot at the point system, lifetime least once. referral, and earn system, and many such features.

Social media strategy is PlayerzPot is committed to just one of the many prothe legacy of putting the motional activities that Play- customer first with innovaerzPot actively employed tion as the core value of the in 2020, and the brand has company,” he concludes. a strong plan for 2021 too.

Gangar wants PlayerzPot The fantasy sports vertical to be the one-stop destina- has had unprecedented tion in the real money skill- growth in the country over based gaming segment. the last 12 months. Brands Speaking about live match- like PlayerzPot have fuelled es, Gangar adds, “We growth in the industry and have transitioned to casual are emerging victorious in games where we organize this cut-throat market. quizzes and games like GUTSHOT

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