I Came, I Saw, I Conquered: Saurabh Ramola

WORDS BY MRINAL GUJARE

We 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 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.”

We are really impressed with this player who says it like it is. Folks who have witnessed his gameplay will agree that Ramola’s game is as effortless as his answers. His view on downswings demonstrates his ability to keep his cool. “Downswings are a part of the game. You can’t win all the time. People say that you should take a break when you’re going through a downswing, but I prefer to put in more volume when I am going through a downswing.”

Poker isn’t something one can just crack while on the go. It is always good to have a guiding light, a mentor who can show you the path in line with your skills. Ramola’s mentor is none other than Gaurav Sood. Interestingly, Sood was our cover star for the January 2021 edition. Speaking further about why he chose a mentor in Sood, the Wednesday Vibe winner says, “Gaurav Sood is a very good friend of mine. He’s been giving me some time lately and I am really blessed to have him as my mentor. I wish to share a final table with him some day.”

To conclude our insightful chat with this charmer, we quizzed him about his vision for the next five years. “I wish to see myself rising through the ranks and hope to be one among the crème de la crème of the Indian poker community.” With this outlook and passion, we are sure he is not far from making that hope a reality!