Volume 3 | Issue 4 | Mumbai |
www.gutshotmagazine.com POKER
April 2022 | Pages 48
IPC MEGASTACKS MAY 2022 IS HERE
SIMON MINT PLAYER OF THE MONTH APRIL 2022
BPT MARCH 2022 UPS THE ANTE IN GOA
MEET NITIN ARORA
THE ULTIMATE BAAZIGAR Winner of the BPT March 2022 Main Event G UTS H OT
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CONTENTS
8-10
NPS 2022 Final Tables Make Way For Resumption Of Live Poker
12-15
BPT March 2022: The Return Of A Grand Live Poker Event
16-17
BPT March 2022 Prominent Highlights
24-24
Gutshot Player Of The Month April 2022 - Simon Mint
COVER STORY
20
Meet Nitin Arora, the pro who shipped BPT March 2022 Main Event
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CONTENTS
26-29
The Legacy Continues: DPT Returns With A Bang
30-32
PSL Season 4: A Buoyant Celebration Of Poker
34-36
India Poker Championship Makes A Headturning Return
38-39
Elite Poker Tournament: The Super Highrollers Are Here!
42-44
Why IPL 2022 Is Bigger And Bolder Than The Last Two Editions
46
Crossword
47
Prize Indemnity Insurance: The Elixir of Life for Gaming Portals G UTS H OT
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ears to the Real Money Gaming industry. eyes and ears to
As aAspart of our journey to develop intointo a world-class publi a part of our journey to develop a world-class p the the highest reputation, we we happily present Gutshot Magazin highest reputation, happily present Gutshot Mag Advisory Board members. These thought leaders in their areas Advisory Board members. These thought leaders in their are will will vitalise the the editorial scope focus of the magazine vitalise editorial scope and focus of the magazine As a part of our journey to develop into aand world-class publication with and the highest reputation, we happily present Gutshot Magazine’s Editorieyeseyes and and earsears to the Money Gaming industry. to Real the Real Money Gaming indust al Advisory Board members. These thought leaders in their areas of exADVISORY BOARD
ADVISORY BOARD
pertise will vitalise the editorial scope and focus of the magazine and will be our eyes and ears to the Real Money Gaming industry.
Roland Landers CEO, All India Gaming Amin Rozani AminAmin Rozani Rozani MD, Federation (AIGF) MD, Spartan Group MD,Spartan Spartan Group Group
Muskan Sethi
Richard Professional Richard Poker Player Haridasoham Haridasoham Responsible Gamand ing Ambassador PokerPoker expertexpert and commentator commentator
Amin Rozani Rola Karan Vig MD, Spartan CEO Head ofGroup Production, Roland Landers KaranKaran Vig Vig Roland Landers Roland Landers CEO, All India Fed Mind Sports League HeadHead of Product CEO, All India Gaming of Pro CEO, AllGaming India Gaming Federation Federation (AIGF)(AIGF) (AIGF) Federation
Richard Muskan Sethi Haridasoham Muskan Sethi
PokerPoker expert and Professional Professional Poker PlayerPlayer commentator Responsible Gaming Responsible Gaming Richard Ambassador Ambassador
Ramesh Rao Muskan 6 G U T S H O TSethi APRIL 2022 Haridasoham 06 06 G U T SGHUOTTS H O T O C T OOBCETRO B2E0R2 1 2 0 2 1 Professional Poker Thotapalli
MindMind Sports Lea Sport
Ramesh Ramesh Rao Rao Thotapalli Thotapalli Casino Casino PridePrid 1 Po RoomRoom
Mus Prof
EDITOR'S NOTE
www.gutshotmagazine.com
April 2022
Volume 3
Issue 4
RMG + LIFESTYLE
Editor’s Note Managing Editor Sameer Rattonsey
Editor-In-Chief Peter Abraham
Content Head
Vijayalakshmi Narayanan
Content
Manthra Koliyer Donna Amo Mrinal Gujare Amarylisa Gonsalves Akash Mishra
Graphic Designer Maheswar Gauda
Sales & Advertising
Raunaq Pinto (raunaq@thegutshot.com)
Marketing Head
Dwayne Fernandes (dwayne@gutshotmagazine.com)
Business Head
Ashvin Rao (ashvin@gutshotmagazine.com) Volume 3 I Issue 4 I APRIL 2022
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.
"I'm Vengeance!" says The Batman in the latest celluloid edition of Gotham's most famous anti-hero. Well I can tell you who else is speaking that line... It's Live Poker! After what seems like an eternity, live poker events in this country are back with a vengeance! The Baazi Poker Tour (BPT) started the ball rolling hosting its comeback edition followed by the Deltin Poker Tournament (DPT) weeks later. And as you read this, the India Poker Championship (IPC) is ready to kick off its IPC Megastacks series in May in the neighbouring kingdom of Nepal, not to forget the Elite Poker Tournament (EPT) finally being able to do its inaugural event in Kolkata. Players across the country have been thirsting for some poker action and the news of all these series certainly brought delighted smiles to their faces. And speaking of the BPT, we have their Main Event winner in Nitin Arora gracing our cover. The young man who shifted to becoming a fulltime online grinder 18 months ago, was over the moon when he lay claim to this coveted title. And that victory was sweeter considering he bested India's first WSOP bracelet winner and one of our finest talents Aditya Sushant on his way to the BPT Main Event title. Nitin talks to us about his experience at the final table along with his plans for the future in our cover story. At the time of writing this the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is at its half-way stage and we check out why the latest edition of the league is bigger and bolder than its previous two editions. All of this and more in the April 2022 edition of Gutshot Magazine! Till next time, stay safe and keep crushing!
PETER ABRAHAM Editor-In-Chief
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NPS 2022 Final Tables Make Way For Resumption Of Live Poker By Amarylisa Gonsalves
W
hile we talk about live events resuming amidst much fanfare and anticipation, we cannot miss the high-octane National Poker Series final tables we witnessed on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of March. PokerBaazi’s National Poker Series (NPS) 2022 edition was indeed massive. But what caught everyone’s eyes were the final tables of three NPS events that were held live at the glamorous Majestic Pride casino in Goa. With the onset of the Baazi Poker Tour, the NPS final tables acted like catalysts to set the Majestic Pride ablaze with live poker action.
About NPS: The National Poker Series (NPS) hosted its second edition this March after a super successful edition in June last year. NPS came to be known as the ‘Olympics of Indian Poker’ because it was the first-ever poker series in India to award gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top three finishers at every event. The 15-day long series, featured a prize pool of a massive ₹18.5 Crore across 84 tournaments and awarded a total of 252 medals.
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Here’s a quick recap of the NPS 2022 FTs: The first final table was the NPS Highroller which came to life on the poker felts of the PokerBaazi LIVE poker room, which was held onboard the Majestic Pride. After narrowing down to a final table with six players from an entry-field of 311 virtually, the event resumed in Goa on 23rd March. World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online bracelet winner, Kartik Ved clinched a gold medal and took home ₹22.09 Lakh as the top prize. Uttarakhand-based Karan Pantola, who kept the final table lively and upbeat, finished second for ₹15.50 Lakh and a silver medal.
Super Highroller
The second live FT was the coveted NPS Main Event which commenced on 24th March. The event witnessed a record-breaking 6,202 entries across the flights on the virtual felts and welcomed the top nine final tablists in Goa. Chirag Sodha grabbed his career-best live cash of ₹44.84 Lakh after being crowned the new NPS Main Event champion. Riteish Kumar finished at the runner-up spot for ₹39.34 Lakh.
Main Event
The final NPS event that was played and streamed live from Goa was the Golden Rush held on 25th March. The event, which received 14,881 entries across 14 flights, saw Sankesh Jain nail the top spot for ₹10,00,000. Arbaaz Ahmed finished second and took a pay cheque of ₹6,01,000.
Golden Rush
That’s all about the final table winners and their victories. The NPS March 2022 edition concluded in all its glory, awarding three NPS podium medals to the top three finishers with the highest medal tallies. Shagun Jain from Jaipur, claimed the highest spot on the podium with four gold medals and two silver medals to his credit, followed by fellow statesman Rohit Begwani taking the second spot with four gold medals. Mumbaibased Dhaval Doshi claimed the third spot with one gold medal and three silver medals. Jain, Begwani and Doshi will be heading to Las Vegas to represent India on a global poker stage. The three winners won packages worth with packages worth ₹10 Lakh, ₹7.5 Lakh and ₹2.5 Lakh respectively. 10
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BPT March 2022: The Return Of A Grand Live Poker Event By Donna Amo
F
ollowing the pandemic break, the Baazi Poker Tour (BPT) took over the live poker scene in Goa in March 2022. The return of this highly popular series was a significant moment for the Indian poker circuit, as it marked the resumption of live poker events in the country. Hosted onboard the Majestic Pride in Goa’s Mandovi river, BPT March 2022 became the centre of poker activity in the country. The poker festival ran from 23rd to 28th March and saw five reigning BPT champions emerge with Nitin Arora clinching the prestigious BPT Main Event title.
Tournament Round Up BPT 15K Kick-Off In classic poker fashion, the series kick-started with the BPT Kick-Off tournament. It was poker pro Gaurav Sood who stole the show after he shipped the event for a lovely sum of ₹10,17,000. Naresh Veeravalli, another well-known poker player was the runner-up and cashed ₹8,96,000 for his deep run.
Total Entries
Prize Pool
385
₹54,42,700
Gaurav Sood
₹10,17,000
Naresh Veeravalli
₹8,96,000
Abhishek Chhajer
₹5,06,900
N J Niranjan
₹3,35,000
Raman Dixit
₹2,57,800
Piyush Goenka
₹2,13,600
Viney Singhal
₹1,78,000
Sagar Raj
₹1,45,600
Archit Khandelwal
₹1,12,500
Buy-in
₹15,000
BPT 15K Bounty The BPT Bounty tournament soon followed and was ultimately shipped by Ujjwal Narwal who cashed ₹9,80,400 in prize money. Out of this, Narwal won ₹95,000 in bounty money after knocking out 19 players from the table and another ₹8,85,400 from the tournament prize pool. Referring to his win and overall experience Narwal said, “I was really happy as it was my first win in a live tournament. The overall experience was also good as I met many players for the first time with whom I have only played online.” 12
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Total Entries
Prize Pool
486
₹44,22,600
Buy-in
₹15,000
Ujjwal Narwal
₹9,80,400
Romit Advani
₹6,29,400
Mohak Kapoor
₹4,25,000
Akshat Sharma
₹2,90,000
Unnikrishnan Nair
₹2,32,500
Ankit Bhansali
₹1,72,500
Ratul Steves
₹1,45,000
Bharat Vasan
₹1,11,900
Gautam Sachdeva
₹85,000
BPT 100K High Roller The BPT High Roller was among the most anticipated events of the series with many top pros taking their seats on the live felts. It was poker pro Zarvan Tumboli who lifted the High Roller title for a colossal figure of ₹50 Lakh! Talking about his win Tumboli said, “Winning the High Roller felt like a very conquering act, to be honest. I had finished 2nd in the last India Poker Championship High Roller edition and 5th in the event before that. Closing this one and shipping it felt complete.” Tumboli added, “Playing live poker after such a long time was thrilling. If I could describe BPT in one word, it would be - seamless. I will always come back for more.”
Total Entries
Prize Pool
259
₹2,46,05,000
Zarvan Tamboli
₹50,00,000
Atul Jaiswal
₹44,75,000
Sahil Chutani
₹25,22,000
Jayraj Ninama
₹16,14,000
Ashish Ahuja
₹11,84,000
Kartik Ved
₹9,80,000
Sreekanth Narayan
₹8,20,000
Buy-in
₹1,00,000
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BPT 35K Main Event The highly awaited BPT Main Event (ME) turned out to be the biggest one. The final table of the tournament saw India’s first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Aditya Sushant and online reg Nitin Arora battle it out. In the end, a deal was made with Arora taking the title and top prize for ₹42,70,000. You can check out Team Gutshot’s exclusive interview with Nitin Arora in our cover story on page 22. Total Entries
Prize Pool
900
₹2,96,10,000
Buy-in
₹35,000
Nitin Arora
₹42,70,000
Aditya Sushant
₹45,23,000
Rugal Advani
₹23,45,000
Rishab Malik
₹17,35,000
Avinash Tauro
₹13,12,000
Abhishek Paul
₹10,46,000
Rohit Jinwal
₹8,66,000
Shion Hossain
₹6,90,000
Harshad Barve
₹5,17,000
BPT 15K PLO Concluding the impressive live series was the BPT PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha) Turbo. The event ended in a three-way deal in which the top title was grabbed by Karunanithi Selvam who had a payday of ₹4,29,500. The runner-up of the event was Vikaash Shah who walked away with ₹4,09,500 in his pockets. Total Entries
Prize Pool
174
₹24,53,400
Karunanithi Selvam
₹4,29,500
Vikaash Shah
₹4,09,500
Nikhil Arora
₹4,75,000
Aakash Banka
₹1,53,000
Chirag Sodha
₹1,18,000
Prateek Sharma
₹97,939
Bishan Gurung
₹83,400
Deepak Singh
₹73,661
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Buy-in
₹15,000
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Heading the success We were able to catch up with Adnani, Karan Sawhney and Neil Eric Sequeira from the PokerBaazi LIVE team for exclusive insights on organising a live event at a time when the poker scene is resuming steadily in India. About hosting a live event in Goa after a gap of two years, Adnani said, “One of the major factors we were looking for was a closure/herd immunity of the virus so we could consider running a live event of this scale while keeping players’ safety as the focal point.” When asked about his experience and learnings from the event, Adnani was not short of compliments for his team. “The PokerBaazi team is an absolute dream to work with and they have done an exceptional job of running a fantastic satty schedule to get players to the live fabric. It is never easy servicing a hungry bunch of poker players all dying to play live tournament poker. But all in all, we came out winning with great prize pools, smiles, energy and some live tournament poker, which the country has not witnessed for a while and we have set a new standard for the game in India.” said Adnani.
success based on buy-in, prize pool, and similar competitive events around these buy-in ranges. In terms of field sizes, the High Roller and Main Event have recorded numbers that show the growth and boom in the live poker space in the country. Not guaranteeing any events actually worked out really well in our favour as there was no pressure to beat a number or to guarantee events with easily beatable numbers.” Behind the scenes Interestingly, the team intended to fly in Assistant Tournament Directors from Manila, Philippines to help manage the event but plans were cancelled at the last minute owing to transit restrictions in Singapore. This meant Sequeira had to handle all 32 tables by himself! Given the magnificent success of BPT March 2022, the PokerBaazi LIVE poker room is ready to host more events. We asked the team if they will be hosting any live events in the future. Sequeira replied, “Most definitely there will be more live tournaments at PokerBaazi LIVE in the months to come. We should have a good range of live properties by the end of this year that we shall only look to grow in the years to come with the support of all the Baazigars out there!”
The PokerBaazi LIVE head also noted some of his key takeaways from the event as “optimizing registration, improving food offerings with a few tweaks in the structures, and looking out for a bigger venue.” The player response in terms of registration and turnout was excellent, added Sequeira, Assistant Tournament Director, PokerBaazi LIVE. He said, “Registration and feedback were great! Turnaround times from point of registration to being seated was an average of 10 minutes based on player feedback, which in my opinion, is a success in itself with a crowd of almost 500 players.” About the tournaments not offering guarantees, Sawhney said, “Each event was a major
With BPT March 2022 coming to a grand close, hopes are riding high for the live poker scene in India to make a stupendous comeback. What does 2022 have in store for the poker community? Only time will tell. Until then we can rest knowing that the wheels have already been set in motion, and a glorious poker revival awaits. G UTS H OT
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BPT March 2022 Prominent Highlights By Manthra Koliyer and socialising with one another at the casino. Along with keenly following live streams and poker statistics, here’s what caught our eye. Dolphins in Mandovi A baby dolphin and its mother playing in the Mandovi river caught Radhika Shankar’s eye. Thrilled at the sight of the dolphins, Shankar took to her Instagram to share pictures with her followers on Instagram.
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ritish academician, Martin Harris wrote in his ever famous book called Poker and Pop Culture: Telling the Story of America’s Favorite Card Game that three essential elements define poker: cards, money and bluffing. While poker requires many elements apart from these three, the spirit of the game and the global poker community is driven by sheer enthusiasm and fervour. The Indian poker community is a niche industry with only a handful of people, by which we mean ‘thousands’ grinding on the online and live felts on any ordinary day. After a hiatus of two years, PokerBaazi hosted Baazi Poker Tour (BPT) aboard Majestic Pride, Goa. The poker series ran between 23rd 28th March 2022. While fishes came to try their hand at the live games, veterans aimed at top titles. Mutual admiration moved away from WhatsApp and poker chat boxes to greeting
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Fan moment alert! Posters? Hell, yes! Posters of all the poker pros could be spotted in the nooks and corners of the Majestic Pride. India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) January 2021 Main Event winner Laksh Pal Singh couldn’t contain
his happiness when he spotted himself on a poster. Shankar who is popularly known as ‘Poker Mom’ clicked pictures with her poster and shared it on social media stating, “who’s that?!?!”
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Zarvan Tumboli stepped into Majestic with his queens
A wise man once said, “For better or worse, it is the commentator who has the last word.” The seasoned and the first-timers in the BPT commentary box ensured that they kept us engrossed through the live streams. george context who was a commentator at the Final
The thriving Indian poker industry sees a turnover of crores every month and is on a steady rise in our country. Although it is a skill game, there is a taboo attached to it. Industry veterans are changing the narrative, every day. BPT March 2022 Highroller winner Zarvan Tumboli walked into the Majestic Pride with his wife Shanaya, daughter Tiara and mother, Viloo Tumboli. The Parsi gang happily posed for pictures which made for adorable family potraits. Commentary box chats
Table Series (2020) was her quirky self and brought a little something (George of Peppa Pig) to keep worry at bay. Sridhar Sriram made a classic debut, while Aditya Wadhwani shared many insights on the game. Commentators spoke about the game, but were not restricted to just poker. Conversations also included pets, cuisines and industry gossip. Flexing bounty bands, boasting about homeground games, bringing back lucky souvenirs, capturing every minute, building castles of poker chips on the tables, clattering chips and the scuffling of cards were some of the heart-warming sights from the BPT felts. G UTS H OT
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PO C OK V EE R R STORY
Meet Nitin Arora
The Ultimate Baazigar By Donna Amo
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he Baazi Poker Tour (BPT) March 2022 edition opened its doors for a spectacular poker event on 23rd March and brought back live events to Goa on a grand scale. The poker fest was nothing short of a dream come true for many poker players who had set their eyes on playing live. As hundreds flocked to the floating Majestic Pride casino, excitement and tension filled the air. However, as fate would have it, only one among the hundreds would be crowned the BPT Main Event champion. As the series ran its course, the highly awaited Main Event witnessed Nitin Arora rising to the top and taking home the sought-after title. Arora battled his way through a sea of 900 entries to claim victory on the final table. There were many reasons to celebrate for the young player and given that this was his first live poker title, the win was so much sweeter.
winner? What was going through your mind during that time? Adi is one of the top crushers in the game, and I knew it would be extremely difficult to beat him. Initially, I was nervous, but I treated this challenge like any other online heads up and played my natural game. On the BPT Main Event’s final table, which player(s) did you keep an eye on? I mostly kept my eyes on Aditya Sushant, the chip leader Rugal Advani and Rishabh Malik. Basically, the people I knew are good at the game. How do you view your experience at BPT 2022 since live poker returned after a gap of two years? I had an amazing experience and the entire process from entry to buy-in and actually playing was really smooth. I especially loved the way PokerBaazi managed everything for the live event.
“Initially it did not sink in, but after a while, I realised what I have achieved and realised that all the hard work finally paid off,” Arora replied when asked about his Main Event win. His victory is even more impressive considering that he only started putting more volume in the game around 2019, which was mostly online. “Yes, I am much more comfortable playing online. Playing live was difficult but my aim was to stay solid and follow through the same process and it really paid off,” said Arora. In an interview with this rising star, we got many interesting anecdotes about the win from Arora and a lowdown on his heads up challenge against World Series of Poker bracelet winner, Aditya Sushant. Take a look: Were you nervous when you went heads-up with Aditya Sushant who is a WSOP bracelet G U TGS U H TOSTH O T
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Who is your biggest supporter when it comes to your poker career? My biggest support has been my mom since I have shifted to a full-time online grind for the past one-and-a-half year. It would be impossible to achieve anything without her constant support and help. Will this victory at BPT push you to play more live events in the future? Of course! I am more inclined towards going on a live trophy hunt and this win has definitely boosted my confidence. It has also encouraged me to put more volume into live poker events. What was your mindspace like while travelling to Goa for BPT? How did you prepare for it? I treated it like any other series. My aim was to play standard and to go as deep as possible in the events. I prepared for it like any other online tournament – by just being more patient while playing in this live series. In your previous interview with us, you said: “I play everything in a standard way and have made certain rules around which I play.” Did you follow this for the BPT Main Event? Yes, that is the most important thing I follow. Being more exploitative is the only addition I’ve made in the past few months. Putting in a lot of time studying and going through hand histories has helped me a lot as well. A word of advice for newbies in poker? One suggestion would be to give as much volume as possible. To go through the process of studying the game and paying attention to their bankroll management. Where do you see yourself five years down the road? Five years down the road, I am aiming towards being more theoretically solid in my game and also being one of the best poker players in India.
Rapid Fire With
Nitin Arora
DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A POKER PLAYER IN ONE WORD Fearless THE BEST OPPONENT TO GRIND AGAINST. The ones who are better than me and who continuously challenge me. YOUR FAVOURITE POKER PLAYER Domestic - Sriharsha Doddapaneni International - Phil Ivey YOUR BIGGEST FEAR IN POKER Bubbling a final table YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE People who trash talk a lot on the poker table WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH YOUR BPT PRIZE MONEY? Half of it will go on my poker bankroll and the other half on long-term investments.
Arora may be a more recent face in the poker community, but his efforts have surely borne their fruit. Watching him play up against senior poker players on the live stage and emerge as a champion is a story that will not be forgotten easily. Not only has Arora captured the live felts of BPT but has also become a beacon of hope for many online regs who aim to conquer live tournament titles. G U TGS U H TOSTH O T
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Gutshot Player Of The Month April 2022 - Simon Mint By Mrinal Gujare
K
eeping up with the tradition of featuring a poker player for his/her brilliant performance on the virtual felts, for this edition, we are proud to present Simon Mint as the Player of the Month, for April 2022. This online reg has been nominated by PokerHigh for the coveted title. Gutshot picks the Player of the Month based on the player’s overall performance which includes the following parameters, total prize money earned, buy-in spent, return on investment, in the money (ITM) finishes and win percentage. We asked Mint about being nominated as the Player of the Month and this PokerHigh player expressed his pleasure at winning the coveted title. We couldn’t help but ask the Millionaire Series #7 winner (November 2021) about signing up on PokerHigh. Mint revealed that he has been grinding on the site since its launch and also praised the poker room for having the most lucrative deposit offers.
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Mint’s response made us ask him about the feature he likes the most on PokerHigh. He admitted that the online poker platform’s lucrative promotions draw him to the site. Talking about the tournaments on PokerHigh, Mint said that ever since this platform became a part of the Quadnet Poker Network, the guarantees offered have skyrocketed. Grinding in high-value tournaments is what every player looks for and seems like PokerHigh is doing the job perfectly well. We also questioned Mint about his gameplay. The poker dynamo said that in the beginning his play is tight in order to build a robust stack and he then makes a move as per the situation at hand. Lastly, we also asked Mint about his journey ahead to which he sharply responded by saying that he doesn’t look too far ahead. Well, that’s all we have from our April 2022’s Player of the Month. If you wish to earn this grand title, then get ready to participate and win big in poker tournaments.
Total tournaments played
122
Overall buy-in amount
₹22,000
In The Money (ITM) finishes
16
Total cashes
₹2,09,240
Biggest cash
₹86,372
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This game has an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly at your own risk.
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The Legacy Continues: DPT Returns With A Bang By Amarylisa Gonsalves
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he pandemic had us confined to the four walls of our homes, and we certainly did miss doing a lot of things that brought us joy. Chilling with friends, visiting places, traveling to destinations, partying around weekends, or as mundane as it may sound, going to work. It was indeed a dull phase for everyone. From the perspective of poker players, there were no live events, no railing for buddies, no live victory moments, no posing with trophies, and no celebrations thereafter. But with the ease of restrictions and the pandemic seemingly under control, all of our usual activities have finally resumed and so has LIVE POKER! Casino establishments have started opening their doors, and poker event organisers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure they get the live scene back in action. Quickly grabbing the opportunity to host one of India’s biggest and most anticipated live poker events, the organisers of the Deltin Poker Tournament, fondly known as DPT, announced the return of the live events, in April. This live poker event is no alien to
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the Indian poker fraternity. Top players and the who’s who of the industry are well-acquainted and familiar with gaming and casino giant Deltin’s very own poker tournament, the DPT.
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Let us take a stroll down memory lane and relive the highlights of the prestigious tournament. The tournament was the brainchild of two industry giants, Adda52 and Deltin. The history In 2016, one of India’s largest casinos, Deltin Royale, hosted the DPT in association with one of India’s leading online poker sites, Adda52. Scheduled from 21st January to 26th January 2016, the first-ever DPT offered a guarantee of ₹1 Crore for the Main Event (ME). The ME was shipped by Raghav Bansal, who pocketed a hefty ₹30,60,000. The success of this tournament led to another six-day long poker carnival from 9th -14th November, in the same year. Soon after, the tournament returned for the February edition played between 23rd and
27th February 2017. This time, the prize pool was bigger with a staggering ₹1.50 Crore on offer. This edition, yet again, was a massive success. Inspired by the back-to-back successes, the guarantee for the July edition was further increased. The series held between 19th to 24th July 2017 featured a massive prize pool of ₹2 Crore. 2017 saw DPT tasting tremendous success, as the year witnessed three editions happening, one after the other. The year 2018 recorded two editions of the DPT, the first being the February edition between the 15th to 19th of February. The Main Event of this edition was a ₹35,000 buyin event with a guarantee of an impressive ₹1 Crore. The April edition between 26th to 29th April followed with a prize pool of ₹2 Crore. The July edition of the DPT ran from 26th to 29th July.
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DPT’s success branched out to two other series, particularly DPT Colossus Super High Roller Series and DPT Xpress (DPTX), which targeted small and medium stake players. The tournament returned in 2019 with the February edition between 7th to 11th February 2019. It was a five-day long series with four events held at the Deltin Royale casino in Goa. This was followed by DPTX in March held at the Deltin Denzong casino in Sikkim, and DPT Colossus Super High Roller (SHR) in May at Deltin Royale. The final series of the year was the July edition. In 2020, DPT returned with three series scheduled for the year. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus led to DPTX series between 27th February to 1st March being the last live event. The other events on the schedule had to be cancelled due to the lockdown. The DPTX returned in 2021 and ran 28
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between 11th to 14th March, becoming the first live tournament to be held at the Deltin Royale since the first lockdown was imposed. DPT April 2022 The event made a return after two long years, and it was bigger and bolder than ever. Talking about what the new edition brings to the table, Praveen Dwarkanath, Poker Head at Deltin, said, “The Apirl edition of the series bears the theme #upthegame and the team has indeed done so. The Main Event guarantee was at a hefty ₹1.2 Crore for a buy-in of ₹35,000! This time around, there have been some encouraging changes coming into effect, after listening to the voice of the players. DPT registrations were made online, and were done from the comfort of your homes or the Goan beaches if you may like. Instead of queued registration desks at the venue, players had the chance to plan
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ahead, giving them extra prep time. In line with the #upthegame theme, players bought into events from their Adda52 wallet, and cash out into the wallet, thereby enabling a smooth and seamless transaction. The DPT team had worked on this request over the last few months, as this was one of the most important feedback received from the large player community.” The first DPT series post lockdown was held between 14th to 19th April 2022 at the Deltin Royale. Yes, that happens to be the peak summertime in the beautiful state of Goa. Tourists are known to flock in great numbers to Goa during this time and with the DPT happening around the same time, the organisers received an overwhelming response. Talking about the same, Dwarkanath said, “We were expecting to surpass the pre-covid numbers in terms of the footfall at this edition of DPT. People are traveling and getting back to doing things they love. Goa, as a travel destination has always attracted tourists from across the world. Deltin offers an experience to remember as it combines thrill, excitement, entertainment, good food and beverages and great service. We are also looking forward to the prize pool being crushed.” This year, the DPT included a unique feature of online registrations for the live events. The association with Adda52 made this possible. Elaborating on the same Dwarkanath said, “With every edition of DPT, we try to work on the pressing issues faced by the players in the previous series and try to fix them – ensuring hassle-free registrations was one of our key focus this time around. So getting this done from the comfort of your homes or the Goan beaches, was our goal. It was a complete team effort in achieving this.” “To ensure players get more time to relax on board the magnificent Deltin Royale, DPT has committed to a no-queue registration process that can
be completed online. As part of the Deltin Poker Tour – April 2022 edition, players could receive an SMS with a link and a code from either Adda52 or Deltin. Players would need to open the link, fill in the requested details and enter the provided code. On successful submission of a link, an authorisation code will be generated and shared. Once the player is at the registration desk in Adda52 Live poker room at Deltin Royale, the authorisation code could be scanned and players would then be provided with the seating card for the respective event,” he adds. Well, the registration process was not the only unique feature of this edition. The series also featured a freeroll tournament with a ₹15 Lakh prize pool. Dwarkanath said, “DPT also hosted a ₹15 Lakh freeroll on the 19th of April 2022 with a free entry for all players who played all events (except High Roller) and did not cash in any.” Not to forget a Women’s Special tournament about which Dwarkanath said, “Exclusive women’s poker tables are known to be more social and interactive, compared to some of the traditional live tournaments. Honestly, as a community, we need to learn to #upthegame from all the achievements of women across various categories we’ve seen and heard of. If you go back to the origin of poker, the game was meant to be more leisurely than competitive. Having an all-women table makes it less tense and more enjoyable for the players and what better way to show our support for this progress than hosting an exclusive event for our lovely ladies. The ₹10,000 Women’s Special tournament was hosted on 19th April at 8 PM with a starting stack of ₹15,000.” With so much hype and excitement around the series, one thing was assured and that was action-packed poker games. And that’s exactly what happened! G UTS H OT
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PSL Season 4: A Buoyant Celebration Of Poker By Amarylisa Gonsalves
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wo years ago, life came to a standstill because of the unfortunate spread of the COVID-19 virus, followed by lockdowns. The restrictions and protocols posed a huge challenge for several establishments, especially for live events and the entertainment business. As a poker player, it meant no live poker. As much as it was disheartening for regular casino grinders and live game organisers, it was also a phase of excitement for the players who wished to play the game, but feared playing live. They could now play online through their screens. It introduced more and more people into the universe of poker. However, poker enthusiasts deeply missed the excitement and thrill of playing the game live. But with live poker now resuming, nobody is more excited than the team of Poker Sports League (PSL). Pranav Bagai, CEO and Founder of PSL says, “The unprecedented time of pandemic left us wanting for more and we are excited to be back physically for our season finale.” The PSL was always held in a ‘phygital’ format, a hybrid model combining online and
live games. However, due to the pandemic, the league was forced to be hosted online. But with life and times gaining a sense of normalcy post the removal of lockdowns, the finale of PSL Season 4 was hosted live in Goa aboard the luxurious Deltin Royale casino. Season 4 commenced on 29th March 2022. The virtual leg of the league took place online till 13th of April. The finale of the series was held live in Goa between 20th to 24th April, 2022. It was for the first time since the pandemic, PSL events were held live. Besides the finale, the player selection ceremony was also live streamed for the first time ever. The ceremony, held in March, was an extravagant affair with popular faces of the poker fraternity getting aboard the Deltin Royale for a night of auction, selection and celebration. The season comprises of six teams with a playing eleven, each representing six different Indian regions, namely Delhi Czars, Deccan Aces, Goan Nuts, Gujarat Falcons, Mumbai Anchors, and Kolkata Kings. 36 qualifiers later 12 pro players battled it out live on the poker felts of Deltin, for a guaranteed prize pool of ₹2+ Crore.
Gutshot Magazine is the proud media partner of the PSL team Kolkata Kings. Through the association we aim at propogating the game of poker more and more in the country. Ashvin Rao, Assistant Vice President at Gutshot Magazine spoke about the sponsorship. He said, “We are glad to be media partners of Kolkata Kings. We believe the spectacular combination of Parthasarathi, Wadhawan, Ahuja and Bindra is capable of performing exceedingly well and being the most qualified contenders to win the fourth season of the league.” 30
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India Poker Championship Makes A Head-turning Return By Manthra Koliyer
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hen World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online bracelet winner Kartik Ved recently walked into our office, the first question he asked was, “When will the India Poker Championship (IPC) return?” This is probably the only question every poker player has been asking since this grand event was last held in January 2020. On 12th April, Spartan Poker finally announced that IPC will return with the Megastack edition being hosted between 17th – 22nd May at the Casino Vegas by Big Daddy, Nepal. This is the first time that the mega poker event will be hosted in Nepal.
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Excellence is awarded in all fields but when it comes to poker, IPC is the brand which is considered to be the ultimate crowning glory in live poker in India. Rubin Labroo was the last player to clinch the coveted IPC title. Labroo shipped the 50K Main Event aboard Goa’s Big Daddy Casino and left the competition to bite dust. In online poker events you are playing against rivals behind a computer’s screen. But IPC is where you face your opponents who in all probability could be professional players,
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India Poker Championship Awards The IPC Awards are presented annually to honour India’s fine poker players and operators. The IPC Awards ceremony is one of the most prestigious evenings every Indian poker player looks forward to. The awards ceremony promises an evening filled with all things poker, performances from comedians, live bands, glitz and a high dose of glamour. Much like we have ICC Awards in Cricket and the Ballon D’Or in football, IPC Awards was started to felicitate the top poker talent in the country.
recreational players, businessmen, or even celebrities. IPC isn’t just any other poker series where celebs mark their attendance to up the glam quotient but they really come to grind their way to glory. Only time will tell us what the return of IPC would be like.
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Here are some images from the last IPC Awards which took place in January 2020. While the dates of IPC May 2022 are out, we eagerly await the announcement of the awards ceremony with equal zeal. With the latest edition of IPC, we hope the legacy of this grand event becomes even more prominent.
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YOUR POKER GAMING PARTNER SINCE 2015, STILL
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This game has an element of financial risk and may be addictive.Please play responsibly and at your own risk.
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Elite Poker Tournament: The Super Highrollers Are Here! By Mrinal Gujare
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e bet you are wondering about the highrollers we’ve mentioned in the headline. Don’t bother guessing, we will tell you about it. For the unversed, last year we reported that the Elite Poker Tournament (EPT) founded by Rahul Khanna and Hardeep Singh will be hosted at Club Fenicia in Kolkata. This poker event is a super highroller series aimed at getting pros, businessmen, and seasoned players with heavy-duty bankrolls under one roof.
The EPT story would have played out smoothly if COVID-19 hadn’t wreaked havoc. On 29th October 2021, the West Bengal state government via a notification imposed strict curbs and night curfew (11 PM - 5AM) which led to the poker event getting postponed. The decision to extend the curbs was made after the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the West Bengal State Disaster Management Authority took a call on the measures to be implemented given the COVID-19 situation 38
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in the state. Well, this is where the EPT story paused last year. Come 2022 and the new year brought some good news with it. EPT is finally making its grand return. No it wasn’t a sudden move but an opportune one. West Bengal state government in its notification dated 31st March 2022 stated that the SEC has done a review of the caseload and positivity rate in the state and made a decision to revoke
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the COVID-19 restrictions imposed. This move made it possible for live poker events in the state to resume among other things. But revoking the curbs does not mean that the mask mandate is out. The hygiene protocols stay as is and people need to follow social distancing norms when out and about.
ME. Until we hear some official announcement about this super highroller series, we suggest you hold your horses.
Coming back to EPT, even though at the current time no new updates are available, we assure you that the event will be a poker spectacle for all to see. Gutshot Magazine will cover all the latest updates on EPT. But till then we can speculate that EPT may return sometime in June 2022 at Club Fenicia in a bolder avatar.
One can’t possibly ignore the resumption of live poker in the country. Baazi Poker Tour (BPT) recently concluded on a high note. Another highly-anticipated event—Deltin Poker Tournament (DPT) kick-started on 14th April and concluded on 19th April. India Poker Championship (IPC) where the crème de la crème of the poker industry and celebrities mark their attendance will run between 17th - 22nd May. If this isn’t proof of live poker resuming all guns blazing then we don’t know what is.
Talking about EPT’s advertised guarantee, previously we had reported on how the event offered a gigantic sum of ₹2.25 Crore in guarantee. Yes, that’s a jaw-dropping amount and this figure could be pumped up as well. The EPT Main Event (ME) was worth ₹1.65 Crore. The upcoming event may offer a heftier
The cherry on top will be EPT to make June a lucrative month for all the highrollers in the circuit. Players, bigwigs and poker fanatics with mighty bankrolls, keep your money at hand as EPT is on its way. This unique one-ofits-kind poker event will surely take the world of live poker by storm founders.
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SPORTS
Why IPL 2022 Is Bigger And Bolder Than The Last Two Editions By Akash Mishra outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought the shenanigans of the game to a momentary pause. What’s different in IPL 2022 Despite BCCI’s best efforts to ensure that IPL was hosted even during the pandemic, the phase witnessed tremendous loss due to the severe restrictions imposed as per the ongoing COVID-19 protocols. •
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ith the inclusion of two new teams in the 2022 edition of the megacricketing event, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has just gotten much more thrilling and exciting, more so as the league got a new title sponsor in the TATA Group. With the addition of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to conduct a mega auction, this year to provide equal opportunities to all teams, allowing them to pick players of their choice, therefore enabling equality and a fair chance to all teams to build a fresh squad. Considered the toughest T20 league, BCCI ensures that the IPL gets more lucrative and challenging, with each edition. But the
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Being a foremost Indian league, the two editions of IPL, i.e., 2020 and 2021, were conducted in the UAE. During the pandemic, matches were held with a limited crowd. With the absence of the Indian crowds in the mega event, the league in a way felt incomplete.
New format • 74 matches will be played in the latest edition of the IPL. The past editions had a total of 60 games. • IPL 2022 will feature 10 teams split between two groups consisting of five teams, each. Audience returns after three years • After three long years, spectators can now watch their favourite games live in the stadium. • The last two editions had artificial crowd noises used for impact. In IPL 2022, the stadiums are drawing true-blue fans who will be cheering for their favourite teams. IPL 2022 mega auction • Unexpected shuffling in mega auctions • Hugh Edmeades’ career witnessed a lull due to Postural Hypotension.
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‘Boycott CSK’ slogans raised for roping in Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana, as the team is owned by Tamilians. Ishan Kishan of Mumbai Indians was the highest bid in the IPL 2022 auction, at INR 15.25 Crore David Warner returns to his former team Delhi Capitals
can’t field teams due to COVID-19 protocols • League rankings of teams to be used if super overs can’t decide final results IPL 2022 vs IPL 2020 & 2021 • Overseas players prefer playing in India. Not because of pitch conditions, but due to the immense love from fans
IPL 2022 two groups
GROUP A
GROUP B
Mumbai Indians
Chennai Super Kings
Kolkata Knight Riders
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Rajasthan Royals
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi Capitals
Punjab Kings
Lucknow Super Giants
Gujarat Titans
New Rules • Rise in unsuccessful reviews • New batsmen to take strike after catch dismissals • Matches to be rescheduled if franchises
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IPL’s return to home grounds will ensure players perform in familiar pitches, unlike the conditions witnessed on the UAE grounds In comparison to the previous editions, the footfalls in the stadium will see a sharp jump.
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Crossword By Donna Amo
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Venue of the India Poker Championship 2022 (5,5) Place where the longest poker game was played (4,4,7) The term ‘poker’ originated from this german word (1) President who funded his first political campaign with his poker winnings (7,5) The player nicknamed ‘The Mathematician’ (5,8)
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1. First woman to win a WSOP bracelet in an open event (7,7) 4. Poker player who won the 2022 Triton Poker Cyprus Event#3:$75,000 Short Deck (4,4) 5. Player with the highest WSOP cashes of all time (4,8) 6. Another word for the hand A,K,Q,J,T (1)
GAMING
Prize Indemnity Insurance: The Elixir of Life for Gaming Portals
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By Sunil Vidhate
he world of gaming has been highly impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns imposed by authorities. Ironically, while we are all desperate for recreation and entertainment to combat the psychological impact left behind by the pandemic, the gaming sector was brimming with renewed energy. Demand across gaming companies is being reshaped at a rapid pace with a continuing rise in consumption of online games and in-home experiences. Of course, this is coupled with a sudden and universal need to recreate in-person experiences impacting venue owners across the board, ensuring footfalls at the casinos. While the current reality is that this is the time when consumers head back to casino gaming, geographic limitations and guidelines remain a huge challenge. Newer experiences, fuelled by technology, will be required to excite consumers and compel them to go back to the casinos. In such times, it is not economically feasible for the casino owner or a lottery operator to bear the burden of paying the entire prize money to the winner. Here is where Prize Indemnity Insurance comes in place.
This all-in-one insurance policy enables organisations to conduct promotional events promising lucrative prizes, including vacations, huge sums of money and fancy vehicles as rewards, without taking a significant risk or needing to pay for the prizes in full. Reducing the monetary risk for gaming organisations, this policy adheres to customer satisfaction. Alliance is the first to have introduced the marketplace to this concept by providing customised cover for online casinos and real money gaming companies etc. While this policy covers the transactional exposure of the gaming industry, the growing threat of cyber intrusions loom large, with large amounts of moneys on desks, in vaults and in transit. Alliance’s team of liability insurance experts provide tailormade liability insurance solutions that ensure safe transactions of cash deposit/ withdrawal through credit/ debit card, bank transfer or UPI payments. Further information about the policy and its benefits can be found on the brand's website: allianceinsurance.in The author is the Business Head and Sr. Vice President at Alliance Insurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd. G UTS H OT
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