POKER
GAME, SET, MATCH: ANIRBAN AND MAHIMA WALIA DAS
WORDS BY DONNA AMO
W
hat better way to celebrate the season of love than with a couple who fell in love with each other and poker? The story of Anirban Das aka ‘pokernoob’ of the online poker circuit and Mahima Walia Das, the first female player to ship the Millionaire United INR 1 Crore GTD on Spartan Poker, has an almost fairytale like ring to it. So for this edition we got up close and personal and asked them to relate a few tales from their poker-filled love story. First of all, it’s so nice of you and Anirban to agree to this interview. To start off, can you tell us what were the first impressions you two had of each other when you met for the first time? M: We met through some common friends at a party and became friends soon after. A: Our first impression of each other was an instant connection around common a interest, largely partying at the time, as well as an instant sense of comfort in each other’s company.
A: I started playing during my MBA days at IIM Ahmedabad. I used it as a way to connect with a different set of friends outside of my study groups, classmates, dorm mates, and extracurricular club mates. It was the first time I had stayed in a hostel, so I was just trying to make as many friends as I could back then.
What inspired both of you to venture into poker? M: After coming back from work Anirban used to play poker. This would lead to arguments in the beginning. But within a week’s time he got me hooked on the game and it has been a common interest since then.
Both of you are well-known personalities in the Indian poker circuit. How do you feel when you are recognized as a couple who is into poker? M/A: It’s definitely a good feeling, however, the basic complexities and nuances of the game, along with the
26
GUTSHOT
FEBRUARY
2021
