Poker in India is fast picking up with several new faces and stars emerging and showcasing their prowess at the felts. In the last few months, we have seen several new stars emerge from the scene and one name among them is Ha Rinu, a rising star from Arunachal Pradesh.
Known by her online alias “Pagalhumain”, Rinu’s remarkable journey from low-stakes tables to securing a silver medal and a life-changing score of ₹27.13 Lakhs in PokerBaazi’s ongoing National Poker Series (NPS) has captured the attention of the poker community. Here is a quick look at the remarkable journey of Ha Rinu, and her impressive run at the 2025 NPS.
Ha Rinu Making Waves at National Poker Series
Ha Rinu aka “Pagalhumain” is a low-stakes poker player from Lower Subansiri, Arunachal Pradesh. Rinu caught the attention of the community when she struck gold at the National Poker Series on PokerBaazi after she clinched a silver medal in the NPS#82 Mega Rush.
Competing in her 36th tournament on PokerBaazi, Rinu etched her name as the biggest winner last Thursday with a remarkable podium finish in the 3 Crore GTD NPS#82 Mega Rush event. She finished runner-up out of the massive 6,237-entry field in the INR 4,600 buy-in tournament, claiming a career-defining ₹27.13 Lakhs – the biggest score of this past week on PokerBaazi. The latest finish not only earned her first NPS medal (Silver) but also etched her name in history as the single-highest scorer of the series among female poker players.
With several scores to her name, Rinu continues to make waves on the virtual felts and there seems to be no stopping for her. She has cashed in four NPS events so far with her runner-up finish being the key highlight of her journey. She was recently crowned as the Ace Shot of the Week for her stellar performance at the NPS India Mega Rush event.
Ha Rinu’s Journey In Poker
As per reports, Rinu has been playing poker since 2024. According to PokerGuru, her first cash includes a money finish in the 2024 MoneyMaker 1CR GTD for ₹21,000. She then participated in small low buy-in tournaments before making waves at the 2025 National Poker Series.
Rinu made it to the Mega Rush event through the Qualifiers, which had a buy-in of INR 4.6k. She used 3 bullets to survive in the qualifiers and ended up making it to the 3 CR GTD event.
She wasn’t the only one to enter the event, as 677 players made it to the Mega Rush Event finale. In the end, it was Dellhi’s Kritagya Sharma, who secured his second NPS gold medal and the first title of this year.
Sharma collected ₹18.61 Lakhs after a three-way deal with Rinu (runner-up for INR 27.13 Lakhs), and two-time Money Maker champion Anish Vijayvergia (third-place for INR 18.92 Lakhs and his first bronze NPS medal.
Ha Rinu’s story is a testament to perseverance, patience, and dedication. From her modest beginnings in low-stakes poker games to emerging as a silver medalist in the prestigious National Poker Series, Rinu has demonstrated that success in poker is not solely about luck — it’s about mastering the craft, adapting to pressure, and seizing opportunities. Rinu’s rise to prominence is a powerful reminder that the poker table isn’t just about cards; it’s about the courage, the discipline, and the determination that keeps you pushing forward in the game.
2025 National Poker Series
The 2025 National Poker Series (NPS) is a premier online poker tournament hosted on PokerBaazi, one of India’s leading poker platforms. As one of the biggest online poker series in the country, NPS offers massive prize pools, awarding crores in winnings daily. The ongoing edition of the series featured a jaw-dropping ₹100 Crores in total prize pool. A whopping ₹52.25 Crores in prize money has already been paid out in its last 16-day run.
Maharashtra leads the way, boasting a mighty 65 medals with 20 Gold, 19 Silver, 26 Bronze in the past 16-day run of the series. Delhi is closer with 57 medals with 17 Gold, 23 Silver, 17 Bronze. Haryana grabbed the most medals this Monday, taking the total count to 33 medals (11 Gold, 10 Silver, 12 Bronze)
Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories from the ongoing NPS series.
Source: PokerGuru and PokerBaazi
