Meet Anant Purohit, the 38-year-old poker pro whose name resonates with nearly every poker enthusiast in India. Hailing from Bhilwara, Rajasthan, and currently living in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Purohit’s journey from IIM Ahmedabad graduate to one of India’s top poker professionals is nothing short of extraordinary. With over ₹ 14 Crores in online winnings and an incredible 256 titles under his belt, he’s a force to be reckoned with on both online and live felts. While he is known for his dominance on the virtual felts, his live resume is nothing short of impressive as he has won several prestigious live poker titles, including the DPT Xpress Main Event. He also finished runner-up in WPT Megastack Turbo in 2018.
But what has got the poker world buzzing lately is Purohit’s hot streak on Natural8 India. In just over a month, he has recorded some jaw-dropping winnings that have cemented his place among India’s poker elite. His biggest performance came when he took down the site’s Bounty Hunters HR Deepstack 525 for a whopping ₹ 84.61 Lakhs. This victory pushed his online earnings to a staggering ₹1.38 Crores in just over a week on Natural8 India, leaving everyone in awe of his talent.
His hot streak didn’t stop there as he cashed in three more events on a single Sunday. He finished 9th in 150 Bounty BIG BLASTOFF for ₹ 5,30,683, 26th in Bounty Hunters HR Main Event 525 for ₹1,23,906, and 162nd in Sunday Giant 365 for ₹ 74,382, raking in ₹ 7.29 Lakhs and taking his total Natural8 earnings to ₹ 1.45 Crores.
Continuing his incredible form, Purohit then added two more deep runs last week, pocketing ₹ 2.20 Lakhs. And just when everyone thought he might take a breather, he hit another big score—winning the Bounty Hunters Sunday Big Game 215 this Sunday, outlasting 3,026 entries to bag a massive ₹52 Lakhs, his second-biggest score and fourth seven-figure score on Natural8 India in just four weeks.
Purohit is truly unstoppable. We recently caught up with him to discuss his winning streak, his journey, and the mindset behind his incredible run over the last few weeks. Here are the excerpts:
PokerPorNews: You’ve been playing poker for more than a decade now. How has your journey evolved from when you first started to where you are today, with over 256 online titles?
Anant: I started playing live poker during my college days, and kept playing with a mix of live and a bit of online poker. It wasn’t until 2013 that I transitioned almost entirely to online poker. At that time, I had a job, so I wasn’t playing too much poker, but whatever I did play, I transitioned fully to the online format.
In the beginning, there wasn’t really any concept of coaching or studying— it was more about playing based on instinct. I’d think, ‘Okay, this is the right move,’ and just go with it. However, over time, with experience and a bit of self-learning, I started improving. But it wasn’t until 2017 that I realized I wasn’t playing great poker, although I was still making a profit somehow.
After 2017, I had a few coaching sessions with Abhishek Rathod, and that’s when I really started to think more deeply about the game—considering hands, values, and bluffs. Even then, it wasn’t until 2020 that I began seeing consistent results. I had some upswing in 2020, and I studied more, which helped my game grow exponentially.
In 2022, I experienced a big downswing that lasted almost a year, but it didn’t take long for me to recover. By 2023, I was back on track, and now in 2024, I’m fully out of it and feeling confident in my game.
PokerProNews: You’ve recently been on a hot streak, especially on platforms like Natural8 India. How do you maintain your focus and consistency in such high-pressure, large-field tournaments?
Anant: My main focus is always on the current hand, my current stack, and the current situation, like the stage of the tournament and everything related to it. I don’t dwell too much on what happened in the last hand or the last hour, nor do I worry about what might happen in the next hour.
The stage of the tournament is crucial. In the early or middle stages, you should be prepared to take on a bit more risk. However, in the later stages, that same risk can be problematic because by that point, you’ve already been playing for six or seven hours. Losing the tournament then would mean losing all the hard work of those last few hours.
So, in general, I stay focused entirely on the present—my current stack, the current stage, and the hand I’m playing. I don’t overthink the past or future.
PokerProNews: Your largest online cash came recently in Natural8 India’s Bounty Hunters HR Deepstack 525, where you won ₹84.61 Lakhs. How did you prepare for that event, and what were the key moments that led to your victory?
Anant: Yes, I’ve been doing well on Natural8 India. I started playing online again last month. I wasn’t playing much on Natural8 before, but then I thought, ‘Okay, let’s give it another go,’ and since then, things have been going better on that platform.
On that particular day, I wasn’t really in the mood. I was a bit tired from a full day of work and thought I’d just play two or three small events and then sleep. But before that, I decided to try one satellite for the 525 (₹52.5K) High Roller event. I entered the satellite and somehow managed to win a seat.
The tournament started, and in the very second hand, I got a triple-up. That’s when I decided to take it seriously—I had a solid stack in the early stages, so there was no turning back. Even though I had been feeling tired, being a poker enthusiast, it’s almost inbuilt in me to forget about exhaustion once I’m deep in a tournament. I just get energized and fasten my seat belt for the upcoming grind. Despite the fatigue, I managed to stay focused all the way until 8 AM. And at 8 o’clock, I shipped the tournament.
PokerProNews: Anant, you’ve been on an unstoppable run. Just yesterday, you secured another big victory by winning the 215 Bounty Hunters Sunday Big Game. Can you walk us through this latest win?
Anant: Yesterday, in the Sunday tournament, I managed to get a good score in the 215 buy-in event, finishing first for ₹51.8 lakhs. It was another solid result since I started playing on Natural8 India. Honestly, for most of the day, it felt like it was going to be a losing day, but things turned around. After about 10 hours of grinding, I ended up winning the tournament around 9:30 AM, securing nearly ₹52 lakhs. Overall, it was a great day for me. One thing I appreciate about Natural8 India is the deep structure in the late stages of the tournament. It allows more playability, so you’re not forced to gamble with a shallow stack, and that definitely helps my overall performance in the later stages.
PokerProNews: Nowadays many players are exploring tournaments in Vietnam and other Asian countries. Do you have any plans to play outside India, and how do you feel about the poker opportunities abroad?
Anant: Playing outside India is definitely a great opportunity, but my main focus is on my family commitments, which is a big factor for me. That’s why I’m not planning to participate in many big live series. I might plan for one occasionally, but I can’t maintain the same volume and regularity as other players.
Online poker offers me more comfort and volume compared to live events. In live poker, you have to sit in one place for 8-9 hours straight, often for several days if it’s a big multi-day event. You end up playing just one event for multiple days, so the volume is much lower, and the comfort is reduced. At home, I can play 6-8 tournaments in a single day, and most of them wrap up within that day. That’s why I prefer playing online rather than traveling abroad for live series.
I recently lost my father, which has increased my family commitments. However, my wife and mother are my big support, always motivating me to keep going. I truly feel that my father’s blessings have helped me achieve these milestones. We also have a curious 4-year-old son, Sharang, who keeps me busy—dad duties are never-ending but always energizing.
I plan to start attending live poker events once or twice a year, taking the family along for a fun trip that combines poker with a vacation.
PokerProNews: You’ve not only crushed online tournaments but also made a mark by winning some prestigious live events, including DPT Xpress Main Event. How do you adjust your game between online and live poker? And which format do you prefer – online or live?
Anant: As I mentioned earlier, I definitely prefer online poker over live poker because of the comfort, the volume, and the lower time commitment. However, live poker is a completely different experience. One advantage of live poker is the ability to read players’ physical tells. Many beginner and intermediate players often have certain tells, and in live settings, you can engage with them, talk to them, and get a better sense of their thought process. By interacting with them, you can sometimes figure out what kind of players they are.
In online poker, that’s not possible. The only way to understand a player’s style is by closely observing their gameplay. In live poker, you can gather a lot more information through conversation and observing their behavior at the table.
That said, my volume in live tournaments is much lower compared to online. I do have a few live titles, though not many. I’ve won the DPT Xpress Main Event and finished runner-up in a WPT event, but overall, I play live poker less frequently.
PokerProNews: Like several other online games, poker also comes with its own challenges. What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in staying at the top, and how do you overcome them?
Anant: One of the key challenges to maintaining good profitability in poker is volume, and the second is bankroll management. I can honestly say that most people, including myself, don’t strictly follow proper bankroll management these days. Many players tend to gamble everything they have, like coming with ₹10,000 and playing a ₹10,000 game, hoping to win big, which is generally unrealistic.
To consistently succeed, you need to have a solid bankroll management policy. While I’ve been following it, I haven’t been as strict as I should have. This became a challenge for me during my downswing in 2022, when I faced difficulties in recovering because I wasn’t following my bankroll strategy as closely as I should have. However, I managed to bounce back, but to truly succeed and maintain profitability in poker, both volume and solid bankroll management are essential.
PokerProNews: What advice would you give to budding poker players who are just starting their journey in the competitive world of MTTs?
Anant: The advice I always give to beginner players, and would like to emphasize again, is to keep three key things in mind:
First, focus on continuous improvement. Whether it’s through coaching, courses, self-study, or group sessions, always aim to get better. Wherever you are today, make sure you’re a little better after 15 days, even more after a month, and significantly improved after a year. You must have the willingness and commitment to grow as a player.
Second, put in enough volume. To beat the variance in poker, you need to play a high number of games. Many people come to me and say they haven’t won a tournament in a year, and when I ask how many they’ve played, they tell me just one or two a day. That adds up to around 700 tournaments a year, which is not enough to beat the variance. You need to play thousands of tournaments to give yourself a real shot at winning. And if you’re on a downswing, even a couple of thousand tournaments might not bring a win, but volume is key.
Third, manage your bankroll properly. Variance can sometimes be harsh, and you might go a long period without winning. That’s where bankroll management comes in—it helps you survive the tough phases and wait for that win. Eventually, it will come, but only if you’re disciplined with your bankroll and able to weather the swings.
PokerProNews: You’ve already achieved so much in both online and live poker. What are your future goals, and are there any specific events or milestones you’re aiming for?
Anant: I don’t have a specific milestone in mind. I’m always focused on breaking my own records. I really don’t pay much attention to what others are doing—who’s making what records or how much they’re winning. I’m a family guy and simply don’t have the time to compete with others.
For me, it’s about personal growth. Knowing what others achieve is one thing, but trying to compete with them isn’t my style. I prefer to focus on improving myself. For example, if I achieved a 35% ROI last year, my goal is to push that to 38% or even 40% in the next year.
With some solid cash records under my belt, I’m looking forward to breaking my own records and achieving even bigger scores in the future.
Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring interviews of pros and players!
