As the Indian poker scene continues to thrive and flourish, there are newer gems who are making themselves known in the space with their mettle and sheer talent. One such player who has consistently grabbed eyeballs in the recent past is Ritwik Khanna.
The recent years, especially the time after the COVID-19 lockdown, has brought many emerging gems into the poker landscape and Khanna is one of them. He has managed to quickly rise up the ranks in online MTTs. Besides, his weekly live streams have also garnered him a sizable fan following!
Playing poker for over seven years now, the pro is now a regular in the live and online scene.
Baby Steps To Rise In The Poker World
Ritwik has earlier shared that he was introduced to poker during his college days while he was pursuing his Bachelor’s in Commerce. He quickly learned the game and started playing house games. He made a lot of money back then.
After his graduation, Ritwik returned back home but was still unsure of his future. He was in a dilemma about whether he should pursue higher studies or take up poker more seriously. Just when he was in two minds, an offer to start streaming for PokerBaazi seemed to be godsent. He accepted the offer and hasn’t looked back ever since.
Then came the COVID-19 lockdown which further helped Ritwik to increase his volume in online MTTs. “I wasn’t putting in much volume till about a year ago. I was only playing like one or two tournaments. Online players generally put in a lot of volume and dedicate a lot of time to studying the game. Eventually, I also started playing the flagship tournaments and also played the small stakes,” he said.
While most players start playing and experience things from one end of the spectrum, what sets Ritwik`s poker journey apart is his involvement with PokerBaazi and the platform’s role in his growth into the poker world. He mentioned that he had joined the company as an intern at a time when he was confused with regard to his life paths. He also shared how a meeting with Varun Ganjoo, Marketing Director at Baazi Games, inspired him to ultimately choose poker as his career.
Family Support
Generally, most players have had not-so-good reactions from their families and loved ones when it comes to poker as a profession. However, Ritwik did not have to go through that. Ritwik’s family had been relatively supportive of his decision to become a poker player.
Streaming Poker
As the player continued to play and stream during the lockdown, he developed one of the most crucial poker skills and that is patience. He shared how peers like Chirag Sodha would advise and guide him to stay healthy and work out. He eventually started going for a run and to the gym, which helped him focus and get better at his game.
His internship at PokerBaazi also allowed him to understand the industry from the business side of the spectrum. Besides, streaming for PokerBaazi allowed him to take the game more seriously.
Ritwik Khanna’s Poker Achievements
Talking of his online stints, Ritwik Khanna has amassed over ₹12.42 Crore grinding on the country’s online felts alone. He is a formidable force on the virtual felts with over 127 titles to his name. His largest online cash to date came from his top place finish at IOPC #14 Super High Roller (1.25 Crore GTD -6 Max) in June 2023 on Spartan Poker, wherein he pocketed a handsome ₹29,12,923.
Coming to his live poker outings, he took down the No Limit Hold’em – Megastack Closer (Event #12) at the World Poker Tour Prime India series held in Goa last year. He cashed ₹9,91,700 for his top-place finish. He secured his second live title by winning the Warm-Up NLH Turbo at the 2023 October DPT edition.
Besides, he has had many final table finishes in his career across prestigious live tournaments, the closest being the 4th place finish at Baazi Poker Tour in 2019.
According to Hendon Mob, Ritwik has amassed $72,665 in live tournament earnings throughout his career. His best live cash to date has been $13,702 which he pocketed at the USOP Da Nang Main Event in 2023. He finished 15th at this event.
He also has two WSOP Online cashes to his name. The most recent one was his 57th finish for $1,286 at the $315 No Limit Hold’em – Superstack Turbo Bounty ONLINE (Online Bracelet Event #25) event during WSOP 2022.
Recent Poker Achievements
Although Ritwik has not yet recorded any live cashes so far in 2024, the former IOPC 15.0 Super High Roller and Adda52 Colossus champion does have a few online titles that he won on various leading poker platforms, including Adda52’s Godfather, PokerBaazi’s NPS events, Spartan Poker’s ITM #23 Blizzard and Tuesday Maximum, Junglee Poker’s DDD#46 #BTownHighroller, and more. His victory in Spartan Poker’s ITM #23 Blizzard for ₹22,23,035 is by far his biggest this year so far.
Ritwik’s recent performances and consistency coupled with unparalleled passion for the game make him one of the rising and emerging poker players to look out for in the coming months and years. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the poker champion lift a few trophies this year as he bursts into the live action.
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