Poker is one of the most loved card games in India and its popularity as a mind sport is growing rapidly, with an increasing number of enthusiasts seeking their fortunes at the poker felts.
While numerous Indians shone brightly on the international felts in 2023, here we look at the top five Indian players whose power-packed performances massively boosted their live earnings, elevating them to star status.
- Vivek Rajkumar – $ 8,080,012
With a whopping $8,080,012 in live earnings, Vivek Rajkumar is sitting on top of India’s all-time money list. He rose to fame in 2008 when he won the WPT Borgata Poker Open Main Event for $1,424,500. He also won a couple of other major events, including the 2008 L.A. Poker Classic $2,500 No-Limit Hold ’em event and the 2009 L.A. Poker Classic $9,900 No-Limit Hold ’em event. However, his biggest live tournament score came in 2019 when he finished 5th for $3,652,345 in the £ 1,050,000 No Limit Hold’em – Triton Million for Charity (Event #2) at Triton Poker Super High Roller Series London.
2. Santhosh Suvarna – $ 6,658,585
Known for his strategic brilliance and massive success in high-stakes tournaments, Santhosh Suvarna is one of the most promising talents in India’s poker circuit. Boasting $6,658,584 in live earnings, he is currently ranked 2nd on India’s all-time money list. He has been in the news for winning seven-figure cash game pots at Triton Poker Cash Game and notching up a seven-figure tournament score at Triton SHRS Monte Carlo Main Event where he secured an impressive $1,772,000 for his third-place finish. It was a proud moment for him and Indian poker fraternity when he clinched his first WSOP bracelet and $689,000 as the champion of the 2023 WSOP Europe €50,000 no-limit hold’em high roller event.
2023 has been a break-out year for Suvarna as he, apart from winning the WSOP Europe High Roller title, also won the Triton North Cyprus $25,000 GG Super Millions in May and pocketed $700,000. He is currently participating in the Big One For One Drop ($1Million buy-in) and has made it in the final six of the event.
3. Nipun Java – $ 2,966,359
Nipun Java has etched his name among the poker elites with a string of massive victories and deep runs in some of the most competitive tournaments worldwide. His first live title came in 2012 when he shipped a No Limit Hold’em event at Deepstack Big Poker Oktober in Los Angeles, which was followed by a win next year in the $170 No Limit Hold’em at Larry Flynt Grand Slam of Poker, Gardena.
In 2014, he won the WSOP Circuit Bicycle $1,675 Main Event, where he earned $226,785. Between 2014 and 2017, he posted impressive results across several high-stakes tournaments but it was 2017 when he established himself as one of the best Indian poker players of all time after winning two WSOP bracelets. He teamed up with Aditya Sushant to represent India in the $1,000 tag team event of WSOP 2017, and they shipped the event, each winning $75,318. He also won the $1000 WSOP Online Championship and took home $237,688. In August 2018, he competed in Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open and finished 12th for $70,000. In July this year, he won Event #20: $777 No-Limit Hold’em Lucky 7’s on WSOP.com, claiming $195,151 and his third bracelet. Currently ranked 3rd on India’s all-time money list, he is the only Indian player to have won three WSOP gold bracelets.
4. Ankit Ahuja – $2,468,429
Ranking fourth on India all-time money list with $2,468,429 in live earnings, is Ankit Ahuja who has several prestigious titles to his name. He is a business and tech consultant to the gaming industry from Delhi. His most significant live cash includes $362,365, which he earned in October this year for winning the Eureka Main Event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus 2023. A few days back, he had made headlines for finishing 34th for $132,500 at the 2023 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas.
5. Abhinav Iyer – $ 1,705,879
Hailing from Mumbai, Abhinav Iyer is a former WSOP champion who ranks fifth on India all-time money list. While he has earned an impressive $1,710,598 in live tournaments, his most significant score includes $565,346, which he earned for taking down The Closer (Event #84) at the WSOP 2019.
Iyer is followed by Aditya Agarwal ($1,548,118) and Kartik Ved ($1,267,418). Close behind them are the other top pros in Raghav Bansal ($ 1,137,380), Kunal Patni ($ 942,666), and Aditya Sushant ($ 851,828).
ALSO READ: ANKIT AHUJA CLINCHES 2023 INDIA GPI PLAYER OF THE YEAR
