There are many female pros out there in India and one name that stands out is Nikita Luther. Popularly known as the ‘Queen of Indian poker’, Luther is a Delhi-based professional poker player, who made history by winning a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), with a victory in $1,000 NLH Tag Team Event in Las Vegas in June 2018. Furthermore, she is ranked second in the Global Poker Index India’s women of 2024 and represents Natural8 India as the ambassador. With over 10 years of experience in poker, Luther is aptly classified in the ‘Pro’ category.
Early Life & Introduction To Poker
Born into a military family, Luther lived in various cities until sixth grade, when her family permanently shifted to Delhi, the capital city of India. During her student years, she had a solid academic record. She completed her schooling from Sanskriti School in Delhi and then earned a bachelor’s degree from Delhi University (DU). Luther studied finance and marketing before getting into the world of poker, which gave her a strong analytical foundation and later helped in poker.
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Luther’s first experience with poker came from playing on the Zynga poker app back in 2010 and she quickly got hooked to the game. However, it was at a friend’s birthday party that she first played a live poker game and ended up winning the entire pot. The rest is history as she has never looked back since then.
Reflecting on her experience, she said, “It was an ‘aha’ moment for me. I started playing the game and quickly realised that it was not a game of chance, but a game of skill. I enjoyed playing it.” Poker’s mathematical approach fascinated Luther and she soon started playing professionally.
Poker Career – Nikita Luther’s Rise To Stardom
Luther’s first live cash came back in August 2015, when she placed fourth in the INR 10,000 + 1,500 No Limit Hold’em event at the India Poker Championship (IPC) in Goa, earning INR 1,90,000. By December of that year, she had won her maiden IPC title, triumphing in the IPC Ladies Event.
February 2017 marked a significant milestone when Luther, teamed with Raghav Bansal, won the Macau Poker Cup team event. With this victory, she became the first Indian woman to win an international poker tournament, etching her name in the annals of poker history. In June of that year, she finished 5th in the Aria Poker Classic Main Event, winning $65,000. Her impressive run continued at the World Series of Poker, where she cashed in three tournaments during her debut.
In 2018, she made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win a WSOP bracelet in Las Vegas, USA by shipping the Tag Team event. She followed that up with a victory in the DPT 15K Deep Dive in 2019. That same year, Luther reached the final table of the Aria Poker Classic’s Zynga Poker WPT 500, notching up a commendable second place and claiming a hefty $109,300, her best live cash to date.
In 2020, Luther made waves in the WPT India High Roller, placing second for a prize of INR 18.50 Lakhs. The year 2022 saw her notching up an impressive four final table finishes – 5th for INR 8,96,200 in the DPT Main Event, another 5th place for INR 7,85,700 in the High Roller at IPC Megastacks, Jhapa, 8th for INR 517,500 in the Adda52 Colossus High Roller, and 2nd in the Adda52 Colossus Main Event for INR 21 Lakhs.
Her most recent victory was in February last year when she triumphed in the Super Hold’em Hyper Turbo at APT Hanoi, claiming her 5th live title and ₫ 85,370,000 in prize money.
Throughout her burgeoning career, Luther has posted numerous final table scores and five major live titles. With various cashes across Asia and internationally, she is ranked among India’s top female poker players in the Global Poker Index, boasting an impressive $535,583 in live tournament earnings.
Other Notable Achievements & Her Contribution To Poker
Nikita Luther has held the influential role of COO for the Poker Sports League (PSL), and formerly served as the Captain and Mentor of Team Mumbai Anchors, leading her team to a remarkable second-place finish. She has been a Team Pro for both Adda52 and Spartan Poker and currently represents Natural8 India as their Ambassador.
Additionally, she captained Team India at the WPT Global Teams event in Incheon, South Korea, competing against 14 international teams. Remarkably, Luther is the only professional poker player in India to have been invited to deliver a TEDx talk.
As a strong advocate for poker as a mind sport, Luther has actively taken part in initiatives to promote poker as a game of skill and fight for its recognition in the country. She serves as a great inspiration for female poker players, not only in India but across the world. Through her formidable successes at the poker tables, she hopes to pave the way for women to thrive in this male-dominated mind sport.
You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and watch her TED talk on Youtube.
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