Volume 3 | Issue 1 | Mumbai |
www.gutshotmagazine.com POKER
January 2022 | Pages 46
TOP ONLINE TOURNAMENT CASHES OF 2021
THE BEST OF FANTASY CRICKET 2021
ELI ELEZRA: THE LATEST POKER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
IS MULTI-GAMING THE NEW BLACK FOR RMG?
DIVANSHU KHURANA
FROM HIGH FINANCE TO HIGH STAKES G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
1
https://bit.ly/GSEmagNat8
POKER
2
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
POKER
SIGN-UP CODE
GUT100
https://bit.ly/GSEmagSaint
INSTANT
THIS GAME INVOLVES AN ELEMENT OF FINANCIAL RISK AND MAY BE ADDICTIVE. PLEASE PLAY G U T S H O TAND AT JAN U A R YOWN 2 0 2RISK. 2 3 RESPONSIBLY YOUR
CONTENTS 06
Advisory Board
07
Editor's Note
08
Bulletins
14
Ruling The Virtual Felts: Online Poker Series of 2021
High 16 From Finance to
Divanshu Khurana
High Stakes
22
Top Online Tournament Cashes of 2021
26
Eli Elezra: The Latest Poker Hall of Fame Inductee
30
The Best Of Fantasy Cricket 2021
34
A Year Gone By In The World Of Cricket
38
Is Multi-Gaming The New Black For RMG?
4
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
22
CONTENTS
26
30
34
38
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
5
ADVISORY BOARD ADVISORY BOARD into a world-class publication with
journey to develop tation, we Ashappily Gutshot Magazine’s Editorial As aa part part ofofpresent our journey journey develop intoaaworld-class world-class publica our toto develop into publicat the highest highest reputation, we happily happily present Gutshot Magazine’s the reputation, we present Gutshot Magazine’s members. These thought leaders in their areas of expertise ADVISORY BOARD AdvisoryBoard Boardmembers. members.These Thesethought thoughtleaders leadersinintheir theirareas areasofofe Advisory ditorial and focus of the and will with be our As a scope part of our journey to develop intomagazine a world-class publication ARD
ADVISORY BOARD
ADVISORY BOARD
willvitalise vitalisethe theeditorial editorialscope scopeand andfocus focusofofthe themagazine magazineand andwiw will
the highest reputation, we happily present Gutshot Magazine’s Editoriour journey to develop into world-class with eyesaand and ears thepublication RealMoney Money Gaming industry. eyes ears totothe Real Gaming al Advisory Board members. These thought leaders in their areas industry. of expertise we will vitalise editorialGutshot scope and focus of the magazine and reputation, happilythepresent Magazine’s Editorial will be our eyes and ears to the Real Money Gaming industry.
and ears to the Real Money Gaming industry. RY BOARD
rd members. These thought leaders in their areas of expertise heinto editorial scope andpublication focus of the magazine and will be our a world-class with eyes andGutshot ears to the Real Money Gaming industry. present Magazine’s Editorial Amin Rozani leaders in their
ght areas of expertise MD, Spartan Group Amin Rozani cus of the magazine and will be our MD, Spartan Group Money Gaming industry. AminRozani Rozani Amin MD,Spartan SpartanGroup Group MD,
RolandLanders Landers Roland CEO,All AllIndia IndiaGaming Gaming CEO, Federation(AIGF) (AIGF) Federation
Head of Production, Mind Sports League
commentator commentator
0066
GGUU TT SS HH OO TT
Richard Muskan MuskanSethi Sethi Professional ProfessionalPoker Poker Haridasoham Player Player Poker expert and Responsible ResponsibleGaming Gaming commentator Ambassador Ambassador OO CC TO BB ER 00 2 12 1 TO ER 22
06 6
G U T S H Muskan OT J ASethi NUARY 2022
Professional Poker
KaranVig Vig Karan HeadofofProduction, Production Head MindSports SportsLeague League Mind
Mind Sports League
Federation (AIGF)
ProfessionalRichard Richard Poker PlayerHaridasoham Haridasoham Responsible Gaming Poker expertand and Ambassador Pokerexpert
Roland Lan CEO, All Ind Federation
Poker expert and Karan Vig commentator Karan VigHead of Production, Head of Production, Mind Sports League
Roland Landers CEO, AllLanders India Gaming Roland CEO, All India(AIGF) Gaming Federation
Karan Vig Head of Production, ming Mind Sports League ) Muskan Sethi
CEO, All India Gaming Federation (AIGF)
Richard Haridasoham
Karan Vig
p
Roland Landers
G UTS H OT
Ramesh Rao Thotapalli
RameshMuskan Rao Se Ramesh RameshRao Thotapalli Rao
Professiona Player Room Room Responsibl Ambassad
Thotapalli Thotapalli Casino Pride 1 Casino PokerCasino RoomPride Pride1 1Poker Poke
O CTO B ER
2021
EDITOR'S NOTE Volume 3 | Issue 1 | Mumbai |
www.gutshotmagazine.com POKER
www.gutshotmagazine.com January 2022 | Pages 46
TOP ONLINE TOURNAMENT CASHES OF 2021
THE BEST OF FANTASY CRICKET 2021
ELI ELEZRA: THE LATEST POKER HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
IS MULTI-GAMING THE NEW BLACK FOR RMG?
January 2022
Volume 3
Issue 1
RMG + LIFESTYLE
DIVANSHU KHURANA
FROM HIGH FINANCE TO HIGH STAKES G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
1
Managing Editor Sameer Rattonsey
Editor-In-Chief Peter Abraham
Content
Manthra Koliyer Donna Amo Mrinal Gujare Amarylisa Gonsalves Akash Mishra
Content Strategy Athira Laji
Graphic Designer Maheswar Gauda
Cover Image Tribhuvan Sethi
Sales & Advertising
Raunaq Pinto (raunaq@thegutshot.com)
Marketing Head
Dwayne Fernandes (dwayne@gutshotmagazine.com)
Business Head
Ashvin Rao (ashvin@gutshotmagazine.com) Volume 3 I Issue 1 I JANUARY 2022
Printed and Published by: Peter Abraham for Gutshot Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., S/6-8 Khira Industrial Estate, B.M.Bhargava Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai-400054 Gutshot Magazine is not responsible for the opinions or views expressed by individuals or writers that may be included in any part of Gutshot Magazine. The views expressed are for encourage - ment and entertainment purposes only. By being an author on this site all writers transfers copyright ownership of the manuscript to Gutshot Magazine. for publication in print, on line and in downloadable form. Permission is also given to publish all subsequent electronic media, reprints, and any other subsidiary print rights worldwide of this article for Gutshot Magazine. The author(s) will have the unrestricted right to reuse this material on condition that credits are included for prior publication in Gutshot Magazine, to include the issue and date of publication. Interviews are the personal opinions of the interviewee and are not necessarily the views of Gutshot Magazine or it’s Publishers Gutshot Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. take no responsibility for any of their answers or comments. All interviews are subject to editing spelling, grammar, and any content that is not useful may be disregarded when posted/published. Gutshot Magazine reserves the right to change, update this disclaimer and policy at will without any notice.
Editor’s Note O se Omicron! And that is likely how kids are gonna be fed their ABCs in this coming year. This new variant is causing similar levels of paranoia and mental stress, among other things, from the 2020 edition of the COVID-19. But life must go on and we too look ahead with hope and optimism as we move into 2022. It's been a terrific year for online gaming in general with a pretty ridiculous amount of prize money given away across domestic poker sites. Find out what that number is along with a bunch of other interesting facts regarding online tournament poker. Our player in the spotlight Divanshu Khurana, who is also Gutshot's Player of the Year, has had a phenomenal 2021! Almost close to the magical 1 crore figure in tournament earnings must make him feel good about his online prospects for this new year. We talk about all that and more with this young player in our cover feature. That is followed by a piece on a set of three additional top performers from the domestic circuit who have also stamped their mark on some of the marquee tournament series which took place last year. We close our gaming stories with the trend of brands diversifying from stand-alone games into multi-gaming platforms as well as a feature on Israeli-American pro and the latest Poker Hall of Fame winner, Eli Elezra. With live sports also making a comeback in 2021, there were plenty of records set and broken on the cricket field. We take a look at teams and individuals in international and franchise cricket who had a brilliant 2021. Till next time, stay safe, keep crushing and have a very Happy New Year from all of us here at Gutshot!
PETER ABRAHAM Editor-In-Chief
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
7
BULLETIN
Kerala and Madras High Court Lifts Ban on Rummy
M
adras High Court striking down the Tamil Nadu
Nepal Opens Its Doors To Spartan Poker’s New Poker Room
Gaming and Police Laws (Amendment) Act of 2021, that banned rummy and poker with stakes was the biggest news of India’s RMG
sector. As a cherry on top, the Kerala High Court too went on to quash the move against banning online rummy in the state.
S
partan Poker’s LIVE poker room in Casino Vegas is open for business from 1st
January 2022. More than 10 poker
Mind Sports League Launches Hashtag Poker
sections for VIPs and High Rollers
M
are available. Along with poker
everything poker! You get to learn,
and guests who wish to grind in
play, and watch poker content in an
Casino Vegas will also be treated
entirely comprehensive and risk-free
to free flight and stay at the resort.
environment. The application is the first
Casino Vegas is located inside
ind Sports League has
tables, Teen Patti tables will also
launched Hashtag Poker
be running on the same floor. A
, a one-stop solution for
total of 24 tables will be available
poker sports learning aggregator in India. Users may have access
Hotel Mechi Crown at Jhapa,
to top-notch poker instructors who offer organised courses, live
Nepal, which is just 20-minute
streaming, and personalised coaching, among other services.
drive from the Bagdogra airport.
Deltin Casinos at Gangtok and Kathmandu Are Now Open
Bombay High Court Upholds Casino Entry Ban for Goans
I
ndia’s leading luxury gaming and entertainment brand
‘Deltin’ has opened its casinos in Kathmandu, Nepal and Gangtok, Sikkim. While ‘Deltin Denzong,
Gangtok’ opened earlier in August, ‘Deltin Casino International, Kathmandu’ opened recently. Deltin Casino International in Nepal is India’s first international casino located at the luxurious 5-star Marriott hotel in Kathmandu. Deltin Denzong in Gangtok, set at 6000 ft. above sea level, offers a celestial gaming experience against the backdrop of the frozen pinnacle of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world.
8
tables running with separate
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
A
division bench of Bombay High Court in Goa dismissed a
petition which challenged the constitutional validity of the law banning Goans from entering the casinos but allowed tourists. The ban on entry is under proposal since 2012 when an amendment to the Goa Public Gambling Act, 1976 (GPG Act) was passed by the legislative assembly.
https://bit.ly/GSEmagSpartanP
POKER
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
9
BULLETIN
Octro Launches 3D Poker App Octro Poker
O
ctro Inc. had a worldwide launch of an immersive 3D
Kunal Patni Returns to Adda52 as Game Ambassador
poker app named ‘Octro
Poker.’ Ranked No.1 when it comes to player spends (India HQ) by App
Annie, Octro Poker will be available to play in real-time in modes like Blind Poker, 5 Card Poker, and Slots in the Texas Hold’em variant. It will also include 3D visuals, player customisations, private tables supported by voice chat, detailed player statistics, poker tournaments and rewards.
W
ith an intent to bring poker to a much wider audience, Kunal Patni
was recently signed as Adda52’s Game Ambassador. In his 6 years
Majority of Indians Want Fantasy Sports To Be Regulated
6
8% respondents in a study
DeepStacks, Berlin in 2018. Kunal
to be regulated by government
Patni ranks 10th in the India All-
guidelines. The survey took
time Money List according to The
responses from 50,000 Indians across 309 Indian districts. The study comes on the heels of the NITI Ayog paper which discussed the regulation of online gaming.
C
are
now open and working at 50% capacity.
Only fully vaccinated players or those who have tested negative for COVID-19 will be permitted entry. Along with casinos, spas, and nightclubs will also start functioning with 50% capacity amidst fresh COVID-19 guidelines.
10
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
Macau in 2014, and Deltin Poker
he secured 2nd place in the WPT
fantasy sports platforms (OFSPs)
in Goa
ones at Asia Poker Tour (APT),
his best achievements was when
they would like online
asinos
has won 7 live titles including the
Tournament, Goa in 2016. One of
by LocalCircles said that
Goa Casinos Reopened With 50% Capacity
of poker journey as a pro, Patni
Karnataka HC Orders No Arrests Against Dream11 Founders
K
arnataka legislative assembly faced severe backlash and legal
opposition from online gaming firms in the wake of the new gambling law. Post which, the State Police filed an FIR against Dream11 Co-founders Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth for continuing operations on its platform. However, the High Court went on to order not to make any arrests under the new law.
Hendon Mob (the biggest poker player database worldwide).
Deccan Aces Wins PSL Season 3 Virtual
T
eam Aces captained by Kunal Patni and owned by poker players Sam Reddy
and Vijay Madduri, shipped the inaugural virtual tournament series of PSL Season 3. The virtual series was held from 18th January to 20th February, 2021. The team consisting of pro players like Abhishek Rathod, Rajat Sharma, Muskan Sethi and Chiraag Patel, played with immense grit and technique and eventually clinched the title.
POKER
ADVENTURE
PATIENCE
IS FLOWING IN YOUR NERVES.
IS YOUR POWER.
GOOD
JUDGEMENT
COMES WITH EXPERIENCE.
INTELLIGENCE
IS YOUR STRATEGIC WEAPON.
A MASTERPIECE NEEDS SHEER
FOCUS
SO DOES POKER!
https://bit.ly/GSEmagSpartanP
YOU KNOW ALL THE RIGHT MOVES IN LIFE,
NOW BRING IT TO PLAY.
#LiveInEveryMove G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
11
BULLETIN
Popular Gaming News Site CalvinAyre Ceases Operations
T
he brainchild of gambling billionaire Calvin Ayre, popular gaming news website
CalvinAyre.com terminated its
operations in February 2021. Launched in 2009, the 'premier' global gambling news website covered news from gaming, sports, lifestyle, stories related to Bitcoin, and gambling news. As per reports, the shutting down is due to the change in Ayre's focus, from gambling to cryptocurrency.
Documentary on Doyle Brunson’s Life Being Filmed By ‘The Last Dance’ Team
P
oker legend Doyle
Brunson announced
that the creators of The Last Dance are working on a documentary about his life. While there have been several
WSOP is Moving to Bally’s and Paris on the Las Vegas Strip Next Year
S
ince 2005, the world’s most soughtafter live poker tournament series – World Series of Poker (WSOP) – has
called the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in
movies about poker in the past, this upcoming documentary might be more appealing to the poker audience in general. However, there have not been any details about the documentary available just yet.
Las Vegas its home. However, the WSOP Vice-President Jack Effel broke the news that the 53rd annual live 2022 WSOP will be held at Bally’s and Paris on the Las Vegas strip. The series will be back for a summer run in 2022 and will be held from May 31 to July 19, 2022.
Phil Hellmuth Wins Historic 16th WSOP Bracelet
P
hil
Josh Arieh is WSOP 2021 Player of the Year
J
osh Arieh had an incredible time at the
2021 World Series of Poker. He earned nearly 4000 Player of the Year points, thanks to many bracelet victories, cashes, and final table appearances.
Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu, who finished second and third in the WSOP Player of the Year event, have had comparable success. Negreanu cashed in 18 tournaments, while Hellmuth got his 16th bracelet. Arieh, on the other hand, edged away the competition with two bracelet victories.
12
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
Hellmuth won
bracelet No. 16 at the 2021 World Series of
Poker (WSOP), in Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw and took home $84,851. Hellmuth's WSOP career wins and achievements includes 157 cashes and a victory in the 1989 Main Event that made him the youngest champion in history at the time.This is Hellmuth's first WSOP gold bracelet in a deuce-to-seven poker game that he has been trying to get since a long time. This is also his third bracelet in a non-Hold 'em variant.
https://bit.ly/GSEmagCalling
POKER
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
13
POKER
Ruling The Virtual Felts: Online Poker Series of 2021 By Donna Amo
T
hriving - is the word that best describes the poker scene in India in 2021. According to a news report by the Financial Express, the online poker industry in India is growing at an annual rate of 35-40% and a major part of this growth is due to the multiple online poker series held all year round.
India’s poker vertical is expected to grow to $2.2 billion by 2027 (Shingetsu Research). Several high-value online poker tournaments are an integral part of this ecosystem. 2021 saw several marquee series take place across platforms like Spartan Poker, PokerBaazi, Adda52 and others, driving poker’s growth.
Gutshot Magazine estimates that approximately `750 crore of prize money was given away across multiple Indian poker platforms in 2021!
India Poker Championship’s (IPC) online avatar, the India Online Poker Championship (IOPC), hosted its 10th and 11th editions in January and July of 2021, respectively, Spartan Poker and other skins on the QuadNet - Spartan Poker emerging victorious at GAMEXX Awards 2021 by getting felicitated for being best in the strategy games and Real Money Gaming (RMG). Officially debuting in October 2015, the IOPC has had a tremendous growth trajectory - from having a guarantee of a mere `8.6 Lakh in 2015 to a mind boggling `30+ crore prize pool in 2021! This almost historic rise in just over six years is an indication of the flourishing online poker industry in India.
With such astronomical figures, it’s no surprise that 2021 saw Indian poker brands compete with some of the top poker platforms in the world.
IOPC
July
2021
Prize Pool
)32 CRORE
Total No of Entries
1,17,383
Main Event Winner - Vaibhav Temani Leaderboard Topper - Anuj Yadav
)57.26 LAKH )30 LAKH
India Online Poker Championship on Spartan Poker
The next edition of IOPC is already in the books with a GTD expected to be no lesser than `30 crore.
World Poker Tour Online India on Adda52 Prize Pool
`25 crore
Total Entries
1,05,818
Main Event Winner Kushal Sogani
₹47.45 Lakh
Leaderboard Topper Raghav Siddalinga
₹8 Lakh
The end of the year was bombarded with multiple poker series. The World Poker Tour Online India (WPTOI) at Adda52 managed to grab many eyeballs. The series featured 233 mega and mini events along with 21 daily micro-events. 14
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
POKER
National Poker Series on PokerBaazi
Prize Pool
`19.41 crore
Total Entries
83,793
Gold Medalist
Mohammad Azhar
Silver Medalist
Ankit Wadhawan
Bronze Medalist
Kritagya Sharma
The summer of 2021 welcomed the first edition of the National Poker Series (NPS). Hosted on PokerBaazi in June 2021, NPS was a milestone event for the country’s growing poker community. It was branded as the ‘Olympics of Indian Poker’ as the top 3 winners were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. Final Table Series on Spartan Poker
FTS 3.0 Prize Pool
)12 CRORE
Total No of Entries
34,763
Main Event Winner - Ankit Wadhawan
`33.13 LAKH
Leaderboard Topper - Vinay Rajpal
`10 LAKH
Launched at the end of 2020, IPC’s Final Table Series (FTS) was another initiative to fill the void left by the IPC live poker action back in Goa. The first edition of FTS also introduced live streaming of all final tables of the series which was a first for Spartan Poker. Prize pools climbed from `8 crore to `12 crore in just under a year with FTS 2.0 and 3.0 respectively.
Asia Online Poker Tour on PokerBaazi
Prize Pool
`8.07 crore
Total Entries
25,606
Main Event Winner Subhayan Das
`15.17 Lakh
Leaderboard Topper Vinay Rajpal
`6 Lakh
In August 2021, one of Asia’s leading live tournament brands, the Asia Poker Tour (APT) announced the second season of its online series for Indian players, dubbed the Asian Online Poker Tour (AOPT) with PokerBaazi as its partner. Poker brands that contributed to the growth: PokerSaint
9stacks
Pocket52
Calling Station
Despite most poker activities being pushed to the online felts due to COVID-19, the poker landscape in India has managed to grow significantly bigger. These mega series have contributed immensely to the poker community by continuing to challenge players and giving them an opportunity to shine in the field of poker. G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
15
T
COVER STORY
here are times when we see most players behave emotionally due to fear or greed on a poker table. However, in all honesty, what poker really demands is the potential to make rational judgments; also the most challenging aspect to become a successful poker player/trader/investor. Successful poker players have already demonstrated that every decision is backed by strategy. However, successful bankers cum poker players have gone ahead in benchmarking rational decisions to patience. In 2021, the player who proved this outright with his gameplay is none other than Divanshu Khurana – earning him the title of Gutshot Player of the Year! Khurana stands as the perfect example of how professional bankers can be excellent poker players too. Khurana's 3-Way Deal during the final table (FT) of PokerBaazi's `5 Crore GTD Endboss with Ishaan Chugh and Dhiraj Lakhotia put him in the limelight; with a personalbest `63,37,000! Though a recreational player, he credits most of his winnings to the strategies that his professional trading/banking life taught him. However, we can't help but be honest and wonder about the kind of waves this Gurgaon lad will create in the poker world the day he decides to turn pro!
16
G UTS H OT
Divanshu Kh
From High Finance By Athira Laji
What were your thoughts initially regarding poker? How and when did you start playing? My brother introduced me to poker in 2012 and we used to grind for long hours on Zynga Poker. The game had an element of probability and psychology. I found it very dynamic and was immediately hooked. Please walk us through one of the most memorable moments/ hands of Endboss tournament. On the FT of the Endboss tournament, I opened j7o from cutoff and chandlerbing (another reg who rather plays aggro) had called
JANUARY 2022
COVER STORY
off immediately and was good enough as he showed air. What were your thoughts when you went headto-head with Ishaan Chugh and Dhiraj Lakhotia? I made a read on Ishaan. Though he is a recreational player, he understands the game very well and is smart enough not to be bullied off for the payouts. He had a position on me on the FT, so I was very happy to make a deal with him. Dhiraj was playing decently aggressive too. So, since the payouts were decent, I felt no considerable edge against these two to take the variance. So, it made sense to close the deal.
Gutshot Player of the year
hurana
to High Stakes from big blind (BB), and all others had folded. The flop came J42 rainbow, and it went check. The turn came 8. I knew chandlerbing always tried to put some pressure and plays for stacks, and he led big on the turn. I instantly called to present a strong hand and keep the pot size low as I had a bad kicker. The river came 3 or 5, and he jammed big on the river for my tournament life. Since I was following his game in the final 2FTs, I understood that he was in it to win it and didn't care for ICM. Keeping this in mind, I called
You credited your Endboss win mainly to your workout sessions and mental health. What pushed you to give more priority to your health? Like any other sport, poker demands one to prioritise mental health, train for the long run, stay sane, and maintain a balance between work, poker, and personal life. Poker involves elements that test the patience of the best in business, leading to anxiety, stress, or other disorders, making it more important to have the right mindset. I had some success in NPS and APT and other tournaments earlier as well, but I guess you just turn the odds a bit more in your favor once you start focusing on your health. In WSOP Europe 2017, you finished 6th in €1,650 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or better for €6,347. What was this experience like? I was in Europe for an exchange program where I played my first ever live tournament and finished on the FT of a bracelet event. With also an opportunity to share a meal with Phil Hellmuth, it was a complete dream visit for me. I still consider myself a fish in tournaments who likes to take variance and have fortunately made it deep in some high-value MTTs. I indeed plan to study poker more and head to WSOP. How crucial is it to finish in the money (ITM)? It is always good to score some cash in a tournament, provided one analyse the risk they G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
17
COVER STORY
business and teachings? Poker and business have an element of variance which teaches decision-making using some sense of probability and risk-reward management. If your work involves a level of uncertainty, poker can help manipulate various business settings and decisions and guide you to master in life.
are willing to take, the expected return, and the risk-reward equation is green. The result cannot be controlled in a high variance game. But with appropriate volumes and strategic moves, one can turn the outcome in their favour. It is said that specific skills in poker may carry over to investing/trading and vice versa. What indispensable lessons have you learned? Trading and poker are a bit similar. I worked as a trader professionally, and it taught me to manage the right risk-reward, which I deployed in poker. It made my mind tough to absorb variance, not get affected by the results, and just focus on doing things right. It taught me that with the right number of volume, the results shall soon follow. The lessons came in handy for my professional and personal life - being patient, handling finances (bankroll management), making decisions under pressure, dealing with losses, reading and understanding people, and making the best of what you have been dealt with. How much do you think can poker enhance probabilistic and psychological analytic skills in 18
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
Poker nurtured patience in your life. Was there a moment where you played too fast and too loose, and all your chips ended up in the pot? There have been multiple times where I have acted too quickly. Times where a little bit of thinking at my end could have led to different results. Patience is one of the hardest and critical aspects of the game to learn, and I still struggle with it. All the experts will tell you how to play your premium hands, remain disciplined, and fold when you don't have a good hand. They offer sound advice, and you should heed it, but remember that you will not get a premium hand all that often - this is where patience comes in. How do you get through your downswings in poker? I follow my stop loss very religiously. The responsible gaming section is helpful, and I have made edits to that section in alignment with my risk. I play a bit on the aggressive side, so hitting stop loss and having a downswing is inevitable. It's okay to lose! Whenever I hit my stop loss for two consecutive days, I take a break from poker for four days to unwind and be back with a stronger mindset. What is your approach while grinding in a highvalue tournament? I'm a cash game player and rarely play MTT. High-value multi-day tournaments via free tickets or satellites are my thing where I just try to score whatever I can. The idea is to take it deep, take spots of variance in the middle of the tournament, and capitalise on the chip lead later.
COVER STORY
TELL TALES WHOM DO YOU LOOK UP TO FROM THE INDUSTRY? Jagdeep Singh and Nishant Sharma WHO DO YOU PREFER TO PLAY AGAINST THE MOST? Passive players ‘NOT-SO-SECRET' INGREDIENT OF YOUR A-GAME Risk management YOUR BIGGEST CHEERLEADER My mom ONE POKER BOOK/COACHING SERIES YOU VOUCH FOR PLO Coaching by JNandez When it comes to tackling aggressive players, what is your strategy? My strategy depends on my position with respect to the aggressive players, keeping in mind that my game is also fierce. The essential variables that I consider are the tournament's current stage, my appetite for variance, and who the other players are. Do you plan to go pro in the coming future? I plan on playing the WSOP every year after I've thoroughly learned the game. But going pro is off the table for now. I plan to switch to full-time trading/investing, so it would get tough to balance the two.
COOLEST THING ABOUT BEING A POKER PLAYER Additional financial flexibility COOLEST THING ABOUT BEING A BANKER Interacting with the smartest brains MESSAGE FOR ASPIRING POKER PLAYERS Don’t gamble!
Khurana's Biggest Wins on PokerBaazi Sr. No.
Event Name
Prize Money
01
Endboss 5CR GTD Day 2
`63,37,367
02
APT#52 Main Event 2CR GTD Day 2 1 + 0
`12,44,000
03
NPS#42 PLO HIGHROLLER 30 LAC GTD (RE)
`5,61,540
04
APT#23 Mini Main 50 LAC GTD Day 2
`2,93,825
What is it about PokerBaazi that makes you consistently grind on the platform? The structure of PokerBaazi's tournaments is the primary reason I grind with them throughout. I am prefer MTTs with big guarantees. I am not sure if any other site ever come close to offering a `5 crore guarantee in a single event. G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
19
https://bit.ly/EmagGSP52
POKER
20
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
https://bit.ly/EmagGSP52
POKER
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
21
POKER
Top Online Tournament Cashes of 2021
T
By Manthra Koliyer
he last couple of years have been challenging with most live poker events moving online. People are learning poker through everything available on the internet and are taking the game very seriously. Online tournaments have been taking centre stage in India’s poker scenario for quite some time.
Ishaan Chugh, Vaibhav Temani, and Mohammad Azhar made it to the list of players who cashed big in tournaments hosted on Indian online poker platforms. These players look at poker not only as a game but as a means to empower, and as a way to prove their edge over others.
“
graduate, and is an AI buff. He not only loves the game but also wants to see it progress. We expect that this is one of the many accomplishments that Ishaan Chugh will achieve in the coming years.
Ishaan Chugh Image credit: scores.cricketsingapore.com
Chugh attributes his gameplay to the experience he gained by playing with different sets of people, which gave him a deeper insight into judging others' gameplay and most prominently he learned how even small decisions can make a huge difference in poker.
“
31-year-old Delhibased Ishaan Chugh outlasted a field of 4,816 players to make his career best winning score of `71 Lakh as the winner of PokerBaazi’s End Boss. Like many, Chugh also started his poker journey by playing on Zynga Poker more than a decade ago. While he may have started out by grinding for fun, he took up the challenge to play for real money with friends from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Chugh is a computer science
Learnings from poker strengthen your decision making, emotional balance, and teach you the essence of life.
22
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
POKER
Vaibhav Temani
‘When you are sort of an underdog, you have nothing to lose,’ Temani said, as he struck at the right moment going head-to-head with Aditya ‘Intervention’ Agarwal, the biggest name on the Indian online poker circuit. Agarwal had a huge chip lead of 10:1 but defying everyone’s expectations, Temani brilliantly bounced back to claim the top.
If you thought ‘AllInPavBhaji’ alluded to his obsession for street food, then you aren’t wrong. Temani had business plans and wanted to build an empire of pav bhaji stalls. The continued obsession and love for PavBhaji inspired him even to have a username which would etched his name in poker history.
“
“
He calls the India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) July 2021 Main Event win ‘satisfying’ but the Indian poker community knows how he shook Spartan Poker’s online felts. Like a lion, he prowled back and forth to defeat and secure the treasure chest, the badges, the limelight, and all of it. When the dust settled, Vaibhav ‘AllinPavBhaji’ Temani walked away with the prestigious Main Event title. Pocketing a little over `57 Lakh in a night might seem like a monumental challenge but for this Jaipur boy, it was his moment!
You can’t lose what you don’t put in the middle.
A fan of Elliot Roe's ‘Primed Mind,’ Temani says that podcasts help to keep unwanted noises away and have a clear mindset which helps to play better. Well clearly all these factors have worked out in his favour and we should see a lot more in the years to come.
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
23
POKER
Aaah, to be 24 and in the spotlight! Mohammad Azhar and I may share the same age, the only difference is while I am writing headlines, he is making them. He is the firstever National Poker Series (NPS) Main Event champion who pocketed a whopping prize of more than `72 Lakh. How does one at such a young age have the mental wherewithal to compete for such huge prize money? Azhar looks at poker in a rather unconventional manner, “I think the real love for poker stems from the rush it gives us. Those utter minute edges which allow us to dominate are everything in the game.” In the past five years of playing, Azhar has tried his hand at cash games, high-stakes tournaments and everything in between. Speaking about his run at the
“
That day I felt immortal. I knew, No matter what, this event was mine.
“
NPS, Azhar called it one of the most organic grinds of his life. When you get to show your dominance over another player by just being a little more observant, it gives you an edge over the others.
24
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
Mohammad Azhar While The NPS victory was a milestone in his young career, it was also made more memorable as at the time he was also celebrating his first marriage anniversary. While there were moments of jitters on his road to victory, Azhar’s focus was on the minute decisions vs the bigger victory. It all paid off when Azhar made it to the FT of 50L GTD Kick-Off, 30L GTD Friday Force and the 3 Crores GTD Main Event, shipping all three events, topping the NPS Podium and series Leaderboard for a total sum of `72.35 Lakhs. A truly golden NPS for this young player from Rajasthan.
https://bit.ly/EmagGSBlitz
POKER
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
25
POKER
Bread and Butter Grind Leads Eli Elezra to Poker Hall of Fame By Athira Laji
Image Credits: Cardschat
T
he term ‘fame’ has evolved over time. What was considered ‘highly regarded or reputed’ is now confused with the popular connotation of ‘famous.’ However, irrespective of people’s notion regarding what ‘fame’ actually means, one always pays homage to the qualitative legacies and significance of people’s contributions to a community. Every respected community honours their pioneered and most respected practitioners with one of the ‘highest forms of recognition’ – Hall of Fame. Getting honoured for having taken the road less travelled, making a career out of it, and
26
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
doing what others have ever done or could ever do, is simply phenomenal. Nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame induction is in itself an honour, and as for getting inducted – it is a lifetime achievement - even for the few, we call legends! Eli Elezra was the honourable inductee for 2021 who got the maximum votes from the existing inductees. The Man of the Poker Hour When the 61-year-old Israeli high-stakes legend, Eli Elezra, was inducted as the 60th member of Poker Hall of Fame, the whole poker world unanimously said, “He has the best credentials of a player for induction.” Two of the essential
POKER
criteria to be inducted into the Hall of Fame are ‘gained respect of the peers’ and ‘stood the test of time’, and Eli did it all! Eli Elezra has played consistently well and has gone globe trotting, defining the game of poker and its community as a professional career. In a career spanning 25 years, Eli’s remarkable professional achievements include being a high-stakes cash game pro, four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, one WPT title, and as of 2021, total live tournament winnings that exceed $5 million. However, his popularity sky-rocketed after famously appearing in TV cash game shows such as Poker After Dark and High Stakes Poker. The Story Behind Going All In Eli’s professional achievements as a regular staple at high-stakes poker games have been
quite inspirational; however, his life story on pursuing poker and making it a core thing in his life is nothing short of a Hollywood movie! Born and raised in Jerusalem, Eli dreamt of joining the Golani Brigade of the Israeli Defense Forces, one of the world’s most elite military units. And join, he did; working his way up to lieutenant in this highly distinguished infantry squad! However, when a physical injury put an end to his military dreams, Eli, not being someone who would easily give up on life, shifted to the U.S. in his pursuit to make it big! From working in a convenience store to being a taxi driver to even gutting fish, Eli did odd jobs to survive in this land of opportunity. However, Las Vegas, ‘the city that never sleeps’, made Elezra the person he is now.
Poker: Eli’s Biggest Win An exceptional poker legend, Eli follows the old order of poker with a new regime and is still consistent with his winnings. Some of the most impressive moments of Eli’s poker life can be attributed to his confidence. • FT of the $2,000 Limit Hold’Em and $2,500 Limit Omaha tournaments at the 1999 WSOP • FT finish at the 2001 WSOP $2,000 Limit Hold’Em event • 9th place finish at the 2003 WSOP $2,500 Limit Hold’Em tournament • Taking down Mirage Poker Showdown in 2004, banking $1,024,574 in the process • Bracelet win at 2007 WSOP $3,000 Seven Card Stud Hi Lo for $198,984 The Controversial Face of Poker Hall of Fame The gossip mills consistently churn and are always a source of contention whenever the PHOF nominees get announced. Some of the concerns are - too many U.S.-centric nominees, nominees with questionable past, players restricted due to age, and inclusion of non-players. This time too, it was not different. Let’s look at few of this year’s
• Bracelet win at 2013 WSOP $2,500 2–7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) for $173,236 • Bracelet win at 2015 WSOP $1,500 Seven Card Stud for $112,591 • Bracelet win at 2019 WSOP $1,500 Seven Card Stud for $93,766 • Finishing as runner-up in the 2018 WSOP Omaha 8 Championship for $260,000 • Winning the 2021 US Poker Open $10,000 8-Game for $183,600 nominees and the questions they raised starting with the man in the spotlight. Eli Elezra: During the launch and promotion of his autobiography, Pulling the Trigger, in 2019, poker pros Abe Mosseri and Cole South accused Eli of not clearing his debts. All the loan drama caused Elezra to remove himself from the public eye while G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
27
POKER
Antonio Esfandiari
Chris Ferguson
Layne Flack
Bertrand ”ELKY” Grospellier
Isai Scheinberg
Image Credits: Poker News
Image Credits: Poker.Org
Matt Savage
Mike Matusow
Michael Mizrachi Image Credits: Poker News
Ted Forrest
Image Credits: Poker News
Image Credits: Cards Chat
before claiming his last WSOP bracelet in the same year.
Mike Matusow: Matusow’s life has been a continual struggle despite his achievements on the felt. Struggling with drugs and health challenges, he even served time for cocaine distribution which made a lasting impression on him. He didn’t do quite well on the felts as he once was during the golden age of poker. Antonio Esfandiari: 'The Magician,' as Esfandiari is popularly called, was the first to win a $1 million buy-in poker tournament. However, his nomination did raise the question of “What has he done recently?” and also about the unethical behaviour in 2016 at the $5,300 G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
Image Credits: Global Poker Index
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure when Antonio resorted to peeing in a container underneath the table.
Isai Scheinberg: Scheinberg’s PokerStars have produced the best recreational and professional poker players. He was a controversial candidate owing to the US Department of Justice’s indictments against him for illegal gambling operation and was sentenced to time served.
28
Image Credits: Poker News
Chris Ferguson: Ferguson dropped out of the poker circuit in 2011 owing to the Black Friday controversy when the U.S. Department of Justice shut down Full Tilt Poker on charges of money laundering and illicit gambling. What Matters in the End? I think it is safe to say that Eli’s nomination raised the least number of questions, and the poker fraternity accepted his induction with open arms. As one of those who have risen to the top, remained there and will continue to do so in the future, the lyrics of The Script’s 2012 song, ‘Hall of Fame’, aptly suits Eli. It goes…
“
“
Image Credits: PR News Wire
Standin’ in the Hall of Fame And the world’s gonna know your name ‘Cause you burn with the brightest flame And the world’s gonna know your name And you’ll be on the walls of the Hall of Fame.
POKER
India’s best online card games platform
upto
25th Dec'21 - 29th Jan'22
TO BE WON
12 LAKH+ WEEKLY REWARDS
https://bit.ly/GSEmag9stacks
GET 5000 VEGAS POINTS TO VEGAS 2022
GET ₹3200 SIGNUP BONUS! G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
29
PA F ON K TEA RS Y S P O R T S
The Best Of Fantasy Cricket 2021 By Akash Mishra
2
021 witnessed a significant ascent of numerous cricketers on the international and franchise circuit. These included talents from the smaller Test-playing nations like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, islanders from Sri Lanka, and a few Calypso Kings from the West Indies. These players stunned the world through their fantastic batting/bowling and record-breaking performance. While these new entrants showcased their arrival on the scene, many legends from the cricket world outperformed their younger comrades with their high-octane exploits. On that note, let’s take a look at those players who generated the most fantasy points in 2021! Joe Root – 1863 Fantasy Points in International Test Cricket • When it comes to Test cricket, nobody is close to Joe Root. Root outranked several players in 2021 in the Test format. • While batting at the number four position, he individually scored 1630 runs for England in Tests with a strike rate (SR) of 56.93, including six centuries (the most by any batters in 2021) and three half-centuries. • Joe Root’s highest Test score in 2021 was 228 runs against Sri Lanka at Galle. • Rohit Sharma ranks at number two on the list of most Test runs scored in 2021 with 906 runs, which is way behind Root’s 1630 runs. Do You Know: Joe Root is the only player in 2021 to score two double centuries in Test cricket.
Paul Stirling – 842 Fantasy Points in ODI Cricket In the Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam and Virat Kohli era, can you imagine someone who belongs to a small cricket playing nation and dominating the white-ball cricket in 2021? There was! One of the finest all-rounders from Ireland, PR Sterling, managed to conquer several best players globally. This year, he is the highest run-scorer in ODI cricket, scoring 705 runs in 14 ODIs with three centuries and two half-centuries. In these matches, Sterling hit 71 fours and 17 sixes.
Ravichandran Ashwin – 868 Fantasy Points in Tests Ravichandran Ashwin’s record-breaking run in Test cricket continued as the star Indian off-spinner surpassed Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to become the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket in the calendar year. With 52 wickets to his name, Ashwin has dominated the year 2021. 30
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
FA N TA S Y SP O K RE TR S
Mohammad Rizwan – 1637 Fantasy Points in T20Is • Pakistan’s opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan entered the history books when he became the first-ever player opening for Pakistan to score 2000 T20 runs in a single calendar year. • Rizwan had scored 1326 runs in T20Is with an SR of 134.89, including one century and 12 half-centuries. Rizwan had smashed 42 sixes and 119 boundaries in his record effort. • There is no doubt in stating that Rizwan is in the form of his life with a staggering average of 73.66 (Most by any batters in 2021 T20Is) Do You Know: Mohammad Rizwan was in the hospital a night before the Semi-Finals against Australia, suffering from a lung condition. DM Nakrani – 943 Fantasy points in T20Is In 2021, Nakrani took 35 wickets in T20Is, which put him in the list’s top three spots. Nakrani managed to supersede Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi for the most fantasy points with the help of three maiden overs and two five-wicket hauls. Do You Know: Dinesh Nakrani is an Indian-born cricketer who represents the Uganda cricket team. He made his Twenty20 debut for Saurashtra against Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in India on 31 March 2014. Simi Singh- 543 Fantasy Points in ODI An Indian born Irish player, Simranjit ‘Simi’ Singh, made a strong impact in the ODI format, gaining more fantasy points in 2021. Singh took 19 wickets in ODIS, second on the list. The player went past another Lankan in Dushmantha Chameera for the most fantasy points with the help of fifteen maiden overs and one five-wicket haul. Do You Know: Simi Singh, who hails from Mohali, Punjab, packed his bags for Ireland in 2005 to pursue hotel management. Notable Players In The Domestic Circuit
Harshal Patel
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Babar Azam
Josh Inglis
Naveen-ul-Haq
824 793 688 682 650 Fantasy points
Fantasy points
Fantasy points
Fantasy points G UTS H OT
Fantasy points JANUARY
2022
31
ADVERTORIAL
AIO Games: Your Key To Unlimited Online Gaming All in One (AIO) Games is India’s ultimate gaming destination with multiple games under one umbrella. With a lot of hype around e-gaming and real money games, AIO Games has forayed into the market of skill-based games. With fantasy cricket, rummy, callbreak, poker, quiz among others, AIO Games hopes to offer players a best-in-class experience on its platform. AIO has introduced many cashback offers and bonuses for its users. For the New Year, AIO has a satchel full of astonishing offers. All you need to do is visit AIO Games’ website, scan the QR code or enter your phone number, and download the app via the URL link received on SMS. AIO Games is dishing out some brilliant games for players to win massive real money cash prizes. The gaming platform is 100% legal which offers a seamless user interface. You can download the game and play online cash games in one app. So, sign-up and play!
USPs OF AIO GAMES The platform caters to fans of bingo, ludo and callbreak apart from fantasy cricket, rummy and poker.
A customer support team that resolves queries/doubts 24X7.
Hassle-free withdrawal process.
Attractive offers and bonuses are on the offer.
MAJOR OFFERS
32
100% CASHBACK
100% CASH BONUS
100% cashback for the new sign-ups.
A 100% cash bonus across all starting tables
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
100
REFERRAL BONUS Refer a friend and stand a chance to receive `100. More the downloads, more the cash! Your friends will get `200 too after registering on AIO Games.
https://bit.ly/GSEmagAIO
POKER
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
33
FA N TA S Y S P O R T S
A Year Gone By In The World Of Cricket By Akash Mishra
A
s 2021 ended, the world gradually took steps towards recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The major sporting events worldwide were back, including the UEFA Euro Cup, Copa America, ICC T20 World Cup, World Test Championships Finals. Many of us could not watch a live game; fans could still enjoy the thrill and excitement of sport this year, and we are here to talk about the biggest cricketing news that shook the world.
Ajaz Patel bags Historic 10 Wickets Patel breaks the
41-year-old
record to become the first bowler to grab 10 wickets in the 1st innings of an international match He also becomes the first bowler to take a
10-wicket
haul for a visiting team
Once again, the Kiwis lost the game but managed to win hearts. The Mumbai-born spinner Ajaz Patel became the third bowler in cricketing history to claim 10 wickets in an innings after Jim Laker (1956 against Australia) and India leg-spinner, Anil Kumble (1999 against Pakistan). Patel also broke Muttiah Muralitharan’s record for the best figures by a bowler while playing on his home ground in international cricket’s history.
Kumble and Laker recorded their respective 10-wicket hauls in the second innings i.e. the fourth innings over all of those respective Tests.
UAE bowler takes six wickets in an over! U-19 UAE left-arm spinner Harshit Seth shocked the world when he took six wickets in an over, and this is indeed a rare achievement by any bowler in the world. He achieved this milestone in a club match in the Karwan Global Twenty20 League against the Hyderabad Hawks Academy RCG on 28th November 2021. In 2017, Aled Carey, an Australian bowler, also produced the perfect bowler by taking six balls six wickets while playing club cricket in Australia.
34
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
FA N TA S Y S P O R T S
Devon Conway breaks 125-year-old record The debutant broke the 125-year-old record held by the legendary KS Ranjitsinhji for the highest score by a batsman in a Test debut in England on the way to his double century. Conway managed to etch his name on the Lord’s honours board against England on Day 1 with an unbeaten century. Devon also broke Sourav Ganguly’s 25-year-old record of the highest Test score at Lord’s in a debut game.
Highest scores on debut in England Devon Conway 200 vs Eng, 2021 KS Ranjitsinhji 154* vs Aus, 1896 WG Grace 152 vs Aus, 1880
• Conway became the seventh batsman in the history of Test cricket to score a double ton on his Test debut. • The Johannesburg-born became the fourth player to feature in the elite list of highest scores by debutants in away Tests. • Conway was the oldest of the seven players with a double ton on debut, at 29 years and 329 days.
Most T20I runs in calendar year
Mohammad Rizwan 2021 was indeed the year of Mohammad Rizwan. The attacking batsman scored 2,000 T20I runs in a single calendar year. He is the first batsman to do so in the history of T20 international cricket. Rizwan ended the year with 2,036 runs, smashing 18 half-centuries and a century in T20 cricket this year.
Pakistan is the only team in 2021 with the most number T20 victories, and the squad created history when they reached Semis for the 5th time, which is the most by a team.
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
35
PA F ON K TEA RS Y S P O R T S
Most Wickets in a calendar year
Fastest bowler to reach 100 T20I Wickets
Wanindu Hasaranga
Rashid Khan
36 Wickets
44 Matches Tim Paine’s Resignation Controversy’s favourite child this year seems to be Tim Paine who was appointed as the Australian Test captain in the midst of a controversy and now resigned his captaincy in the midst of another controversy. • Paine was appointed Test captain after the infamous 2018 ball tampering scandal involving Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. • Paine stepped down as Test captain amid a sexting scandal • Pat Cummins appointed as the new captain of team Australia • As Test captain, Paine’s win percentage was 47.82%
The Gabba Streak
• The win at Gabba was one of this finest Test victories in Indian cricketing history. • The last time when Australia lost at The Gabba, there was no internet, Berlin Wall in Germany stood tall, Harry Potter was unknown to the world, Nelson Mandela was in Prison, Russia was known as USSR.
Did You Know? Bradman’s bat was sold at a whopping price of nearly $250,000 approximately – `1.90 crore.
Jaskaran Malhotra’s Six Balls Six Sixes Jaskaran Malhotra, a player from Chandigarh who moved to the United States in 2014, created history after hitting six sixes in an over against Papua New Guinea. He became the first-ever American batsman to score an ODI century. Jaskaran Malhotra is the only second player in the world to hit six sixes in an over in ODI’s, after Herschelle Gibbs in the World Cup against Netherlands in 2007. 36
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
POKER
https://bit.ly/GSEmagMPL
24X7 Cash Action Thrilling Tournaments Guaranteed Fair Play
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
37
This game involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive.Please play responsibly and at your own risk. T&C Apply.
PO R MK GE R
Is Multi-Gaming The New Black For RMG? By Amarylisa Gonsalves
R
emember all the Ludo King memes that ruled our timelines when the lockdown started? Everyone was enjoying their favourite childhood board game at their fingertips with peers in spite of being geographically dispersed. That was an indication of the impact online gaming had on the digital world. Online games were gradually taking over and we were unaware back then that today they’d be an integral source of entertainment for us. Fast forward to today, where we have a whole host of online gaming platforms and apps, that you would never run out of online games to play. We know playing just one game every time can become boring and installing different apps for different games is just too much to handle for your little fitin-the-pocket devices. That’s where multigaming platforms have stepped in.
38
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
The Multi-Game Universe Having multiple games under one umbrella is the need of the hour in this fast paced world. A multi-gaming platform offers both - widely popular as well as lesser-known interesting games across genres like cards, casino, sports, casual, hyper-casual, board games and more that generate interest not just among the younger population but across all age groups. And mind you, the gaming fever has taken over everyone, not just the general masses but big organisations too, for example, your very own Facebook or Meta (post rebranding). The
13%
India accounts for 13% of the worldwide mobile gaming market. Source: The Citizen
P ORKME G R
only difference is while the general population looks at consuming these games, organisations are now looking at innovative ways of furnishing them. The RMG stance Let’s not forget the real money games (RMG) angle, that allows players to make money by playing games. Games like poker, rummy, fantasy sports and more, allow you to play and win money for real. While people have started indulging in online games, real money games have also become widely popular. Over time the perception towards real money games has also greatly changed as these are also skillbased. But one cannot overlook the fact that the number of real money games we have is a handful, while the gaming universe is vast. The online gaming industry’s turnover increased by
50%
during the COVID-19 lockdown. Source: Times of India
Hence, to broaden their horizons and enter a bigger market, the RMG brands have gradually started taking the multi-gaming route. The venture In the year gone by, we saw Baazi Games, popular for its RMG platforms like PokerBaazi, BalleBaazi and RummyBaazi coming up with a new multi-gaming platform named Baazi Mobile Gaming. Dangal Games also launched their unified casual gaming app with the same name. These developments are proof that multi-gaming is here to stay and grow over the long term. The Rationale But are you too, like us, wondering why these adaptations are happening? Well, let’s discuss the possible reasons. One of the major
Multi-Gaming holds the potential to revolutionise the gaming world. Hosting multiple games on a single platform has proved to be a major crowd-pleaser. Plus, the one-in-one-out feature has also contributed to increasing its appeal exponentially. Karan Gandhi, Co-founder, Dangal Games.
driving factors is the gaming trends due to the pandemic. The growth numbers are justified because due to the nationwide lockdowns and curfews, people were stuck at home with limited sources of entertainment, and online gaming was one of the easiest options given the availability of the internet. The use of casual and hyper-casual games contributed to a major chunk of this rise in numbers. Games like ludo, fruit slicer and others saw a sharp rise in the number of players. Online gaming’s reach spread like wildfire. So much so that there were national Ludo tournaments being held with hefty prizes. Also, smartphone usage led the demand for mobile games to spike up like never before. Not to mention, the multi-gaming market is clearly bigger than RMG. Venturing into a bigger market is something that every business, no matter how small or big it is, looks forward to. Companies can also capitalise to a greater extent via a multi-gaming platform as compared to an RMG one because multigaming is clearly a bigger market.
2.5
HOURS
4.1
The average gaming time spent by players reached 4.1 hours post the pandemic from the pre-covid average of 2.5 hours.
HOURS
Source: Times of India
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
39
PO R MK GE R
In-store for the users One of the major reasons why multi-gaming platforms were a massive hit is because they offer several games under one single umbrella. They are extremely convenient since players can easily play numerous The Multi gaming sector gets motivated to create more skill-based games to enjoy high retention rates boosted by RMG industry. Mohit Pandita, Head, Baazi Mobile Gaming
games in one single app without having to install countless apps. Additionally, having one single wallet for different games becomes a big advantage. Players can use the money won in one game to play a completely different title with great ease. In-store for the brands The foray into multi-gaming is also helping companies expand their economies of scale by offering diversified products under a single app. This also helps companies engage with a large audience/players as against RMG which may have limited users given a number of factors. When RMG brands enter the multigaming facade, their reach automatically increases. In India, a player may not be very familiar with poker, but when he/she downloads a multi-gaming app to play casual games and sees poker as part of the overall offerings within the gaming lobby, they may feel intrigued and perhaps even try the game. Thus, the multi-gaming app has helped the brand reach an audience that otherwise would never engage with the brand. The same applies to sign-ups and the number of users on the platform. A player may sign-up to play puzzles or quizzes, but the brand gets a sign-up as a whole. The sign-up does not count for that specific game but the 40
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
entire brand. Also, the cumulative monthly active users (MAUs) will appear satisfactory or better as against the MAU’s of a specific title. Companies can effectively use this to their advantage by endorsing a specific game with the cumulative success of the brand. This has been practised by companies like Mobile Premier League (MPL), which started off as a multi-gaming platform and eventually, after receiving notable success in the domain, the company later forayed into RMG. So, it is not just the RMG brands that are eyeing the multi-gaming arena. The multigaming brands are also looking at covering RMG under their umbrella. Looking at the trends, it won’t be too surprising to see more instances of these two domains come together as one in times to come. This integration will definitely be beneficial to both industries, given the similar nature of business and the impact each would have on the other. Talking about the interdependence between RMG and multi-gaming, Gandhi suggests, “The strong foothold that the online gaming industry has gained in recent years, suggests that Multi-Gaming and RMG can profit greatly from one another. It’s only a matter of time before this interdependent relationship becomes a dominant force in the entertainment industry.” India’s multi-gaming brands:
AIO Games Ungli Games Hago WinZo Paytm First Games EWar Games Gamezy
https://bit.ly/GSEmagIndiaP
POKER
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
41
ADVERTORIAL
Enjoy A Full Year Of Cash Game Action At Goa’s Big Daddy Casino!
W
ith Goa being the only real location Indians can fly to for being a part of high-stakes poker action, players have to plan their trips well in advance because they have to choose dates in accordance with what’s happening in the poker rooms. Players are always on the lookout for good games, but these live cash festivals aren’t held super often in India. Now however, the Spartan LIVE poker room in Big Daddy Casino in Goa’s River Mandovi has launched a cash game festival calendar for the entire year of 2022! That’s right, we’re talking about a selected few days each month where you’ll find the best poker games in Goa. They tested the same, late in 2021, with poker cash festivals held between October to December. Now, we’re set for this trend to continue right through 2022. If you have a smaller bankroll, there are freerolls. If you like
42
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
the nosebleed stakes, you’ll get something to satiate your cravings. Bad Beat Jackpots (BBJ)! Expect those too. There’s even something on offer for Omaha poker players here. It’s always season time for poker players in Goa and we’d recommend you make your bookings for Poker Cash Festival 2022 right away. 5 days each month will be reserved for these festivals, while poker tables are running through the year anyway. To make your bookings, contact the Spartan LIVE poker room on 7400477614 / 9112222867. On a side note, the Spartan LIVE poker room on board the luxurious Big Daddy Casino has shifted from Level 2 to Level 3, and is now done up even better than before. Additionally, there’s another Spartan Poker room opened overseas, for those interested. Now plenty of action is expected in Nepal too, with this new room in Casino Vegas, which opened doors to customers on 1st Jan 2022. Good luck and Happy New Year to you!
G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
43
https://bit.ly/GSEmagBD
POKER
POKER
Poker 'Moments' of 2021 By Dwayne Fernandes
L
et's be clear right from the top, we're not here to bore you to death with some bad beat stories but instead, with some offbeat stories of occurrences in the poker industry over the last year. Take a look...
Negreanu is always in the news for things like abusing on live streams or new endorsements and ambassadorships. But one thing he's not in the news for is winning a gold bracelet (yes, we know he has $40+ million in live winnings); he won his maiden bracelet in WSOP 1998 and last at WSOP Europe 2013. Eight years since that last win, the dry run continues! Hats off moment We've heard of people playing poker to earn money while others playing to have fun while many others just to become famous. But at the WSOP 2021 Main Event, Dragana Lim vowed to use her winnings toward an animal foundation, which was a noble charitable cause. And right enough, she ran super deep in the world's biggest tournament, finishing 64th for a prize of $95,700!
ROFL moment Remember when Spartan Poker hosted the second edition of India Poker Championship's Final Table Series (FTS) in March 2021? Their esteemed international commentator Sam Razavi had people rolling on the floor laughing with some of his comments and promotional videos, one being in his famous Donald Trump avatar. 'The wait continues' moment Probably the poker player of the century, Daniel Waving the flag high moment Did you check out the Poker Bootcamp India ft. Daniel Negreanu video? At the WSOP 2021 poker players' party in Las Vegas, PBCI co-founder Abhishek Goindi ran into Kid Poker and the latter gave a huge shout out to PBCI which not only made their supporters happy but also everyone in the Indian poker community. See that video here. Hope to see many more such 'moments' in 2022. Happy New Year! 44
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022
A HEAVEN FOR MICRO STAKES POKER PLAYERS
POKER
100% instant + 200% locked
https://bit.ly/GSEmagMyP52
Play daily leaderboards, deposit, earn points & win big.
SIGN UP NOW: GET ₹100 FREE USE CODE: GUTSHOT G UTS H OT
JANUARY
2022
45
This game has an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly at your own risk.
https://bit.ly/GutshotFB
POKER
46
G UTS H OT
JANUARY 2022