Baazi Games concluded the online edition of the National Poker Series recently and saw a nation-wide pool of India’s poker talent. The debut-edition recorded a whopping 83,793 entries from across the country and the winners took home a staggering prize pool of more than Rs19 crores.
The 15-days series hosted on PokerBaazi lauded 64 gold medalists in addition to 128 silver and bronze champions. The winners from the main-event – gold medalist Mohammad Azhar (Nagaur, Rajasthan), silver medalist Ashwani Vishwakarma (Satna, Madhya Pradesh) and bronze medalist Player ‘think_again’ – were the ultimate poker maestros who secured victory in this tenacious battle of skill and mental strength. The biggest event of the tournament Golden Rush witnessed 19,249 entries and discovered the hidden gems of poker – Vivek Bajaj (Ranchi, Jharkhand), Player ‘neha 94’ and Sumit Sapra (Mohali, Punjab) who won gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.
Commenting on the success of the National Poker Series, Baazi Games founder and CEO Navkiran Singh said, “We are over-joyed with the immense enthusiasm and love that the poker patrons across the nation have showcased during this 15-days gala. The National Poker Series, hosted on PokerBaazi.com ended on a high note as we witnessed exponential audience participation which crossed our anticipated mark and unveiled some hidden gems and marvels who excel in the game of poker. Moreover, the success of the series is a testament of our efforts towards pivoting the perception of poker in India as a skill-based game that provides an opportunity to challenge the human mind. I would also like to acknowledge the dedication and diligence that has gone behind by our teams to ensure the success of this tournament. As we conclude the debut-edition of NPS, we are already geared up to start planning for the next season and bring some exciting opportunities to the table.”
Talking about his victory and experience, NPS Podium Gold Medalist Mohammad Azhar Tak from Nagaur, Rajasthan said, “This edition of NPS has been more than participating in just one or two events. The main event is my third victory and the toughest one so far, where I took the field down. It’s one of my greatest feats that I have been going after since a very long time. NPS has been a great experience and I have secured the first position for the Vegas package. Moreover, it is unreal to believe that I will be representing India internationally. I am looking forward to my trip to Vegas, where I plan to discover all things poker.”
The series witnessed some nail-biting poker tables and scaled new heights by throwing open the platform for one-and-all to try their hand at the game of poker. Furthermore, the NPS Podium Finishers, the players with the most valuable medal hauls across the series, Mohammad Azhar Tak (Nagaur, Rajasthan), Ankit Wadhawan (Chandigarh, Punjab) and Kritagya Sharma (New Delhi) who won the gold, silver, and bronze medals, will be representing India at an international platform in one of the biggest poker events of the world to be conducted in Las Vegas.
The Leaderboard:
Top 3 main-event champions:
Gold: Mohammad Azhar Tak from Nagaur, Rajasthan
Silver: Ashwani Vishwakarma from Satna, Madhya Pradesh
Bronze: Player under the name of “Thing_again” from Mumbai, Maharashtra
Winners for Golden Rush Tournament:
Gold: Vivek Bajaj from Ranchi, Jharkhand
Silver: Player under the name of ‘neha94’ from Jaipur, Rajasthan
Bronze: Sumit Sapra from Zirakpur, Mohali, Punjab
Top 3 Podium Finishers:
Gold: Mohammad Azhar Tak from Nagaur, Rajasthan
Silver: Ankit Wadhawan from Chandigarh, Punjab
Bronze: Kritagya Sharma from New Delhi