EndBoss poker tournament, hosted by PokerBaazi.com, finished its 2022 edition with a massive prize pool of rupees five crore. Jitendra Gadhwal, the 26-year-old B.Tech graduate from Delhi, was crowned the champion, taking home prize money of rupees one crore. The tournament, which began on 18 May, attracted over 4928 entries from across the country.
“With every edition of Endboss, we are witnessing the growing popularity of the poker ecosystem in India. The growing participation in such tournaments and intense competition between the players to outwit each other with their skills, signal the trend that people are becoming more educated about the game. We, as a brand, envision making poker a mainstream sport, and such tournaments provide the perfect platform for players to feel encouraged and motivated towards pursuing poker further, commented Baazi Games founder and CEO Navkiran Singh.
Jitendra began playing poker as a hobby in 2016 and over a period it has turned into a passion for him. He learned about the EndBoss through an Instagram post from a friend and entered the tournament. Following his moment of glory, he intends to use the prize money to take a vacation and spend time with his family.
Commenting on his achievement, IT Professional Jitendra Gadhwal said, “The landscape of poker is evolving right now, and it’s slowly becoming one of the most sought-after skill-based sports, forgoing the general perception of the game of luck, which is motivating more individuals to participate in such tournaments. To be a successful poker player, one must be patient and should consider all available options before making a particular decision on the table. Playing against skilled players from all around the country not only helped me test my skills but also showcased that I need to keep improving. I am elated with my achievement and now want to take my game to the next level in the upcoming tournaments.”
The finale of the tournament took place on 22 May 2022, while Jitendra grabbed the first place and the coveted title of EndBoss, 28-year-old Eshan Kapoor of Delhi came in second place and took home Rs 60,20,000, followed by 37-year-old Bhushan Sohani of Pune who came in third place and pocketed Rs 31,35,000. States that led the tournament included New Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan who produced the top 10 winners for this edition.