Vivek Rajkumar
More Indian players are expected to make their entrance into the international circuit this year following a deal between the Asian Poker Tour (APT) and Baadshah Gaming. The online poker site operating in India will be hosting several satellites for a variety of APT events. The deal aims to help Indian players to emerge and gain success in international poker.
More Indian Players in the Spotlight
The APT general manager says that the partnership will “increase the presence of Indian players at each and every APT event.”
Baadshah Gaming will host both online and land-based satellite tournaments, many of which will be at low stakes to attract both professional and recreational players alike. Additionally, the satellites will grant qualification to several APT events. Baadshah Gaming co-founder Madhav Gupta says that the move will “benefit the Indian poker community in multiple ways.”
That’s not to say there aren’t excellent Indian players on the international circuit already. Indeed, as it stands now, India’s leading poker player in prizes is Vivek Rajkumar, who currently resides in the USA. Recently, Kaylan Chakravarty took down the 2018 DeepStack Championship Poker Series Event #99. In a tournament with a guarantee of $750,000, Rajkumar won a neat $147,232.
It’s clear that there are capable poker players in India as well as Indian players who have already burst onto the international circuit. But this move should bring more opportunity for the APT, in particular, and a big “Chris Moneymaker” style win could be everything that India needs to catalyze its online poker market.
Other Ways to Enter the APT
Of course, it’s possible to buy-in to the APT directly. The Main Event in Korea costs 1 million KRW (about $900) while high-roller events cost even more to enter. Also, there are several live satellites available during the APT events that can cost as little as 1/10 of the buy-in, so players can take a shot at a reasonable cost.
CoinPoker is the official sponsor for the APT. The online poker site and official APT sponsor also offer APT satellites. These online tournaments often have massive overlays where the value of the packages given away is more than the combined value of player buy-ins, making them quite a valuable choice for players who are looking to make it big live.
As part of the sponsorship, players can even buy-in to APT tournaments as well as cash out their winnings using CHPs — the cryptocurrency used to play poker on CoinPoker.
About the APT
Founded in 2008, the APT has held over 80 major tournaments with a total prize pool of over $30 million. Many top prizes are worth more than slot game jackpots. The tour has stopped in major destinations mostly in Asia. The next stop for the 2018 tour is Korea, followed by the Philippines in September, Vietnam in October and the finale in Macau in November/December. Interested players can buy-in with cash, the CHP cryptocurrency or enter satellite tournaments either live or online.
