Friday was a whirlwind of poker action, with Indian players delivering standout performances on live and virtual felts. Platforms like PokerBaazi, Adda52, and Natural8 India hosted packed schedules, while A23 Poker’s ₹1.50 Crores GTD Dynamite Series added to the excitement.
Satyam Verma Dominates the Day
Ranked #8 in the Player of the Year race, Satyam Verma had a spectacular Friday. After finishing runner-up in Adda52’s Godfather the previous night, he clinched victory in PokerBaazi’s WTF for ₹2.10 Lakhs. Verma didn’t stop there—he secured podium finishes in The Quest and Spartan Poker’s Friday Fighter, racking up an impressive ₹5.74 Lakhs across multiple events.
This performance pushed Verma’s tracked online winnings past ₹2 Crores, crowning him the day’s top performer. Puneeth BN followed closely, finishing as the runner-up in WTF for ₹1.69 Lakhs and bringing his day’s total to ₹1.88 Lakhs from four deep runs.
Mukesh Surana’s Breakout Run
Mukesh Surana carried his winning momentum from the Midnight SPRINT to PokerBaazi’s The Quest, where he bagged ₹5.03 Lakhs for the top spot. With three deep runs totaling ₹5.16 Lakhs, Surana solidified his place as one of Friday’s standout players. Runner-up ‘bk9033’ earned a personal-best ₹3.02 Lakhs, adding nearly ₹3.23 Lakhs to their bankroll with another finish in the WTF.
Redemption Stories
Over on Pocket52, newcomer ‘LionWiese_gjyf5’ broke their streak of near misses, winning the Pocket Highroller for a career-best ₹3.86 Lakhs in just their 36th tournament. Runner-up Tanmay Lodha, riding high from his PPC Brunch victory, earned ₹2.70 Lakhs.
Adda52 regular ‘laddu1992’ ended a 17-month title drought by winning The Ballers for ₹3.60 Lakhs after a heads-up deal. Runner-up Nandan Pugalia, fresh off a win in Saturday’s Blockbuster Lite, added ₹3.20 Lakhs to his tally, bringing his day’s total to ₹3.26 Lakhs.
Highlights from Other Platforms
- Mayank Garg claimed his first flagship title in Spartan Poker’s Friday Fighter, earning ₹1.71 Lakhs. Two-time Millionaire champion Phanindra Akkina followed with ₹1.40 Lakhs, closing the day with a total of ₹2.72 Lakhs.
- On Junglee Poker, ‘pokerface7’, a PLO 4 Highroller expert, showed versatility by winning the Friday Supernova for ₹1.72 Lakhs. Runner-up ‘GudThimma’ bagged ₹1.02 Lakhs.
- PokerBaazi’s ‘Frankie08’ secured their second win in The Quest Lite, earning ₹2.03 Lakhs. Varun Bhasin, the recent Daily Last Chance winner, took second place for ₹1.44 Lakhs.
NoobNeil’s Big Payday
Natural8 India’s ‘NoobNeil’ delivered the day’s biggest individual score, finishing second in the Zodiac Main Event for ₹5.59 Lakhs. This follows a strong showing in last week’s Bounty Hunters HR Main Event 525 and Saturday Secret KO 150.
Rising Stars
- Abhishek Sharma: Fifth in Event #45 Mystery Bounty – Turbo for ₹6,100 (~₹1.15 Lakhs).
- Azzy0097: Continued their hot streak, winning PokerBaazi’s Daily Last Chance for ₹1.38 Lakhs.
- Shailesh Patel, Anil Kumar Tanti, Nishant Chowdhury, and Praveen KR also delivered impressive wins across various platforms.
The Grand Finale Looms
As the poker action heats up, all eyes are on the upcoming grand finale of A23 Poker’s Dynamite Series. With major events and massive prize pools on the horizon, the next few days promise even more fireworks on the felts.