The debate rages in India over whether or not poker is a game of skill or simply a game of chance.
Ask Adda52’s CEO Anuj Gupta what he thinks, and he’ll tell you that poker requires more skill than what fund managers require. Following the success of the Deltin Poker Tour (DPT), which was organized in conjunction with Adda52, hopefully more will see the high amount of skill and grit needed to be a winner.
The DPT wrapped up its latest tournaments in Goa on April 29. The four-day event was a huge success and included a Super High Roller Series, as well as a shoot out and bounty, among others. As popularity gains momentum, it will become increasingly harder for lawmakers to deny the game, eventually leading to acceptance on par with what has been seen across Europe and the US.
The game requires a high degree of dedication and a large amount of discipline. Gupta points out that a player’s success hinges solely on how much he or she is willing to invest in training, just as is the case with any sport and even many business activities. He predicts that the next two to five years will be key for the industry, which will see a continued increase in the number of Indian players. “There are a few such parents even now, who are proud to see their children play poker and perform well, and the list is growing. In the next year or two, you’ll hopefully see us operating out of multiple destinations,” he explains.
By 2021, many expect India’s gaming industry to be worth $1 billion, despite the legislative pushback. Gaming currently brings in around $360 million to the limited number of operators, and the rise of poker tournaments, in particular the steady series offered by the DPT, is helping to generate a substantial amount of serious interest in poker.
Adda52 is an online gaming website based in India that was founded by Gupta and Mohit Agarwal in 2011. It offers a variety of card games, including poker and rummy, and has weekly and monthly tournaments. The underlying gaming software of the site has been certified by iTech Labs for its fair play and random number generators used in dealing cards.
