After achieving
success in the US, the UK, China, and other European nations, poker in India, especially online poker India has received a
widespread acceptance as a game of skill. In this digital era, more and more
players are becoming a part of the online
poker India bandwagon game. India has a huge history in many different
non-virtual card games, taken from both Eastern and Western cultures. Several
classic British card games still continue to remain very popular in India, such
as gin and bridge. Way back in 2006, for instance, Teenpatti, an Indian poker variant, not too
dissimilar from the British game three-card brag or the US home-game favorite,
started to garner interest from players in India. Being one of the most popular
card games of all times, it was not long before it captured the strong
attention of Indian masses. Furthermore, with the advent of digitalization,
many India-based digital companies also wanted to tap the popularity of poker in India. Thereby, many Indian
gaming companies, in the recent past, began to develop online platforms for
playing the card game.

 

Official licensing is also available for online
poker rooms making online poker India
a legal concept. The Supreme Court of India
clarified the definition of poker India
in 1996 as “such competitions, where success depends on quite a substantial
degree of skill, are not necessarily gambling”. Online poker India on websites is strictly in compliance with legislation
and judicial declarations. Poker in
India is legally permissible and comply with Indian laws such as Indian
Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, Indian Information
Technology Act, 2000, the Public Gambling Act, 1867, Foreign Exchange
Management Act (FEMA) 1999, etc. Online
poker India is also maintained on TDS policies as per the government
guidelines and also issues TDS certificates to all poker players on a quarterly
basis.

 

The poker circuit in
the country has grown rapidly in the last couple of years, and tournament poker India seems to have stolen the
limelight. Apart from the money on offer, the skills, technique, and
satisfaction that come with maneuvering one’s way and finishing on top of a
field of extremely competitive poker players is something that every poker
player enjoys. Today, different websites on online poker India offer a wide range of tournaments throughout the
week that continue to attract growing numbers.

 

According to the statistics
published by MECN (Media Entertainment Consulting Network), Asia and primarily
India is easily the largest and fastest growing online gambling market in the
world. The issue of accepting poker
in India as a game of skill is currently like a snowball, the more it
rolls, the larger it gets. In India, both players and operators have already
shot the starting gun and are ready to go. With nothing holding them back in
the coming years, the card game is soon expected to grab a significant share of
the Indian online gaming industry.

 

Poker Sports League
(PSL), India’s biggest poker league, continues doing something new and
different to promote and establish poker as a mind sport in India. On a
partnership of PSL with DSport, a promising start-up sports TV channel, the
head of DSport, TS Panesar said, “the PSL team is committed to creating an
excellent broadcast friendly show to reach out to sport lovers across the
subcontinent and make this an exceptional experience for them.” On this collaboration, Amit Burman, co-founder of PSL said to media that “DSport’s wide
coverage of international sporting properties made it the natural choice”.

 

Initially, in the overseas nations, poker was considered a skill game
but poker in India, struggled a lot
to adore this tag. However, things are changing and many organizations and
players are lobbying together to get poker
India recognized as a skill game. Online
poker India is also being promoted as a mind sport via social media
channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. Besides,
there are many poker India websites
and professional players who are teaching the skill game to other people in the
country. Besides, they are trying to change the old mindset that poker is a
game of luck.

 

Initially poker in India was
a male dominated game but perspectives are altering faster with both players
and casinos showing big support and encouragement to female poker players.
Unlike olden days, women are not made to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome at the
poker table or online poker India
dominated by men. Poker is a fascinating game and
a profitable pastime for many women. Poker
in India could be a good career
option for women. Online poker in India
has emerged a popular game where women are reaching the upper echelons and some
of them are making their living by playing live.

 

When it comes to poker India
women players, the number is not big but there exist few ladies who are
currently reigning poker in India as
well as online poker India. For
example, Anju Abrol, a 50-year-old banker won a 2014 PokerStars sponsored Asia Championship
of Poker in Macau. Muskan Sethi, a former pro of Adda52.com is also a name that
has evolved as one of the best poker ambassadors especially for women in India.
Other well-known names include Maria Kirloskar, Nikita Luther, and Monisha
Jain. All these women are winning and cashing out in both online poker India and live poker
India events.

 

Poker is a game of strategy and requires skills. Cash poker in India is highly acquired by
the youth, which says that the game is glamorous and makes every player feel like
a rock star. However, there are no regulations in place to ensure it is played
responsibly. Although online poker in India as well as live poker in India are emerging with the
introduction of new upcoming poker sites, it also carries with it a darker
side. Studies and surveys relieves that
one continues to play poker sessions stretched over
10 to 12 hours, because as long as you are on the table, you can still win.
Players often need cocaine or other drugs to help stay alert. In fact, a study
suggests that four out of five poker players in the US use such drugs. Now that
is a staggering statistic. Many poker players sacrifice their families and
relationships. They start alienating those who are not connected to the game.

 

On one side, where poker in India is gaining success, it is also likely that the
unregulated poker industry in India would be on a tilt making bad or wrong
decisions leading to players with mounds of debt who continue to borrow,
extortionist money collectors, and drugs. As this is critical for many Indians,
especially young people who are currently drowning in the game with no
lifelines, poker in India is
required to be more regulated and legalized.