Indian Poker Sports League Returns Bigger and Better than Ever

Greg Shaun

2 years ago

The third Indian Poker Sports League (PSL) is underway and, this season, the organizers are hoping to create a bigger and better event all-round.

Season 3 of the Poker Sports League is underway as the organizers aim to make it bigger and better than before. (Image: Poker Sports League)

Following an opening announcement in October, the PSL team have promised a total prizepool of 4 crore/$556,500.

As well as more money, the event will be open to more people. In total, 10 teams from across India will feature 12 players (one more than last season), one of which must be a female.

Poker Sports League Bigger than Ever

To accommodate the increased number of players, the third Poker Sports League will take place at larger venues in India.

Commenting on the innovations, founder Amit Burman said the changes are a sign of poker’s growing popularity in India.

“Poker as a sport is gaining mass acceptance and its growing popularity is evident with the Poker Sports League growing season by season,” Burman said in a November 15 press release.

The concept of India’s Poker Sports League is similar to Global Poker League. Each team features a combination of professionals and novices that have either been selected or qualified via a satellite.

Alongside the pros and amateurs, the 10 regional teams regions have a franchise owner. As well as managing players, the owner is responsible for drafting in a mentor as well as two wild cards from the international poker scene.

In Season 2, the Rajat Sharma emerged as the top ranked player, while Goan Nuts took the title from Season 1 champions, the Delhi Panthers.

With the organizers aiming to make Season 3 the best yet, qualifiers are now underway on Adda52. As the largest Indian online poker site, Adda52 is well placed to generate the maximum amount of interest in event.

In line with that, 72 satellites will take place over the coming weeks. Players are permitted to take part in a maximum of 18 qualifiers and the top 90 will be put forward for selection.

From there, a variety of local and international pros will be added to the mix.

Legitimizing Poker in India

The wider aim of the Poker Sports League is to legitimize the game in India. With certain regions still classing poker as a form of gambling, all efforts are being made to demonstrate that it’s a game of skill.

By devising a scoring system and recruiting players from a variety of backgrounds, the goal is to prove that winning is about more than luck.

For Indian poker players, that’s resulted in a major event with even more prize money than ever before.

Moreover, it’s another chance to solidify the game’s reputation in what’s arguably the world’s fastest growing poker market.