'Poker a skill-based game just like chess,' ace poker players looking to break stereotypes

New Delhi, Jan 3: Poker is one of the most popular sports in the world and India isn't untouched by it. There are several case studies where the youth and working professionals in the country are pursuing a full-fledged careers in it.

Poker players have been maintaining that it is a skill-based game just like chess and believe that time is not far when the stereotypes regarding the sport will change for good.

In an exclusive conversation with MyKhel, PokerBaazi's Team Pro members Abhishek Goindi and Muskan Sethi, two of the top poker players from India, and Varun Ganjoo, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer, Baazi Games, claimed the myth surrounding the sport is finally getting busted.

Muskan and Abhishek explained how poker helps a person become a problem solver as the game throws a lot of challenges to the player every time. A good poker player can also hone his/her skills in 'speed maths' which again is a very helpful trick to learn for the youth.

Big challenge in front of poker

When asked why parents wouldn't allow their kids to pick up poker which is a skill-based game but will encourage them to play chess, Varun Ganjoo claimed since the sport falls under Real Money Gaming (RMG) Space, one can only play after 18 years of age. He, however, maintained that despite the age restriction, the sport has a lot to offer to a young adult as he/she can learn so many life lessons from poker.

"One of the reasons why Poker isn't percolating to the lower age group is because it is associated with RMG Space which is the Real Money Gaming Space and 18 years is a permitted age to venture out in this space. But we have witnessed a rise in the number of young players who are or above 18 years of age. We have seen several parents encouraging their kids to play poker because it enhances problem-solving skills."

Increase in number of youth pursuing career in poker

Ganjoo said parents are now supporting their sons and daughters to pursue a career in poker if they are doing good because it's a skill-based game.

"We also have a young game on our platform who has dropped out of Yale University just to play poker and pursue a career. We interviewed him and his mother is very supportive of him. So, I think things are changing with times and with whatever work that the federation is doing, the government is also helping us now and also setting a positive example and is throwing a positive light. So, you'll see more parents coming in and supporting their kids and that will help change the perception of society towards poker because it's not just a game, it also enhances several life skills as well," Ganjoo added further.

Parents encouraging their kids

Abhishek Goindi - who is an ace poker player and took up the role of PokerBaazi Team Pro - also attributed the lack of information regarding the sport as the prime reason for the negativity surrounding it. Goindi - who has been coaching the game of poker to IIM alumni and even young adults - claims the perception is changing and even narrated the personal accounts of parents thanking him for helping their wards learn the sport and changing their lives for good.

'Information gap hurting poker'

"Adding on to what Varun rightly mentioned, there's a lot of information gap with regard to poker. There's not much positive information out there which is why parents may not support their kids. I've been a poker coach for a while and speaking from my personal experience, on Teacher's Day a kid's mother thanked me on Instagram for how poker has transformed her son's life for good. So, poker is also a skill-based game just like chess but perhaps there's a lack of information in the public domain about it and all the negative things are generally associated with it. The game has changed his life for good, he's become more disciplined and approaching things differently and in a positive way. Of course, just like any other sport, in poker too there's no one size fits all approach," said Goindi.

Poker - a gender-neutral sport

Goindi further added, "Also, it's the only sport in the world which gives a level-playing field to men and women. You can never have a Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Serena Williams but you can see me playing a World Poker Series final against Muskan. So, there's no gender classification in poker, it's the only gender-neutral sport in the world."

'Poker skill-based sport like chess'

Another Team Pro member, Muskan Sethi - who is also one of the faces of poker in India - drew parallels between poker and chess and how it is a notch higher in terms of difficulty levels.

"I would second what Abhishek just mentioned. Poker is as good a skill-based game as chess. In fact, it goes a level up because in chess everything is present on the board and a player has to make his moves accordingly. But in poker, you'll have to calculate all the permutations and combinations in your mind because the cards are hidden. At the same time, you'll also have to read your opponent's mind, his/her body language, etc. So a poker player has to decode all that information flow in split seconds and get the better of the others."

'Chess players love to play poker'

Muskan also cited the examples of several big international and Indian chess stars who are equally good at poker and they are constantly participating in major poker tournaments.

"Also, if you look at the biggest name in chess, Magnus Carlsen, he's an active poker player. Even Tania Sachdev is a good friend of mine and she also plays the game. We draw so many similarities between chess and poker. So, I too believe that the perception of people is going to change. People tend to misunderstand it with gambling but it is not so. Addiction of any kind is not good, be it sports or life," Ms Sethi signed off.