Poker as a game and profession is finally finding its calling in India. We at Onlinepokernews.in decided to check out the New Crop of Indian Poker which is making inroads in online poker. And in our tryst to bring out the unsung names in Indian poker who burn the midnight oil to follow their poker passion we bring Gen P- The next generation of Online Poker. A fortnightly column where we introduce you to a young, smiling and passionate poker face.
This time we present Raghu Krishna. Last week OPN contacted him to play as Team OPN on Adda52.com in their 3 Lacs Patro Finale. He not only represented us well but went on to claim second place in the tourney losing sadly when his Pocket Aces got beat.
Presenting Raghu Krishna, 26 year old poker player from Bangalore who left a cushioned IT job to follow his poker passion. He says he has a long way to go but the journey has begun….
| Name | Raghu Krishna |
| Poker Nickname | Spine619 |
| Fav Place to Play Online Poker | PokerStars |
| Fav Place to play offline poker | Home Games with Friends |
| Fav Poker Game | No Limit Hold’em < USD 11 games |
| Fav Poker Hand | |
| Poker Earnings | $9,500 |
Q 1 Hi Raghu, Thanks for taking out the time to speak with us. To start with, can you tell us when you started playing poker? Basically your poker journey till date…
RK Just like most of us here, I was introduced to Zynga poker by my friends and got addicted to it. Few years back I had a spinal surgery and was rehabilitating at home and the only thing I could do to keep my mind occupied was to play poker. I read a news article on Clawin D’souza where he mentioned online poker as a career option and I did a little research and came across guys like Aditya Agarwal, Sahil Agarwal and Aditya Sushant and how with a lot of determination, discipline and focus they have attained so much success in online poker. And also I felt IT was taking a toll on my health, so I decided to make a career switch and took up poker as a profession.
Q 2 How much poker do you play?
RK I try to put in 4-5 hours a day for 3-4 days a week. I have taken a break in the last few months due to personal reasons, but I’m looking to get back to the grind and also put in more volume starting September.
Q 3 How does your family feel about you playing Poker?
RK My fiancé has been very understanding and encouraged me right from the beginning and without her support I wouldn’t have taken up poker professionally. Also I have a bunch of close friends who follow my progress keenly.
Q 4 Are you working somewhere?
RK I quit IT to take up poker professionally.
Q 5 Have you ever participated in any live tournaments in India or Internationally?
RK No
Q 6 Who do you idolize in Poker, both in India and Internationally?
RK In India, my idol is Sahil ‘antilog’ Agarwal. Like me, even he was working in Infosys before he decided to quit and do what he loves to do – play poker! In our Indian society, it’s very difficult to do the unconventional and quitting IT to play poker was one such and it takes a lot of convincing to do. And he has done that and gone on to become one of the top MTT players in India, so he is a huge inspiration for me and for all the other aspiring poker players in India.
Internationally, I idolize Kelvin ‘acesup’ Beattie. He is one of the most knowledgeable poker players with 9 Triple crowns and he is also my mentor/coach. Whatever little I know in the game of poker is learnt from him and his Pokernerve course.
Q 7 Who are the 3 names, according to you, who can make it big in International Poker Community?
RK Aditya Agarwal (Intervntion) – He is due a WSOP bracelet.
Sahil Agarwal (antilog)
Danish Shaikh (danish7)
Q 8 What do you do when not playing Poker?
RK I watch a lot of TV series/ movies, and also try to study my game and watch training videos.
Q 9 What is your one Poker dream?
RK To become one of the top online MTT players in the world
Q 10 What should be done to promote poker in India?
RK There should be a lot of awareness created amongst the society about the huge skill element that is attached to this game. A lot of people I know, even those who have played on zynga, have a mindset that this is a game of luck.
Also we need to lobby and get the government to legalize poker in the country because even though there is a lot of interest and potential, people are hesitant to take it up professionally because poker is still a gray area. This is only possible if all the parties – the players, administrators, and others who run the game in the country – can put their egos and self-interest aside and unite for the cause of poker in India.
I really appreciate OPN for all the work they are doing to promote poker in India and giving a platform for upcoming players like me to express myself and sponsoring me in certain tournaments, and I sincerely hope those days are not too far when India becomes one of the top poker nations in the world. Cheers!
Editor’s Note: Thanks Raghu for representing OPN on the online poker platform. We wish to continue this association with you. We take this opportunity to wish the young Indian poker player a happy wedded life since he gets married this month. Also wishing him more power to follow his poker dreams.