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 Tanmay Sahay, 30 year old from Gurgaon who plays poker in the night and runs his own spa business in the day. Lets hear what the enterprising Indian poker player who has participated at many Asian and international poker events has to say.
| Name | Tanmay Sahay |
| Poker Nick Name | BigFish |
| Age | 30 |
| Fav place to play Poker Online | PokerStars |
| Fav Place to Play Poker Offline | Wynn, Macau |
| Fav Poker Game | Pot Limit Omaha |
| Fav Poker Hand | Pocket 9s (Holdem), Double suited 9,10,J,Q (Omaha) |
| Poker Earnings | Still in the Red |
Q-1 Hi …., 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…
TS – I started playing Holdem in November 2012 and Omaha in October 2013. It happened during teen patti season around Diwali when a friend of ours in the group challenged us to play poker. He said that there was no way we could win against him so we played a few sessions. Of course we lost (a lot) but in the process got addicted to poker.
Q-2 How much poker do you play?
TS– Not as much as the pros but I think I certainly clock more than 100 hours a month.
Q-3 How does your family feel about you playing Poker?
TS– I think every family feels the same way and my family is no different. They used to think poker is gambling and that I was better off not doing it. However, over the course of the last year or so they have taken the time to learn the game and they are making an effort to support me, especially now that they see me winning more than losing (which started recently).
Q -4 Are you working somewhere?
TS– Yes, I have my own business – a chain of spas in Delhi, Gurgaon and Chandigarh
Q-5 Have you ever participated in any live tournaments in India or Internationally?
TS – Yes. I’ve played 2 editions each of the DR Cup and the Golden Aces Poker League(GAPL). Internationally, I played the Red Dragon in Macau earlier this year and I plan on playing the ACOP in Macau in Oct-Nov. I was supposed to go for WSOP however I could not due to work commitments but I will definitely go next year.
Q-6 Who do you idolize in Poker, both in India and Internationally?
TS– I have many favorites to be honest. In India, Samay Parikh, Pulkit Kalia and Nikhil Jain are names that stand out for me in cash games while Adi ‘Intervntion’ Agarwal and Kunal ‘kcdesi’ Chandra make up my tournament favorites. Internationally, obviously Phil Ivey and the Late Stu Ungar are legends of the game. I’m a huge fan of Sam Trickett also.
Q-7 Who are the 3 names, according to you, who can make it big in International Poker Community?
TS– Well in tournament poker obviously there is Adi, but looking forward I see Amit ‘Bblacklegend’ Jain and Sahil ‘Antilog’ Agarwal carrying the baton forward. I won’t be surprised to see Samay Parikh brush shoulders with the Vegas high rollers in the years to come.
Q-8 What do you do when no playing Poker?
TS – I’m not very social but I do have a close circle of friends – we spend most of our time traveling, watching movies and finding the best places to eat.
Q-9 What is your one Poker dream?
TS– To be the fish at a high roller table in Vegas with the following line-up: Tony G, Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, Sam Trickett, Gus Hansen!
Q-10 What should be done to promote poker in India?
TS – I think the community (casinos and poker-room owners included) needs to come together and create a common medium (an NGO perhaps) for promotion of poker as a mental sport and this body must also be the singular source of information for the general public (a voted-in panel could probably govern the everyday affairs). Funds can be procured and information sharing events and promotions could be organised to help educate people about poker.
Additionally, in this day and age with so much social media activism we need to come up with potentially viral creatives and videos we can share through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. to promote the acceptance of poker as a skill-game. Maybe even a low-budget movie? Our very own Bollywood Rounders, perhaps? 😉