Everyone starts out small but a few of them convert the small opportunities coming their way into achievements. Meet Shah, a BBA-student from Mumbai got an opportunity to play online poker while studying in 2nd year of his graduation. In a span of around one year, he has skyrocketed in the online poker space of India and went on to win the biggest online tournament – Adda52 Millions.
Presenting Meet Shah in our exclusive column – Gen P- The next generation of Online Poker. Meet shares with us his poker journey and ambitions.
OPN – Hi Meet, thanks for your conversation with OPN. Firstly, congratulations on winning the ‘Adda52 Millions’. For our readers who don’t know much about you, please tell us about yourself and your poker journey so far.
MS – I am a BBA Student at NMIMS, Mumbai and basically belong to Surat, Gujarat. I started playing poker just as any other online game on Zynga but thing turned around when I attended an event organized by Adda52 last year at Symbiosis University, Pune. I was there for a football tournament and got to participate in that freeroll event. Though couldn’t win any prize, I got an Adda52 Voucher of Rs 500. There started by real poker journey. I started playing micro stakes and scaled up the levels. I t and scaled up the levels. I tested my skills in the MTTs on the site and cashed a few which encouraged me to grind more seriously. Further I won my first tournament, the 2 Lacs IOPT which boosted my bankroll and I played more tourneys and cash games. Finally, the Adda52 Million happened and I won the first edition. It has been a good and learning journey. Let’s hope for better tomorrow.
OPN – What was your feeling right after winning it?
MS – I couldn’t believe at first that I have won. It’s a lot of money for my poker bankroll. It was an overwhelming experience to play with some of the top players of the country and win the tourney.
OPN – What was the turning point for you in this tournament?
MS – Though I don’t remember that I hand, I folded it safeguarding my tournament life which proved to be a good decision. In a hand I was all-in with Ace-Jack and doubled up to 1.2 Lac stack which helped me dominate the opponents in further game.
OPN – How much poker do you play?
MS – On an average, I play 2-3 hours daily which goes up to 7-8 hours sometimes on weekends.
OPN – What other tournaments and games do you play? Have you played any live tournaments?
MS – I mostly play cash games and tourneys on Adda52.com and then some home games with friends. I haven’t played any live tournament yet.
OPN – Tell us about your professional ambitions.
MS – Once I complete my graduation, I will pursue higher education. Later, I will decide on which career path to choose.
OPN – What do you apart from college and poker?
MS – I like playing football and I play for my college team. During semester breaks, I do internships.
OPN – What are you poker plans further?
MS – I would like to continue playing bigger tournament and grind better in mid to high stakes games. I’ll continue improving my game and knowledge.
OPN – How do you think poker should be promoted more in India?
MS – I believe, engaging the younger generation though college events and incentivizing them in the initial phase will help the game to grow rapidly in our country.