Introducing Gen P- The Generation Next of Online Poker- Arvindhan L

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 Arvindhan LaxmiNarayanan , 28 year old , who has had some deep runs recently on online poker sites. Active across the poker forums and always buzzing with poker opinions, hands and strategies, Arvindhan is a powerhouse of poker.

Q1 Hi Arvindhan, Thanks for taking out the time to speak with us. To start with, can you tell us when you start playing poker? Basically your poker journey till date…
AL I started playing this game through facebook zynga poker almost 4 years back. To start with I did not have any guide on how to go on with this game. I had my first brush with live poker Crown casino in Melbourne where I was working. I incurred a lot of losses but learnt the glitches in my game. Started watching a lot of videos online on how to play each hand in different situations and changed my game slowly. I used to play lot of cash games . Currently I am posted in Europe and don’t have much option than to playing online.

Q2 How much poker do you play?

AL Recently I am putting large volumes. I have a regular day job from 9-5 and will play online from 5.30 to late 1-2AM during weekdays and around 16-17hrs during weekends.

Q3 How does your family feel about you playing Poker?

AL My wife is very supportive. She shouts at me when sometimes I make a move/bluff and get caught and also encourages me to play super good when I run deep. She has also learnt the game quickly and recently she cracked the Diwali free roll at Pokerstars.

Q 4 Are you working somewhere?
AL– Yes I am currently working as a Technical Architect (software) in Europe. But I am not interested in the job other than for the pay. My heart lies in poker and the day I make a big hit in poker, I might quit this job and turn a regular grinder.

Q5 Have you ever participated in any live tournaments in India or Internationally?

AL Yes I have participated in  few poker tournaments in India. I even participated in the THOS event held in Bangalore and ended up finishing 8th.

Q6 Who do you idolize in Poker, both in India and Internationally?

AL I am a big fan of Phil Ivey when it comes to tournaments or cash. His instincts are so wild which will take any poker player years to master. When it comes to cash game, I love the way Tom Dwan applies pressure to his opponents in every pot he enters. Love these two legends!

Q7 What do you do when not playing Poker?

AL I engage in lot of activities like Table Tennis, Singing and Dancing. I watch a lot of movies as well. Apart from that spend a lot of quality time with my family!

Q8 What is your one Poker dream?

AL It is eventually every poker players dream in fact and mine is no different than to own a WSOP bracelet!

Q9 What should be done to promote poker in India?

AL In India, the system is quite different that in other places. According to Indian mindset, anything that involves cards and money are gambling. Nothing to blame to that because the culture is groomed in that way. To promote poker in India, I would say Indian Government should understand the way things work in poker and make it legal so that there can be more opportunities for Indian pokers to give a shot.  If more tourneys are conducted in India, eventually poker will be promoted in a wider scale!

Thanks Arvindhan for talking to OPN! We wish you all the best for a profitable career in poker.

Did you know that Sharad Rao, Sahil Aggarwal and Raghu Ram have also been profiled in GEN P? Click on their names to access their profiles.