Ishaan Sunil Pandya Wins Big with ₹22.25 Lakh at Natural8 India's Omaholic Festival: May 11 Highlights
Golden Age in Asian Poker:
The poker world in Asia is basking in a golden age, and the Asian Poker Tour (APT) is driving this revolution. With tournament after tournament breaking records, the excitement in the poker community is palpable.
On May 11, 2025, poker players left their mark on the online poker stage. Ishaan Sunil Pandya (potterhead007) reveled in a ₹22.25 Lakhs victory at Natural8 India's Omaholic Mystery Bounty Festival 55, while Lakshya Dawra (pinchu77) took home ₹4.14 Lakhs in the Sunday Kickstarter 100. Mohit Mehta (thejokerr) continued his winning streak with ₹3.51 Lakhs from the Sunday Hypersonic 20 and a bonus ₹2.33 Lakhs in the Bounty Hunters Sunday Main Event 55, adding up to a total of ₹5.84 Lakhs. Lastly, Rituisthebest saw a ₹3.23 Lakhs payday in the Sunday Showdown 5.50. Talent from India is leaving no stone unturned and setting the bar high for poker excellence.
As part of this electrifying growth, from May 4 to June 10, 2025, Natural8 India hosts the World Festival 2025. Featuring over 1,600 tournaments across four buy-in levels, the World Festival promises to offer an extraordinary online poker event with an unprecedented prize pool.
At PokerBaazi, Puneet Dua (Neo1) and Anurag Srivastava (Rebuy2Survive) shone brightest, securing wins of ₹15 Lakhs and ₹7.5 Lakhs, respectively, in the MoneyMaker and BSS Superstack. Meanwhile, Aayush Arya (Aayusharya) emerged victorious in the 50L Big Hole Finale on Adda52, pocketing a hefty ₹8.86 Lakhs.
India's poker scene continues to thrive, with players dominating major platforms and consistently setting new standards of excellence. So, let's keep watching these stars as they explore uncharted territory and shape the future of poker!
Digging a little deeper, we see that poker in Asia is more than just a fad. The Asian Poker Tour (APT), the region's premier live tournament series, is expanding at a rapid pace, with its largest event yet coming up in Taipei, Taiwan, from November 14 to 30, 2025. The APT Championship guarantees a TWD 165 million prize pool (roughly USD 5 million) - the largest in the tour's history. A cooling down period after the APT Taipei 2025, which witnessed over 22,900 entries and a total prize pool of approximately USD 19 million, proved beneficial for the APT's preparation for this grand event.
Asia, with India leading the charge, is becoming an attractive and competitive destination for poker enthusiasts all over the world. With a growing pool of talented Indian players actively participating in these high-profile tournaments, the Asian poker scene is poised to define the international poker landscape for years to come.
Poker players in India made their mark in the online poker world, winning significant sums during the Natural8 India's Omaholic Mystery Bounty Festival 55 and other events on May 11, 2025. Meanwhile, the Asian Poker Tour (APT), with its expansion in Asia, particularly in Taipei, Taiwan, from November 14 to 30, 2025, is attracting poker players from around the globe, positioning Asia as a competitive destination for poker sports.
