As corporates take a hand, it’s aces high for poker

The card game poker is witnessing an uptake in India with corporates promoting it as a game that uses the tenets of psychology, game theory and mathematics to tide over the stigma of it being widely seen as gambling.

Backed by corporate sponsorship, a number of poker leagues and studio properties are being developed around the game. Industry experts say that the number of poker players could triple from the existing 2 million in India over the next two to three years.

The Poker Sports League, for instance, is in its second season. More formats around poker are finding platforms, either on digital or linear channels.

Poker’s rise in India comes at a time when the Law Commission is examining whether betting on sports and gambling in casinos and other places can be legalised.

“We look at poker as a mind game. There are certain taboos attached to the sport, but that mindset is changing. Interestingly, it is also being taught as a course in MIT, University of Berkely, Harvard and even IIMs in India,” says Pranav Bagai, founder, India Poker Legend.

He says that corporate participation in the sport has been increasing. Last year, the Poker Sports League was founded by the Dabur scion Amit Burman, and Anuj Gupta, the founder of Poker Portal Adda52.com, to give the sport a dedicated platform.

For its second season, the league has received a commitment of ₹150 crore spread over the next eight years and 12 franchises. Each team will see the participation of professionals and amateurs and will impart knowledge and skills to the younger lot.

The prize pool this year stands at ₹3.6 crore, with the online and live qualifiers from December, leading to the final team selection in April. The grand finale will be held in Goa in May. Bagai says that discussions are on with leading broadcasters to air the league on television.

“The first season had a tremendous appeal with 4.5-million registered views on Facebook. We believe broadcasting it on television and digital platforms will increase its popularity. We are targeting ₹3-4 crore worth of sponsorships for the current seasons,” he said, adding the league follows the Texas hold’em format.

International Federation of Poker and the Raj Kundra-promoted Match Poker League, however, is different from the other poker leagues as the game is not played in casinos but on the digital format.

“The format at Match India Poker League is unlike any other event or league in the world. This format is the sport poker called Match Poker [which is an app] where only registered players play for points and position and not money or stakes,” says Kundra, founder, Viaan Industries.

Kundra says that there are 2-million registered players of poker in India alone, a number that is growing very fast. “We are looking to build a studio property and players register for the Match Poker app and pay ₹1,500 as a yearly membership fee. Unless players are registered on the app, they cannot play in the league. Teams have been sold to different team owners who are prominent personalities from business or entertainment.”

Kundra said that the fee for the first year is ₹1 crore and the ownership period is 10 years.

“A sum from this collection is given as prize money to the top three winning teams of this Season 1. This year a total of ₹2.5 crore is being distributed as prize money,” he added. The league has also associated with MTV for its format, which wil be televised on leading TV channels.

Additionally for the team owners, the winning team represents the country as Team India. “We look at this as an marketing opportunity for our brands,” says Moksh Sani, owner of Goa King team and owners of Living Liquidz liquor retail.