Weekly Update: January 20 – 26
As the 2025 Player of the Year (POY) race enters its fourth week, competition among MTT (Multi-Table Tournament) players is reaching new heights. The POY rankings, driven by a dynamic 7-factor evaluation system, offer a comprehensive reflection of player performance across all stakes and levels.
This year, the POY race isn’t just about climbing a leaderboard—it’s about seizing a highly rewarding opportunity. The top 100 players will compete for a share of an impressive 5 CR prize pool, adding even more excitement to the ongoing battle.
Let’s take a closer look at the rankings after Week #4 and explore the exciting changes!

Parth Shah Takes the Lead in the POY Rankings
Gujarat’s Parth Shah, playing as ‘Papulasith’, has made an impressive leap to the top of the 2025 Player of the Year (POY) rankings becoming the POY Top Gun. After sitting at #12 just last week, Shah surged up 11 spots to claim the #1 position, boosted by 25 cashouts and a remarkable 55 POY points earned over the past week.

His standout performances included:

  • 2nd place in Friday’s WTF for 1.85 LAC
  • 1st place in Sunday’s Daily Last Chance for 1.63 LAC

Delhi’s Rajneesh Thakur ‘msdhoni’ and Bengaluru’s Aditya Sharma ‘adi1108’ hold the #2 and #3 spots, respectively, rounding out the top three in the POY rankings.

While Pune’s Ayush Mehta aka ‘shakespeare’ continues to remain a strong contender, other players are making significant moves in the POY standings.

Notable climbs include Harsh Kumar Agarwal ‘poshDrops769243’, Sehej Singh ‘UdixiAgain, Sunil Pillai ‘Cliffhanger76’, and Pradeep Kumar ‘pk0822’, all making impressive inroads into the top 10.

Goa’s Bhanu Prakash KC, also known as Chennaino1, is no stranger to leaderboard success. Despite slipping out of the POY top 10, his consistent performance continues to impress. With 48 ITM finishes from 80 tournaments and earnings of 2.43 LAC, Prakash earns the title of Mega Crusher of the Week.

Delhi’s Prabhat Mehrotra ‘MariaHo’ is this week’s Poker Supernova, soaring 69 places to secure the #10 position in the POY rankings. Adding an impressive 67 points, Mehrotra’s total POY score now stands at 975.

Mumbai’s Ankur Sehgal ‘stonecold’ had a stellar weekend, finishing runner-up in two major events, earning 11.52 LAC, and solidifying his spot as the Ace Shot of the Week.

His highlights include:

  • 2nd in Saturday’s Blockbuster for 4.55 LAC
  • 2nd in Sunday’s BSS SuperStack for 6.96 LAC

The Week #4 POY Top-10 are as follows:

Rank Player Name Tournaments Played ITM Finishes Weekly Winnings POY Score
1 (↑11) Papulasith Parth Shah 43 25 4.49 LAC 998 (+55)
2 (⬇1) msdhoni Rajneesh Thakur 51 25 2.38 LAC 994 (-3)
3 (~~) adi1108 Aditya Sharma 35 22 1.75 LAC 990 (-2)
4(↑95) poshDrops769243 Harsh Kumar Agarwal 61 35 1.21 LAC 987 (+85)
5 (⬇1) shakespeare Ayush Mehta 71 36 67,679 984 (-4)
6 (↑23) UdixiAgain Sehej Singh 34 17 1.16 LAC 982 (+49)
7 (⬇5) Chennaino1 Bhanu Prakash KC 80 48 2.43 LAC 982 (-13)
8 (↑84) Cliffhanger76 Sunil Pillai 38 12 1.42 LAC 979 (+75)
9 (⬇4) pk0822 Pradeep Kumar 66 42 61,405 977 (-7)
10 (↑69) MariaHo Prabhat Mehrotra 50 15 34,278 975 (+67)

Following are the seven factors that determine your POY rankings:

  • Return on Investment (ROI): Your profits relative to buy-ins, adjusted for the log value of your average buy-in.
  • In the Money (ITM): The number of times you finish in the money, multiplied by the log value of your average buy-in.
  • Tournaments Played: The total number of tournaments you play in 2025.
  • Winnings: Total prize money won in tournaments throughout the year.
  • Final Tables: Number of times you make the final table, multiplied by the square root of participants in those tournaments.
  • 1st Rank: Number of tournament victories, multiplied by the square root of participants.
  • Biggest Score: Your highest single tournament score of the year.

Stay tuned for more updates as players battle for a spot at the top of the 2025 POY rankings!

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