Weekly Update: April 1 – 7
The scorching Indian summer might be pushing temperatures high, but the competition in the Poker tournaments is heating up even more. Week 1 of April is in the books, and several players made impressive moves, showcasing some of their best performances of 2025.  

While the Spring Cash Carnival is in full swing, offering India’s biggest Cash Game Leaderboard, the 2025 Player of the Year (POY) race continues to remain the perfect stage for tournament players to prove their mettle and climb the ranks! 

No surprises here. Bengaluru’s Advait Rajguru ‘ExploitativeGTO’ dominates the POY Leaderboard, holding onto The POY Top Gun tag with 998 POY points! The young Poker coach, who secured three National Poker Series India medals this year, remains a force to be reckoned with. 

Despite a slow start to April, his recent performances have kept him firmly in the lead. He played 12 tournaments, cashed 6 of them and stands out as the seventh-highest scorer of 2025, boasting an impressive annual total of 79.88 LAC.  

Following Rajguru in the POY top ranks are Delhi’s Ashit Sharma ‘nexus010’, Rajasthan’s Aman Parakh ‘KarmaPoker’, Maharashtra’s Vishal Bajaj ‘Vishzz’, and Haryana’s Mayank Taluja ‘starbhai’. 

The Mega Crusher of the Week is Sidhi, Madhya Pradesh’s agar Raj ‘BusteddAA.’ who set the tables on fire with a sensational run. Fresh from a three-medal haul at the National Poker Series India 2025, Raj started April with a bang—securing two titles and a runner-up finish in a single day! 

His incredible performance made him the week’s top scorer, with a whopping 12.20 LAC in winnings. Raj jumped 15 positions to secure the 12th spot in the POY standings.  

His week’s highlights include: 

  • Won The Endeavour for 7.50 LAC on April 1. 
  • Won the Daily Last Chance for 1.70 LAC on April 1. 
  • Runner-up in the Big PLO-5 for 1.83 LAC on April 1. 

Delhi crusher Kritarth Pant is our latest Ace Shot of the Week. Pant was undeniably impressive, and he delivered his best run of the year in Sunday’s BSS SuperStack. With just a single entry, Pant outlasted a massive field of 1,135 players to secure a victory worth 8.51 LAC, becoming the week’s single-biggest scorer! 

His week’s highlights include: 

  • Won BSS SuperStack for 8.51 LAC on April 6. 

This stunning win has propelled Pant’s annual scorecard to an impressive 46.56 LAC. 

Another Delhi talent, Kovid Saraswat aka ‘Fzzzyyy’ sent the bells ringing with his remarkable consistency. Out of 22 tournaments played, Saraswat cashed in 11. His three final table finishes helped him climb an incredible 37 ranks to Rank #47 with a POY Score of 988, making him our week’s pick as the Poker Supernova! 

His week’s highlights include: 

  • Third in The Summit for 3.85 LAC on April 3. 

  TOP 5 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: 

Rank  Player Name  POY Score 
1  ExploitativeGTO Advait Rajguru  998 
2  nexus010 Ashit Sharma   997 
3  KarmaPoker  Aman Parakh  997 
4  Vishzz Vishal Bajaj  996 
5  starbhai Mayank Taluja  996 

  The following seven factors determine your POY Score:   

  • 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. 

As April unfolds, the POY race promises even more thrilling action in the weeks to come. Stay tuned! 

(Disclaimer: Rankings are accurate as of midnight) 

Player of the Year