Poker Sports League Season 5 Generates Massive Interest In India

Summary:

• PSL Season 5 is now the largest poker event in India in terms of unique entries
• A total of 9,547 players took part in 31 online qualifiers on Pocket52
• Record-breaking figures show poker’s strong potential in India

India’s first poker league, the Poker Sports League (PSL), held its qualifying rounds for Season 5 during May and June.

Over 9,500 players took a shot, making PSL Season 5 the India’s biggest poker event in terms of unique entries.

PSL Season 5 Live Auction Takes Place On July 8

The qualifying rounds ran until June 25, and overall, the tournament attracted a total of 9,547 unique entries, a new record for the league. The qualifiers involved a leaderboard race whereby the top 34 finishers were each guaranteed a spot in the PSL Season 5 teams.

There are a total of six teams competing in PSL Season 5. Each team is composed of 12 members: the team owner, the team captain, two pros, six qualifiers, one women qualifier, and one wild card.

 

Those who make it to the top 34 will go through a live auction in which team owners and captains will bid for them. The auction takes place on July 8 in Goa. The live auction will then be followed by virtual matches which run from July 22 to August 10. They will adopt the same format as the Indian Premier League. The competition culminates in a live finale to be held from August 6-20.

The action will be live-streamed starting from the virtual matches on July 22 up until the grand finale on August 19. Taking charge of the live streaming is JioCinema, the official streaming partner of PSL Season 5.

The staggering turnout during the qualifying rounds of the tournament has shattered records and the same is expected in terms of viewership when live streaming becomes available.

Record Participation Shows Poker’s Strong Potential in India

Commenting on the record-breaking participation numbers, Pranav Bagai, the league’s CEO and co-founder, said they’re humbled by the passion and dedication shown by the aspiring players throughout the qualifying stages. The level of engagement has increased significantly this year, reflecting the growing popularity of poker in India.

Nitesh Salvi, director and founder of Pocket52 was also happy with the overwhelming response for PSL Season 5, with more than 9,500 players flocking to their platform to compete for a spot in the PSL teams. Salvi said this was a testament to the underlying passion and strong potential of poker in the country.