B.Tech through IITs, MBA through IIMs, and then either creating own business or landing jobs in some of the biggest companies in the world — this is the gradual progression for some of the finest minds in India. However, over the last few years, such brilliant minds are finding an unorthodox way to lead their professional lives through 'Poker'.
Players from different backgrounds arrived at the National Poker Series 2022 in Goa, having reached the finals after grinding hours every single day while competing with thousands of participants.
Be it past professional experiences, family background, upbringing, the players arrived at the National Poker Series finals in Goa from diverse environments. However, what put them in the common framework was their love for numbers.
An interaction with some of the top professional poker players at the National Poker Series was enough to understand that success in the game is mostly down to 'skill' and not 'luck. Rohit Begwani, whose family is one of the largest manufacturers of thermocol in Southern India, said that it's the prospect of challenging your brain that draws IIT, IIM alumni, and those good with number crunching to poker.
"My maths is quite good. I even got a call from IIM Ahmedabad and Kolkata but I had my family business to run. Poker requires a lot of calculations and math. It is a general tendency for people who are good in maths and quants to want something that challenges their mind. Poker requires a lot of number crunching. Hence, such people naturally get attracted to poker. It was the same case with me," said Begwani who is 36 years old and has two daughters.
When asked if he would allow his daughters to take up poker as a profession at some point in time, if they want to, Begwani's answer was in affirmative.
"I have no problem. Just don't ask for money from me (laughs). As long as you stay in your limits, it's fine to do anything," he had said.
Drawing parallels between Poker and Stock Market
For Chirag Sodha, who won a Gold medal at the NPS main event, playing poker is very similar to the stock market where you have to do the risk vs reward analysis before fully committing.
"So that basically comes onto this concept called ‘bankroll management'. One of the things to be careful of when you're starting Poker is bankroll management, like knowing how much money to put on the table. If you follow the process correctly, you don't stand the chance of going broke.
"Secondly, it's up to you. It's all up to you. It's not up to another company (like the stock market). It's up to you, what you do, it's in your hands so you are in control of it. It's easy to slip. It's very easy to slip. Like, if you're in a bad mood one day, you might just end up going and sitting and losing a lot of money, which you wouldn't have otherwise. So it is an emotional game and that is where experience comes into play. Like, you'll make a mistake like this ten times, eleventh time and you'll be like – 'no way I'm doing it again'. It has to happen this way. And the guys who can learn from other people's mistakes are lucky. It's in your control," he pointed out.
Among the most interesting players at the NPS finals was 21-year-old Riteish Kumar from Gumla (near Ranchi in Jharkhand), a village where one would hardly find a handful of poker players. Riteish was preparing for CAT when his friend introduced him to poker. A few months into the game, there was no turning back for the youngster.
As Riteish reached the NPS finals, he found out that many of his opponents were from IITs and IIMs. Just like him, their expertise in maths helped them ace the poker table.
"Yes, it definitely helps," said Riteish when asked if having maths and science as backgrounds are of use to poker players. "Most of the players I have played with are from the engineering background. In fact, most of the IITians have left their traditional jobs to play poker."
Though the National Poker Series, poker is busting plenty of myths. As far as making a living out of the game is concerned, it's fair to say that luck plays a miniscule role in the success of a player. The most important things remain their skill and ability to grind through pressure situations while keeping emotions in check.