What is Poker Sports League

Poker is gaining immense popularity in India. With the internet made accessible to the masses, poker sites have made it possible for millions of people to play this game from the comfort of their homes at different levels and in various tournaments. More celebrities have come on board and poker has been classified as a game of skill adding to its popularity and mass appeal. All these factors have cemented poker’s position as a mainstream competitive sport in today’s world.

To add to the growing popularity of poker, Poker Sports League, formed by Mind Sports League Pvt. Ltd. (MSL), has come up with India’s first poker league, giving a platform to thousands of poker enthusiasts to showcase their poker skills. 

What is Poker Sports League?

Poker Sports League is the world’s first poker league (in terms of prize pool and participation) for poker enthusiasts where players can play for free and win real money. Poker Sports League is a unique team-based event where you can see amateurs as well as professional poker players playing poker. It is a yearly poker event, where players from all over India participate and play the qualifying rounds online for free to score points, followed by an auction round where over 40 PSL leaderboard toppers get enlisted into different teams who then compete against each other to win the coveted title.

Driving the global rise of poker, Poker Sports League has become a hotspot for talent and a stage where passionate players from across India come and make a name for themselves in the poker world.

The primary objective of Poker Sports League is to build awareness about poker in India which has roughly around 30,000 – 40,000 professional poker players. Its main mission is to promote the tournament aspect of poker across India and offer every poker enthusiast the opportunity to play poker for free. Poker Sports League aims to teach responsible poker while maintaining international standards of quality across all touchpoints.

History and Background

Poker Sports League was the brainchild of MSL Promoter, Chairman Amit Burman and MSL CEO and founder Pranav Bagai. Poker Sports League went live with its first tournament in the year 2017 promising a whopping ₹3.36 crore prize pool. 

The initial season of the Poker Sports League had 12 teams with nine players in each team which was led by a professional poker player designated as captain and mentor. The team of nine comprised two pro players, four amateur players (selected through qualifiers held both offline and online), and two wild card players.

With a vision to harness talent across India, Poker Sports League was initiated to offer amateur poker enthusiasts a chance to play and learn the game from some of the best players in the country. Here, each team would have a professional poker player as a mentor and captain, developing team strategies and helping young players sharpen their skills during the play.

Poker Sports League has gradually evolved as one of India’s biggest poker leagues which is in its 6th season this year, promising to be even more exciting than ever before. The 2024 edition will witness seven teams, fighting for the coveted title which promises a whopping 2Cr prize pool. Here, each team will have 10 members – three pro players, one wild card, and six qualifiers, along with a team owner and a captain.

Structure and Format

This year’s Poker Sports League is divided into four stages:

Qualifiers: The qualifying round began on June 16, 2024, where a player needs to download the Pocket52 app and claim their PSL pass. Once done, the player has to play eight of the 50 qualifying matches. Players who are among the top 42 on the PSL leaderboard qualify for the 2nd stage – the auction round. The qualifying round ends on Aug 4.

Auction Round – Once the qualifying round ends, the top 42 players will sit for the auction round, which will be streamed live on JioCinema on August 13. All 42 players, with a base price of INR 50,000, will be auctioned into the seven teams. This is not all, the 42 players will also get 25,000** Pocket52 credits and an all-expense paid trip to Goa for the finals. 

**PS: The 25,000 Pocket52 credits can be used to play cash games and tournaments on Pocket52.

Virtual League Matches: Once the auction ends, the virtual league matches will start from Aug 26 until Sept 8. During this, all the teams will compete against each other in various tournaments on the Pocket52 app. The matches will be streamed live on JioCinema.

Grand Finale: The final matches will take place in Goa from Sept 13 – 15, where all the 42 players from the seven teams will compete for the grand prize pool. The matches will be streamed live on JioCinema. This is not all, the top 1000 players on the PSL leaderboard will also get assured prizes worth over 40 lakhs.

Last Year’s Winning Team and Captain

Poker Sports League Season 5 witnessed the evolution of poker as many poker enthusiasts joined the game and showed off their poker skills. A total of 6 teams participated in the sporting extravaganza. Mumbai Anchors, led by Pocket52 Poker Pro Laksh Pal Singh, emerged as the winning team.

Laksh Pal Singh got into poker in the year 2017. He started off playing small cash games with his friends. Being a numbers guy and having an accounting background, Laksh Pal was extremely intrigued by the sport. In 2021, Laksh Pal shipped the IOPC Main Event title and since then, he has maintained his form on the virtual poker felts. He has been nailing titles, achieving remarkable feats, and leaving everyone awestruck.

Impact and Significance

Poker Sports League has made a remarkable impact on both the poker community and the sports entertainment landscape in a broader sense. By introducing a structured, team-based format, PSL has not only elevated the poker scene in India but has also drawn new enthusiasts and provided a platform for budding talents to show off their skills. 

The league’s emphasis on professionalism and strategic play has helped legitimize poker as a sport, breaking down age-old stigmas and showcasing the game’s depth and skill requirements. In the realm of sports entertainment, the Poker Sports League has set new standards for how card games can be presented, marketed, and celebrated, contributing to the global popularity and acceptance of poker as a competitive sport.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a seasoned poker player or a curious newcomer, Poker Sports League offers a unique and exciting opportunity to play the game for free, learn from the pros, and be part of a dynamic and growing community. 

So if you want to participate in the ongoing Poker Sports League, all you need to do is follow the below-mentioned steps:

• Download the Pocket52 app from www.pocket52.com
• Tap on the PSL tab and claim your golden pass
• Register and play any 8 of the 50 qualifiers for free to score points
• Be among the top 42 players on the leaderboard to qualify for the auction round
• Get an all-expense paid trip to Goa for the finals
• Show off your skills and win the coveted title

Follow Pocket52 and PSL to stay updated on thrilling matches.