Kunal Patni

More about Kunal Patni

An investment banker-turned poker player, Kunal Patni has a decade-long experience of playing poker professionally. He became one of the poster boys in the Indian poker circuit after leaving a high-paying job to pursue his dreams and play the card game for a living. One of the biggest names in Indian poker, Patni rose to fame in 2018 when the poker star recorded his biggest ever live cash as of October 2018.

Playing in Germany, Patni fared well at the World Poker Tour – WPT European Championship, €1,350 + 150 NLHE WPTDeepStacks, where a second-place finish earned him €96,140 ($115,819) which roughly translates to ₹73 Lakh, back in the day.

Initially playing poker during his free time, it was the Asian Championship of Poker (ACOP) series in Macau in 2014, which turned things around for Patni. Playing at the event, the Mumbai-based player won the HK$ 2,500 NLHE Rebuy Championship to pocket HK$176,200 ($22,714). After winning the title, Patni made plans to quit his job and pursue poker as a full-fledged career.

Once he finally quit his job and started playing poker professionally in 2015, the Indian poker scene got its most talented and passionate players. He excelled at the game and won multiple titles over the years at Asian Poker Tour (APT), World Poker Tour (WPT), PokerDreams and the Deltin Poker Tournament (DPT) over the years.

He was also a part of the first-ever team of sponsored pros in India when he became a part of the Adda52 Team Pros. Patni’s fame rose as he remained associated with the brand for well over six years at a time when people often switched alliances regularly. After turning into a professional poker player, Patni has travelled and played across the globe and also participated in poker’s biggest annual competition – the World Series of Poker (WSOP). While he still does not have a bracelet to flaunt, the Indian poker pro has recorded 28 WSOP cashes amounting to $164,774 (~ ₹1,37,21,704) at the biggest stage in poker as of November 2023. It wouldn’t be surprising before we see him clinch a bracelet soon.

According to Hendon Mob, Patni has amassed nearly one million dollars in live tournament earnings. It is also noteworthy that his online record also reflects good numbers, with his best online cash as of October 2023 seeing him earn ₹14,05,433 for a second-place finish at the NPS Highroller on PokerBaazi, which took place in 2021.

Patni is also passionate about changing the perception of poker in India and is currently working with Natural8 India as their Director and brand ambassador. Despite his position higher on the management ladder, there is a lot of poker left in the dynamic player, and it remains interesting to see which records Patni will break in the coming time. Patni also featured on the cover of Gutshot Magazine in Jun-Jul 2016.