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Unheard Stories With Shravan Chhabria

Poker is like an obsession, once you fall in love with the game, there is no going back. And one living example of this is Shravan Chhabria. In our Unheard Stories, we bring to the fore stories of players you’ve never heard before. We got in touch with Chhabria, a poker player, actor, and cricketer, to know more about what drives him to follow his passion for poker. 

Chhabria is a man of many talents. A decade ago, he started playing poker and is mercilessly crushing the poker felts now and then. The first and the most obvious question comes to mind, what kind of reactions did this multifaceted player face when people found out that he played poker. Chhabria said, “Well, just like some others, in the beginning, I had to face a lot of backlash from my family as the game was very new and was played with cards and money; the game was straight away judged as gambling. My folks would avoid conversations about me with other family members.”

He further added, “Poker has come a long way. It is now accepted with a much broader mindset than before. While I did have my share of inhibitions in the past, casinos like Deltin Royale, Big Daddy are family-friendly, and I’ve taken my folks and cousins there on various occasions. Today, I feel taxation is the bigger hurdle for poker in India as compared to acceptance from family and friends.”

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ALSO READ: Here’s a tale of Abhishek Goindi you didn’t know

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Chhabria says, “I’ve achieved a lot of success in this.” Like many other players, this Mumbai-based player also got introduced to the skill game through Zynga Poker, and since then has mastered the game and won impressively to the envy of many. Chabbria also adds, “I got hooked onto the game from the beginning. When I started making decent money out of it, I said, why not? I’m enjoying the process and making money simultaneously. And of course, watching high stakes players travel the world and play for huge amounts of money was also quite exciting.”

Talking about the pandemic and the sudden surge in online poker, Chhabria adds that he played online poker for over seven years so for him, not much changed. But this poker fanatic adds that live games have their own charm. The Big Deal winner adds, “Interacting with fellow players, after parties, big turnouts and buzzing energy in the poker room can never go out of fashion.” 

For those who wish to know Chhabria’s grind schedule, this pro has been putting in less volume and only grinding three times a week for the past three years. “Although the frequency has reduced, the desire to grind hasn’t,” he says. Certain things change your perspective towards life. 

COVID-19 has been a catalyst in the way this player approaches life. “I’m definitely a changed person post the pandemic, as it has made me realize that life is very unpredictable and that one must learn to live their truth. There’s no time to become like someone else. Just go for anything you love without any regrets or inhibitions.” says Chhabria.

This seasoned poker player has decided on doing what he really likes. His Instagram stories boast of the time he spends on the beach, exercising, making new friends, meeting spiritual people, and more. Chhabria’s motto—you shouldn’t live in a material world but in a holistic one filled with gratitude.

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