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Who Are Kunal Patni’s Top 3 Indian MTT Players?

The thrill, excitement and gigantic prize pools of multi-table tournaments (MTTs) are unmatched. The number of players in the scene are also rising by the day. And it’s not just within the borders of the country, Indian players are doing remarkably well in MTTs across the globe.

Take the ongoing Asian Poker Tour (APT) Hanoi 2023, for example. India has already clinched five titles at the series. Two of these were nailed by our very own Kunal Patni, also fondly known as KP. The Hyper Turbo 8-Max king shipped two events of the same format on two consecutive days. 

Well, that’s not the only victory he has to his name. KP is among the most well-known and respected names in the Indian poker circuit, and has excelled in both online and live MTTs. 

Who is Kunal Patni?

Kunal Patni

Kunal Patni is an investment banker-turned-professional poker player, who has over 13 years of experience working in some of the most notable financial institutions. He initially played poker in his free time, alongside his job. He played at the Asian Championship of Poker series in Macau in 2014, and he won a title there. That’s where the thought of quitting his job and pursuing poker as a full-fledged career. 

In 2015, he finally quit his job and started playing poker professionally, and the Indian poker scene got one of its most talented and passionate players. Well, what was next? The very next year, he was a part of the Adda52 Pros team. Additionally, he became the second poker player in the Global Poker Index Ranking (GPI), a ranking which lists the world’s top poker players.

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ALSO READ: APT Hanoi 2023: Second Title Of The Series For Kunal Patni

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Since then, he has travelled and played across the globe, including poker’s biggest annual competition – the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Although he does not yet have a bracelet to flaunt, he has a total of 35 cashes amounting to $81,712. And we’re sure it’s not long before we see him clinch a bracelet too. 

According to Hendon Mob, Patni has $622,389 in live tournament earnings. His best cash is $115,819, which he won for his second-place finish at World Poker Tour (WPT) European Championship, No Limit Hold’em WPTDeepStacks event in Berlin. 

Kunal Patni’s Favourite Tournament Players

For a player who has been so active in the MTT circuit and knows the scene inside out, we asked him who he thinks are the best MTT players in the country currently! Being a successful and respected player in the circuit himself, Patni instantly told us his personal favourites, without any doubts. Check out who he picked:

Aditya Agarwal

Aditya Agarwal

An inspiration to many in the Indian poker circuit, Aditya Agarwal aka ‘Intervention’ is undoubtedly the number one player for Patni (and many others too!) Agarwal is one of the first few players in the country to pursue poker professionally and has been representing the country at WSOP and other global stages. He has $1,528,513 in live cash earnings throughout his career. 

Agarwal has as many as 53 cashes at the WSOP alone. No one compares or even has come close to Agarwal’s legacy in the Indian poker circuit. His passion and determination towards the game has made sure his name needs no introduction. His most recent achievements include his India Online Poker Championship (IOPC) Jan 2023 Main Event The Crown title. 

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ALSO READ: Who Are Abhishek Goindi’s Top 5 Indian Tournament Players?

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Sriharsha Doddapaneni

Sriharsha Doddapaneni

Sriharsha Doddapaneni is again a name that has proved itself time and again in recent years. With a total of 17 cashes at the WSOP, one will often spot him humbly grinding at various international high-stakes games. He is also very disciplined and passionate when it comes to poker, which makes him one of the best MTT players in the country.

Recently, he made it to the final table of the $1,100 BSOP (Brazilian Series of Poker) Bahamas Main Event, wherein he finished ninth for a payday of $9,300 (₹7,58,345). In 2018, he won Adda52’s Big Millions and cashed ₹14.5 Lakh.

He has several impressive online results too. The most notable of these is his Highroller and Super High Roller wins in the 2021 edition of IOPC.

Gaurav Sood

Gaurav Sood

Gaurav Sood again is indisputably one of the best MTT poker players that the country has seen and we totally agree with Patni. Sood has proved himself multiple times over the years. Although he made his WSOP debut only in 2020, that too online, he already has 23 cashes to boast. The amount of recognition and milestones that Sood has been able to achieve in such a short span of time is truly commendable.

According to Hendom Mob, Sood has $89,983 in live tournament earnings, with the highest being $13,386, which he won last year after nailing No Limit Hold’em – BPT Kick Off at Baazi Poker Tour (BPT). He clinched his first live title at Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) Manila 2022 No Limit Hold’em (NLH) Deepstack event last year for PHP555,000 (₹8,38,686). 

When we asked KP why he picked these three players, he casually responded, “No reasons. They are the best MTT players in the country.”

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