National Poker Series India 2025: Bhanu Prakash From Karnataka Makes History With Double Leaderboard Win

The National Poker Series (NPS) India concluded its biggest-ever edition, solidifying its reputation as India’s biggest Poker series. After 29 days of intense competition, Bhanu Prakash KC from Ramnagara, Karnataka, emerged as the undisputed Leaderboard winner, making history by topping both the India Leaderboard and the Series Leaderboard in the 2025 edition. On the final day, Delhi’s Bhavye Mittal walked away as the Main Event winner, earning the gold medal and ₹94.26 lakh. Gujarat’s Dhruvin Kothari finished runner-up to bag the silver medal and ₹82.11 lakhs, while Maharashtra’s Pratik Manjrekar collected the bronze medal and ₹60.64 lakhs.

Bhanu Prakash KC, a 37-year-old former software engineer, dominated the series with a record-breaking performance. His journey to the top was marked by consistency, resilience, and strategic mastery, securing five medals, including three gold and two silver. His exceptional performance resulted in 40 Leaderboard points and winnings of over ₹42.72 lakh, with an incredible 83% cashout rate.

Take a look at his medal haul:

• ⁠Gold – NPS#37 Knockout 50L GTD (KO) – INR 5.8 lakh

• Silver – NPS#38 (5-Max) Hyper Sprint – INR 2.79 lakh
• Gold – NPS#58 Megadive – INR 2.46 lakh
• Silver – NPS#49 (6-Max) Sprint – INR 2.93 lakh
• Gold – NPS#131 (6-Max) Hyper – INR 2.27 lakh

Rallying behind Bhanu Prakash KC are Gujarat’s Mohit Bohra (40 points) and Delhi’s Saahib Bawa (35 points). Ahmedabad, Gujarat-based 32-year-old Mohit Bohra is currently based out of Bengaluru. He won three tournaments at the NPS India 2025, secured ₹36.06 lakhs in winnings, and delivered a cashout ratio of 66%.

Take a look at his medal haul:

• Silver – NPS#6 Marathon – INR 4 Lakh

• Gold – NPS#27 Slamdunk – INR 2.45 Lakh
• Gold – NPS#92 Relay – INR 4.6 Lakh
• Silver – NPS#45 Knockout – INR 2.41 Lakh
• Gold – NPS#112 (7-Max) SPRINT - INR 2.27 Lakh

Saahib Bawa’s medal wins include three golds. His run was nothing short of spectacular – he made it to four final tables and finished in the podium in all of them – winning his first four NPS India medals in a single edition. He has secured ₹30.21 lakhs from 21 cashes out of 60 tournaments he entered. Saahib ranks at #3 on the India Leaderboard with 35 points.

His medal haul includes:

• Gold – NPS#40 Friday Freestyle – INR 12.02 Lakh

• Gold – NPS#161 (6-MAX) Big SPRINT – INR 7.43 Lakh
• Gold – NPS#160 Knockout – INR 3.47 Lakh
• Silver – NPS#62 Slamdunk – INR 2.27 Lakh

Another standout performer was PokerBaazi Team Pro Zarvan Tumboli, also known as 'MomSaid5Bet.' The 33-year-old Poker player is primarily a live Poker player. He made a spectacular run at the edition, clinching six medals in the 2025 edition, including a crucial bronze in the Golden Rush event on the final day of the series. His total earnings from the series stand at ₹48.89 lakh, with a solid 60% cashout rate.

His medal haul:

• ⁠Gold – NPS#6 Marathon – INR 5.69 lakh

• ⁠Silver – NPS#67 Tuesday Tornado – INR 8.28 lakh
• Silver – NPS#175 (PLO-5) Highroller – INR 5.43 lakh
• Bronze – NPS#190 Golden Rush – INR 5.29 lakh
• Silver – NPS#14 (PLO-6) Megadive – INR 3.03 lakh
• Silver – NPS#20 (PLO-5) – INR 2.63 lakh

The Final Showdown: National Poker Champion Battle

Bhanu Prakash KC, Mohit Bohra, Saahib Bawa, and Zarvan Tumboli are among the top 12 players from the India Leaderboard for the ultimate title showdown. This high-stakes offline event in Goa will determine who claims the title of National Poker Champion, with the action set to be live-streamed on a leading OTT platform.

The other top finalists include:

• Sreekanth Narayan 'n0thing' (Kerala) – 32 points

• Snehil Aggarwal 'GTORanges' (Haryana) – 31 points
• Vikhyat Ahlawat 'supersaiyan57' (Uttar Pradesh) – 30 points

Adding to the grandeur of this achievement, Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan will honor the top Poker talents at the ‘Night of Glory’ felicitation ceremony, celebrating the skill, strategy, and determination that defined this year’s series.