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The luxurious Casino Deltin Royale in Goa, with its glittering chandeliers and the sound of chips riffling, set the stage for the inaugural DPT Grand. The Deltin Poker Tournament, India’s only running live poker series, returned with a fresh look from October 22 to 28. This 17th DPT edition was more ambitious than ever, featuring 15 tournaments and five coveted DPT bracelets up for grabs. This week-long festival of nonstop poker action provided a truly luxurious setting for poker enthusiasts from all across the country!
The festival wrapped up on Monday, crowning winners in three events. Long-time circuit veteran and poker operator Jaydeep Dawer, who also co-owns the Gujarat Falcons Team at the Poker Sports League, finally clinched his first live title in the ₹40K NLHE, taking home ₹4.43 Lakhs (three-way deal) and the DPT gold medal. Shivam Shukla, coming off two international wins at the WPT Cambodia Event #30 and HSOP Championship Event #11 earlier this year, snagged his first domestic title by winning the ₹25K Deepstack Closer for ₹6.11 Lakhs and the DPT gold medal.
But all eyes were on the DPT Grand ₹60K Championship, where the final coveted bracelet and a life-changing sum of money awaited the victor. The star of this finale was none other than our latest Young Gun Ashwin Vijayvergiya (cover image). He overcame a stacked field of 421 entries to win his maiden live title and the last of the five DPT bracelets.
Vijayvergiya has built a strong reputation as an online poker sensation, with over ₹5.95 Crores in tracked online winnings and a staggering ₹2.36 Crores in profits. However, this live title marks a new milestone in his career. The 25-year-old poker phenom from Udaipur entered the series with a reputation for self-made success, relying on his independent study of the game rather than coaching or poker circles. His solo approach, dedication to analysis, and use of advanced poker software tools have already earned him 25 online titles this year. But now, it was time to prove his skills on the live stage, and boy, did he deliver!
Vijayvergiya’s journey began as an underdog, entering Day 2 of the DPT Grand Championship from the Day 1C flight with a stack of 269,000, placing him just above average at 19th place among the 54 survivors. However, he methodically worked his way up through the ranks, taking calculated risks that ultimately paid off. His patience and strategy saw him rise to the final table, where he held the third-largest stack—an ideal position to make his move.
At the final table, Vijayvergiya quickly made his mark by doubling up in a thrilling cooler hand, aces-vs-kings hand against PokerGuru Staking coach Mithun Mahesh. He went on to eliminate key players like the WPT Prime India 2023 Mini Main Event Freezeout champ Nitesh Baliyan (8th for ₹4.69 Lakhs), Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador Kunal Patni (7th for ₹6.38 Lakhs), and Atul Nandi (4th for ₹16.18 Lakhs), adding to his stack with each knockout.
The final showdown came against Nikhil Gutta, who held a 3.5:1 chip lead. The two struck an ICM deal, ensuring both players a hefty payout. Vijayvergiya locked in a career-best ₹34.01 Lakhs, making him the series’ third-largest winner, while Gutta took home ₹37.14 Lakhs, making him the single biggest winner of the series and second-biggest overall, only trailing Sagar Raj with two DPT bracelet wins.
With the DPT bracelet still up for grabs, Vijayvergiya mounted a remarkable comeback, taking the lead in a crucial hand where he made trips. In the final showdown, his pocket fives held strong in a flip, crowning him the winner of the first-ever DPT Grand Championship and a proud DPT bracelet winner.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Vijayvergiya shared with us. “Winning my first title is a special moment for me. It shows that focus pays off, and I’m excited to keep growing and achieving more in poker.”
Vijayvergiya’s journey to this title was not built overnight. While he’s now a recognized name in the circuit, his beginnings were humble and marked by pure self-motivation. Just six years ago, a college fest introduced him to poker. An amateur at the time, he surprisingly placed third. This moment sparked a passion that would change the course of his life forever. With no formal coaching, he turned to online resources, diligently learning from YouTube tutorials and courses like “Run It Once.” Today, his accomplishments speak for themselves, with over 25 online titles and ₹2.36 Crores in online winnings this year.
This win is particularly significant as Vijayvergiya is looking to make a strong transition into the live poker arena. Earlier this year, he took the plunge to play in tournaments around Asia, namely Vietnam (USOP Da Nang), Malaysia (Poker Dream 9), and Goa (DPT), quickly showing promise with multiple final tables and deep runs. His recent performance at the USOP Hai Phong, where he notched up six deep runs and earned over VN₫ 244.10 Million (~₹8.28 Lakhs), was just proof of the talent of this promising player.
Remember his name because this is just the beginning of his rise to the top. He dreams of competing at the WSOP in Las Vegas, with the ultimate goal of winning a WSOP bracelet—a prize he envisions celebrating to the sound of India’s national anthem.
Grand Championship Highlights
The ₹60,000 buy-in DPT Grand Main Event was a spectacle, attracting 421 entries (Day 1A – 87, Day 1B – 138, and Day 1C – 196) and generating a massive prize pool of over ₹2.21 Crores! The excitement was palpable as players battled it out across three action-packed starting flights. Only 54 advanced to Day 2 (Day 1A – 11, Day 1B – 17, and Day 1C – 26), each guaranteed a payday of ₹1.32 Lakhs. But the journey was far from over.
Day 2 brought its share of heartbreak, as some of the tournament’s biggest names fell short of glory. The fight for survival was fierce, and some familiar faces were forced to settle for min-cashes. Anish Arora (51st for ₹1.32 Lakhs), former DPT Xpress Main Event winner Dhaval Doshi (52nd for ₹1.32 Lakhs), and PokerStars India Ambassador Young Gun Kanchan Sharma (53rd for ₹1.32 Lakhs) all bowed out earlier than they hoped.
Among the other early casualties were Karan Sitlani (28th for ₹1.56 Lakhs), WSOP bracelet winner Kartik Ved (33rd for ₹1.56 Lakhs), Vikram ‘lungi’ Kumar (35th for ₹1.56 Lakhs).
Even seasoned champions like DPT May 2024 Micro Main Event champion Naveen Kumar S (40th for ₹1.56 Lakhs), WPT Prime India Main Event champion Ashish Munot (41st for ₹1.56 Lakhs) and Amit Kaushik (44th for ₹1.56 Lakhs) couldn’t withstand the pressure.
Taruna Kamdar, the last woman standing, fought valiantly but ultimately fell in 37th place for ₹1.56 Lakhs.
But the drama was far from over. Several familiar faces took their Main Event runs into deeper waters. These players included Vinay B (11th for ₹2.54 Lakhs), Armaan Kochhar (12th for ₹2.54 Lakhs), the G.O.A.T. 2024 third place finisher Mohammad Azhar (13th for ₹2.54 Lakhs), Ankit Wadhawan (15th for ₹2.16 Lakhs), DPT May 2024 Main Event champion Abraham Gera (17th for ₹2.16 Lakhs), two-time WPT title winner Gokul Raj (18th for ₹1.83 Lakhs), ₹25K Deepstack Closer champion Shivam Shukla (20th for ₹1.83 Lakhs), Rising Star Aman Parakh (22nd for ₹1.83 Lakhs), and DPT Grand Highroller & DPT Grand Rush bracelet winner Sagar Raj (26th for ₹1.83 Lakhs).
The tension reached its peak as the final table approached. Young Gun Shardul Parthasarathi, a two-time APT champion and recent ₹125K Highrollerrunner-up, was poised for a final table appearance. But fate had other plans. In a dramatic clash of poker coaches, Parthasarathi, holding , moved all-in, only to be met with the crushing of Mithun Mahesh. The board [c] offered no help, and Parthasarathi’s incredible run came to an end in 10th place with a payout of ₹2.54 Lakhs.
Final Table Chip Counts
Final Table Recap
The DPT Grand Championship final table was a stage set for high-stakes drama, and it delivered right from the first hand. In a classic cooler, Ashwin Vijayvergiya found himself with against Mithun Mahesh’s . The action unfolded rapidly: Vijayvergiya opened with a raise to 120K (2.4 BBs) from early position, Mahesh three-bet to 300K, Vijayvergiya four-bet to 600K, and Mahesh five-bet to a hefty 900K. Undeterred, Vijayvergiya shoved all-in for 1.2 Million, and Mahesh, with his monster hand, made the call. The tension was palpable as the dealer spread the board: . Vijayvergiya’s aces held up, securing him a massive double-up for the chip lead and setting the tone for an exhilarating final table.
The first casualty of the final table was Abhishek Paul, who finished in ninth place. Short-stacked and desperate to make a move, Paul shoved his remaining 2.2 BBs with , only to run into Mithun Mahesh’s . The board ran out , and a cruel nine on the river sent Paul to the rail.
The eliminations continued as Nitesh Baliyan, the WPT Prime India 2023 Mini Main Event Freezeout champion, fell in eighth place. His were no match for Ashwin Vijayvergiya’s when the board delivered two pair for Vijayvergiya.
Next to fall was Kunal Patni, Natural8 India Executive Director and Ambassador, who exited in seventh place. On a flop of , Patni moved all-in with bottom pair holding . Unfortunately for him, Vijayvergiya had flopped top pair with . The turn improved Vijayvergiya to two pairs, and the river sealed Patni’s fate.
Ranjeet Negi, short-stacked with only 2 BBs, made his last stand with . However, he ran into Goldi Chawla’s , and the board of gave Chawla a pair of aces, ending Negi’s run in sixth place.
Mithun Mahesh, the PokerGuru Staking head coach and WPT Prime India 2023 ₹15K SuperStack NLH champion, met his tournament demise in fifth place in a tough beat. His were cracked by Nikhil Gutta’s , who flopped top pair on the board .
Ashwin Vijayvergiya continued his dominant performance, eliminating Atul Nandi in fourth place. Nandi shoved all-in with , but Vijayvergiya woke up with . The board ran out , and Vijayvergiya’s ace-high was enough to send Nandi to the rail.
Goldi Chawla‘s run ended in third place when his couldn’t overcome Nikhil Gutta’s on the runout .
The stage was set for a thrilling heads-up battle between Nikhil Gutta and Ashwin Vijayvergiya. Gutta held a commanding chip lead with 9.875 Million chips to Vijayvergiya’s 2.80 Million—a daunting 3.5:1 advantage. Recognizing the significant difference in stacks, the two players agreed to an ICM deal, guaranteeing Gutta ₹37.14 Lakhs and Vijayvergiya ₹34.01 Lakhs. But the coveted DPT bracelet and the glory of victory were still at stake.
Despite facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, Vijayvergiya mounted a remarkable comeback. In a pivotal hand, Gutta opened to 500K (2.5x), and Vijayvergiya called from the big blind. The flop came . Vijayvergiya checked, Gutta bet 500K, and Vijayvergiya called. The turn brought another , and Vijayvergiya led out for 1 Million. Gutta called again. The river was the , and Vijayvergiya shoved all-in for 2.20 Million. Gutta, facing a tough decision, made the call, only to be shown for trips. Vijayvergiya had seized the lead.
The final hand saw Nikhil Gutta shove all-in with , and Vijayvergiya snap-called with . The board ran out , and Vijayvergiya’s pocket fives held up, crowning him the DPT Grand Championship winner!
Final Table Results (INR)
*denotes a heads-up deal
Content & Images Courtesy: Poker Pro News and Adda52
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