Nazara Publishing Launches Pokerverse VR

Pokerverse VR, an immersive multiplayer poker experience for Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, is now available worldwide. Developed by Hyderabad-based studio YesGnome and published by Nazara Publishing, this marks Nazara’s debut in Virtual Reality / Metaverse gaming.

Pokerverse VR is a free to play game, designed to offer entertainment, social interaction, and skill-building. Featuring real-time multiplayer, natural VR controls, and AR/VR flexibility, it allows players to step into a futuristic poker lounge or bring the game into their real-world environment.

“With Pokerverse VR, we’re taking our first step into immersive gaming experiences at Nazara Publishing,” said Nitish Mittersain, Jt MD & CEO of Nazara Technologies. “As platforms like Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest gain traction, we see exciting possibilities in this space. We’re actively exploring future titles with developers who want to build for the next era of gaming.”

“We wanted to reimagine poker as an immersive, social experience that felt tactile, intuitive, and global from day one,” said Sridhar Muppidi, Founder of YesGnome. “It’s been an exciting journey building Pokerverse VR, and we’re thrilled to partner with Nazara Publishing to bring this vision to players across platforms.”

Key Features of Pokerverse VR:

• Live Multiplayer Tables – Instantly sync with players across the world.
• AR/VR Modes – Choose between full virtual environments or augmented overlays in your real space.
• Smart AI Bots – Practice solo with challenging AI opponents.
• Natural VR Controls – Gesture-based interaction to check, call, or peek at your cards.
• Custom Raise Panel – Fine-tune betting strategy in real time.
• Floating Menu – In-game access to settings, audio, and VR/AR toggle.
• Progression System – Earn XP to unlock levels and track performance.
• Daily Rewards – Stay engaged with free chips every day.

Nazara Publishing is a game publishing division of Nazara Technologies, committed to supporting innovative Indian developers in emerging gaming platforms. It aims to support Indian and global game developers by providing resources, expertise, and a strong network to bring gaming experiences to a wider audience. While no additional VR titles have been announced yet, the company is actively scouting high-potential projects for future collaboration.

Pokerverse VR is now available on:

• Meta Quest Store
• Apple Vision Pro App Store

Luck or Skill? The Truth Behind Winning at Poker

Poker is a well-known card game played for hundreds of years. During its history, it has developed into one of the most famous and well-respected games of skill played globally. The fact is that Poker is a game that demands a significant amount of talent and strategy to be successful, despite the widespread misconception that it is only a game of chance. This piece will investigate the factors contributing to Poker's reputation as a game of skill rather than chance.

Poker is a game in which success does not just depend on one's good fortune; instead, it calls for a diverse set of abilities and methods that, when used correctly, may provide players an advantage over their rivals.

 
The following is a list of some of the essential skills that are required for success at Poker.

The study of Mathematics and Probability

Poker is a game of probability, and to succeed, players need to have a solid grasp of the game's mathematics. This necessitates having a firm grasp on the concepts of odds and outs and the capacity to compute pot odds and anticipated value. Those players who can swiftly and effectively analyze the chance of landing a specific hand and the possible payoff of a particular move have a considerable edge over those players who are unable to do so.

Reading the Competition

The ability to read your opponents is another essential attribute in Poker. Players with experience can deduce their opponents' intentions from their body language, facial expressions, and betting patterns. This allows them to make more educated choices when they play poker games. They can see patterns in the actions of their adversaries and then use this knowledge to anticipate the movements their adversaries will make in the future.

Risk Management

Successful poker players understand the significance of effectively managing risk. They can analyze the possible risks and benefits of each action and know when it is appropriate to be aggressive and when it is more prudent to play it safe. They can set aside a certain amount of money for Poker. They can also successfully manage their bankroll, which includes putting aside a specific amount of money for Poker and ensuring that they do not wager more than they can afford to lose.

Bluffing

Bluffing is one of the essential strategies in Poker, and it isn't easy to carry off properly without a high degree of both ability and strategy. Skilled players can bluff successfully because they can read their opponents and comprehend the playing styles of their opponents. They can also identify when their opponents are bluffing, and they can utilize this knowledge to make educated choices on their own movements.

Decision-Making

Poker is a game of choices, and great players can make decisions quickly and intelligently depending on the information presented to them during a hand of Poker. They can examine the circumstance, consider the possible benefits and drawbacks of each alternative course of action, and then arrive at the most appropriate choice based on this evaluation.

Command of One's Emotions

During a game of Poker, players' emotions might run high, but competent players can rein in their feelings and keep a level head to make choices that are in their best interests. They can maintain their composure and attention to the task, even when confronted with challenging choices or operating under intense pressure.

Both Patience and Discipline are Required

Successful poker players recognize the significance of patience and discipline in their game. Instead of making hazardous actions out of impatience or irritation, they can recognize when folding and holding out for a more favorable moment is best. They can also maintain their approach and fight off the impulse to stray from it, even when confronted with challenging circumstances. This enables them to remain successful.

Adaptability

Skilled poker players can adjust to changing conditions while playing the game. They can modify their playing strategy in response to their rivals' actions, the cards that have been dealt with, and any other aspects of the game that may have an effect. They can notice when their opponents have altered their playing style and can adapt their strategy to match the new playing style of their opponents.

Memory derived from Observation

Poker players who can achieve success are those who can watch the action and recall pertinent information on their opponents' behavior and playing style. They can retain important information about their adversaries, including their betting habits, the sorts of hands they often play, and their inclinations while bluffing, for example. They may use this knowledge to make educated judgments regarding their movements using the information provided.

Communication

Communication skills are also essential in Poker, particularly in games that feature several players competing against one another. Talented players can successfully communicate with their opponents by utilizing their tone of voice and body language to either give vital information to their opponents or deceive them.

Conclusion

Stop thinking that chance has any bearing on the outcome of your poker games as soon as possible. This is one of the finest things you can start doing right now if you want to play poker games online. If you want to improve your performance, stop thinking about luck. You have a great chance of improving your outcomes when you stop thinking about luck and start concentrating on ways to utilize the structure of poker games to your advantage.

Do you realize that playing Poker may help you acquire life skills crucial for effectively navigating challenging circumstances you encounter in your everyday life? Like the journey of human beings, Poker presents its players with several opportunities to improve their gaming abilities and increase their potential for becoming skilled poker players. These opportunities allow players to acquire gaming skills and increase their potential for becoming skilled poker players.

Mobile Premier League Introduces Poker Academy

Some of India's top professional poker players and streamers like Dhaval Mudgal, Siddharth Karia, Parth Jain, Aniruddha Joshi and more will share lessons, tactics and tips to help emerging poker players master skills.

The brand also announced the launch of India Poker Festival, one of the largest online poker tournaments in India, scheduled between May 26 and June 5.

Mobile Premier League (MPL), one of the world's leading mobile eSports platforms, has introduced Poker Academy jointly with some of India's top poker professionals to help aspiring gamers hone their skills.

Poker, as a skill-based game, requires analytical thinking, knowledge of math, and a knack to read people. The Academy, through a series of unique content properties, aims to deconstruct all these aspects in an accessible manner and help aspiring poker players learn the techniques, and enhance their strategy and thinking, while ensuring skill-based gameplay in the long term.

MPL also announced the launch of India Poker Festival, an online event that would offer a best-in-class gaming experience to all kinds of poker players across different tournament formats. The 11-day event, from May 26th through June 5th, will see thousands of players from across the nation participating. MPL will also run contests, discount offers on social media and provide free tickets for the tournament as prizes.

Worldwide, there are over 100 million people who play poker. With tech advancements, enabling transparency and fairplay, especially online poker on mobile apps, many new players have started playing poker, across the world. In India too, the sport has attracted a lot of new players in recent years. The number of tournaments has also increased. Poker, along with games like Bridge, Chess and Scrabble, is a part of the Mind Sports Olympiad, the global event for games of mental skill and mind sports.

Commenting on the launch of MPL Poker Academy, Namratha Swamy, Country Head - India, MPL said, "Success in a game of poker is a product of hard work and skill. We strongly believe that with MPL Poker Academy and its myriad learning tools and features, we can create a conducive environment where people can learn from experts and connect with other like-minded players. Through this initiative, we also aim to clear any misconceptions that people have about the game."

As part of the Academy, MPL will curate beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of content that cater to all types of gamers. Professional poker players such as Parth Jain, Dhaval Mudgal, Siddharth Karia, Aniruddha Joshi and others have joined hands with MPL to create short, snackable videos to make learning poker accessible to people. This includes commentary on the various aspects of poker including structure of a game, best and worst hands, common poker mistakes and how to avoid them, setting financial limits, playing against different types of opponents, etc. to help people get started on their poker journey.

Commenting on the launch, Siddharth Karia, said, "Like in other competitive sports, developing strategies and executing them under pressure is what excites me the most about poker. I am excited about the Indian Poker Festival. I believe it will be a great platform for players to leverage their skills, compete against the best and earn recognition."

Final Table Replay, a weekly video series, will see poker streamers walk through final table live action of the biggest tournaments hosted on the MPL platform. This will help players view all cards on a poker table and learn along as experts analyze all the hands and the decisions taken by players during the game.

MPL Poker Academy is accessible to gamers on MPL's app, social media platforms as well as well-known poker communities like India Poker Players' Association (IPPA), Poker Guru, Gutshot, among others.

About MPL

MPL is the world's leading mobile eSports platform that allows users to participate in paid competitions across 60+ games in multiple categories, including mobile games, daily fantasy sports, quizzing, and board games. Founded in 2018, MPL hosts hundreds of millions of tournaments a month and is trusted by over 90 million registered users across India, Indonesia, Europe, and the U.S.

To learn more about Mobile Premier League, please visit www.mpl.live.

Poker Platform 9Stacks Introduces ‘Voice Enabled Poker Tables’ Feature

• First and Only Online Poker Company to come up with Voice Enabled Poker Tables Feature

• With higher engagement levels, this is similar to hosting a poker party and inviting dear ones

9Stacks, India’s fastest growing poker platform becomes the first and only company to announce the launch of “Voice Enabled Poker Tables” feature on its platform, where one can talk to their friends as they play - most of the other platforms only offer a chat feature. Voice Enabled Table feature is enabled only on private tables where friends, colleagues and families can come together to play poker and also talk while they are playing. And there are no hidden charges - private tables are FREE to set up!

Amidst the corona virus pandemic, most of the population is stuck at home missing out on meeting and socializing with family and friends. 9Stacks brings a way to stay connected and have a good  time with your dear ones without leaving the safety and comfort of your home. Texting can become pretty boring and tedious over a long period of time hence 9stacks tried to give its users as authentic an experience as possible, of connecting with your friends by actually being able to talk to them as you play.

Sudhir Kamath, CEO & Co-Founder, 9Stacks says, “When you consider the Voice Enabled feature along with our industry-leading promotions and private tables for users to play only with their friends and relatives, we think we have a recipe for lasting retention. We realized that there are a lot of recreational players who want to bond with their friends and family over a game of poker but during the Lockdown they were unable to do so. Our voice-enabled private tables now give them that opportunity. It is like hosting a poker party sitting at home, with complete authority to choose who all can be a part of that. In addition, private tables are password-protected, ensuring no gatecrashers at your poker party!”.

The process for creating a private game is really simple. There is a separate tab for private games in 9Stacks, any one person representing the group wanting to play together, has to fill up a simple form - mentioning some details like desired stakes, giving it a unique name and password. All those who want to join in log in using their 9stacks accounts, or they can create new accounts instantly. They can find the table by its name and can sit on the table using the password.  Players can also choose the table to be not visible to everyone but only to a pre-selected group of IDs. The players can play private cash games as well as private tournaments. Hundreds of such tables were created in the last few weeks, and all of them have automatically been upgraded to voice-enabled tables now. Even with lockdown easing, it is expected to remain a very popular feature on 9Stacks.

9Stacks is an online poker platform where users can learn and play the game online and also earn money. It currently offers its online poker gaming services in 24 Indian states. Apart from poker, it also offers fantasy league and quiz contests under the brand name Faboom. With creativity and innovative technologies, 9Stacks leverages many positive trends in the gaming industry and consistently focuses on delivering engaging and entertaining opportunities for its audience over the long-term.

The platform currently has more than 3.25L users across India and has witnessed 350% increase in user-base in 2019. The platform currently offers Texas and Omaha variants of poker that engage both experienced players and learners.

About 9Stacks:

9Stacks is India’s fastest growing online poker platform. Want to learn how to play poker? Want to learn how to win money at poker? 9Stacks is the best poker destination for new, as well as regular poker players in India to have fun, develop poker skills and win money. 9Stacks is a professionally run Indian online poker platform and 100% legal in India. As a highly reliable, safe and trusted poker site in India, we process the fastest cashouts when you win money on 9Stacks. Both the 9Stacks website, and the 9Stacks app have an easy-to-use intuitive interface - and you can play online poker seamlessly, on your phone or computer; anytime, anywhere.

Indeed, 9Stacks is “Where India Plays Poker”.

Online Poker Firm Adda52 Invests in Gurgaon-based EdTech Startup iChamp

Anuj Gupta and Mohit Agarwal, founders of Adda52.com, India’s largest poker online poker platform, have invested in Gurgaon-based education technology startup, iChamp, in a seed round of funding. Notably, iChamp is founded by Adda52's former employees - Mohit Bansal and Anil Kumar.

Owned by RNM E-Services Pvt Ltd., iChamp is India’s first LIVE and real-time gaming edutech platform aimed at improving understanding of concepts of Mathematics by games, quizzes and activities besides continuous practice. Currently, this app is made available for students in CBSE and ICSE Class 1 through 8. It is a multiplayer live test Math learning app where the students can compete with peers across India and get an All India ranking along with virtual and physical certificates.

The founders of iChamp, Mohit Bansal and Anil Kumar, were the core team members of Adda52 in the past. Since then, Bansal has headed many education ventures. On getting seed fund by the founders of Adda52, Mohit Bansal said, “We are delighted to have received investment by Anuj and Mohit. The investment will help iChamp in expanding operations, increasing user base and enhancing product features, thus, benefiting both students and parents.”

The duo of Adda52 believe in a healthy startup ecosystem and being entrepreneurs themselves, they encourage other growing entrepreneurs who are working on ground breaking concepts. The founders of Adda52 said, “Data shows that young children are willing to practice their sums a lot more on the iChamp app because of the interesting competition formats that they have introduced. It is so heartening to see Adda52 alumni create such innovative concepts."

With in-depth understanding of the technology-intensive gaming industry through their own company Adda52, Anuj and Mohit recognize technology and gamification as the future of education and other industries as well. Moreover, Adda52 itself is a platform that offers mind stimulating game like poker, so it is natural for the founders to realise the potential of upcoming start-ups which are exploring similar concepts.

Founded in 2011, Adda52 is owned by Kolkata-based Gaussian Networks Pvt. Ltd.. The company had recently roped in Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle as its brand ambassador.

iTech, a world leading testing and certification laboratory for Online Gaming systems has certified the online game to be fair with a reliable and resilient system. Adda52.com is the only site to have received such certification for the system alone. The Random Number Generator (RNG) by Adda52 has also been evaluated by iTech Labs and has been certified to meet the relevant industry standards. Award-winning technology has been used to make the game accessible across platforms, be it website, app or mobile browsers. This makes it the most secure online poker game platform for the gamers and provides its users a safe environment to enjoy the game.

IIT & IIM Alums Founded Online Poker Platform 9Stacks Raises ₹28 Cr from WaterBridge

9stacks, India's fastest growing online poker platform, has raised ₹28 crore (~ US$3.84 million) in a Series A Funding Round led by WaterBridge Ventures, an early stage venture fund, and the startup's existing pool of investors. This is the first Series A raised by any Indian online poker company, announced the startup in a press release.

Other niche players in daily fantasy sports/online rummy platforms like Dream 11 (Fantasy Cricket), Ace2Three (Rummy) and RummyCircle (Rummy) have previously raised institutional investment rounds for other segments of the rapidly growing Real Money Gaming market in India. However, 9stacks is the first Indian online poker company to raise an institutional Series A round.

In December last year, the startup had raised ₹10 crore in angel funding (Pre-Series A) from clutch of investors that include Swati Gupta (founder, IndustryBuying), Maheshwer Peri (founder, Careers360), Sanjay Singh (founder, Swas Healthcare), Kartik Sheth (chief innovation officer Airtel and CEO, Wynk), and Shubhajit Sen (ex-CMO, Micromax).

Started by IIT & IIM alums Sudhir Kamath, Pratik Kumar, Abhinav Nigam and Rishab Mathur in 2017, 9stacks is a professionally run Indian online poker platform and 100% legal in India. The platform was started with the ambition to provide an authentic, transparent and simple online poker experience, which would make poker a fun sport for everyone.

Launched in 2017, 9stacks claims to have a user base of 1 lakh+ subscribers. More than 30 lakh hands of poker are being played every month on its platform, with monthly gross transactions exceeding INR 35 crores approximately.

As a member of the All India Gaming Federation, 9stacks has also been a strong voice advocating poker as a game of skill. On its own platform, 9stacks recently launched India's first skills dashboard where gamers can carry out in depth analyses of their own strategy, and become better players.

9stacks users can play seamlessly across all platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and Macs.

"India is at the cusp of massive online gaming adoption with an exponential increase in players and revenue expected in this sector. Real Money Gaming will have a significant wallet share of online due to ubiquitous mobile access, increasing disposable income, convenience and superior user experience. Having said that, it is an execution heavy space and we therefore chose to back a highly professional and accomplished team of founders comprising of Sudhir, Pratik, Abhinav and Rishab. We are proud to partner with this founding team with great pedigree and a proven track record," said Manish Kheterpal, Managing Partner, WaterBridge Ventures.

In August WaterBridge had invested in MedCords, an AI-enabled healthcare startup based out of Kota, Rajasthan with a technology center in Pune. Prior to this, Waterbridge led ₹3.5 crore funding of Gurgaon-based Doubtnut, a multi lingual online learning platform for students.

"With Waterbridge Ventures becoming the lead investor in our Series A fund raise, we are delighted to announce that 9stacks is India's first online poker company to reach this funding milestone. This is a great sign of confidence in the 9stacks team, the systems and processes we've put in place, in addition to the rapidly growing market itself. We will use these funds to ramp up user acquisition, data analytics, machine learning, and product & market expansion. We want 9stacks to be the preferred platform for poker in India, especially for new players, where anyone can discover, learn and play poker, any time, anywhere," said Sudhir Kamath, CEO, 9stacks.

Recently, 9stacks took 25 of its users to Las Vegas for the 2018 World Series of Poker. '9stacks Team India' came out with flying colors, with two players finishing in the top 100 of the main event; the best ever finish by any Indian.

About 9Stacks' founders, Sudhir Kamath is an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus and ex-McKinsey consultant with over 17 years of experience. Prior to 9stacks, he was CEO of Suntera Energy, a privately held oil and gas exploration company. While, Pratik Kumar is an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, with over 12 years of experience in e-commerce and online marketing. He was the CMO of Nykaa.com and founding team member of Zivame.com.

Abhinav Nigam and Rishab Mathur are also IIT Kharagpur alumni. Abhinav is an ex-BCG consultant, with over 12 years of experience with Accenture Strategy and the Boston Consulting Group.

Rishab Mathur, on other hand has over 12 years of experience in technology. He was head of mobile technology for Nearbuy and CTO of 9monks and Blot Canvas.

[Top Image - YourStory.com]

IIT & IIM Alums Founded Online Poker Platform 9Stacks Raises ₹28 Cr from WaterBridge

9stacks, India's fastest growing online poker platform, has raised ₹28 crore (~ US$3.84 million) in a Series A Funding Round led by WaterBridge Ventures, an early stage venture fund, and the startup's existing pool of investors. This is the first Series A raised by any Indian online poker company, announced the startup in a press release.

Other niche players in daily fantasy sports/online rummy platforms like Dream 11 (Fantasy Cricket), Ace2Three (Rummy) and RummyCircle (Rummy) have previously raised institutional investment rounds for other segments of the rapidly growing Real Money Gaming market in India. However, 9stacks is the first Indian online poker company to raise an institutional Series A round.

In December last year, the startup had raised ₹10 crore in angel funding (Pre-Series A) from clutch of investors that include Swati Gupta (founder, IndustryBuying), Maheshwer Peri (founder, Careers360), Sanjay Singh (founder, Swas Healthcare), Kartik Sheth (chief innovation officer Airtel and CEO, Wynk), and Shubhajit Sen (ex-CMO, Micromax).

Started by IIT & IIM alums Sudhir Kamath, Pratik Kumar, Abhinav Nigam and Rishab Mathur in 2017, 9stacks is a professionally run Indian online poker platform and 100% legal in India. The platform was started with the ambition to provide an authentic, transparent and simple online poker experience, which would make poker a fun sport for everyone.

Launched in 2017, 9stacks claims to have a user base of 1 lakh+ subscribers. More than 30 lakh hands of poker are being played every month on its platform, with monthly gross transactions exceeding INR 35 crores approximately.

As a member of the All India Gaming Federation, 9stacks has also been a strong voice advocating poker as a game of skill. On its own platform, 9stacks recently launched India's first skills dashboard where gamers can carry out in depth analyses of their own strategy, and become better players.

9stacks users can play seamlessly across all platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and Macs.

"India is at the cusp of massive online gaming adoption with an exponential increase in players and revenue expected in this sector. Real Money Gaming will have a significant wallet share of online due to ubiquitous mobile access, increasing disposable income, convenience and superior user experience. Having said that, it is an execution heavy space and we therefore chose to back a highly professional and accomplished team of founders comprising of Sudhir, Pratik, Abhinav and Rishab. We are proud to partner with this founding team with great pedigree and a proven track record," said Manish Kheterpal, Managing Partner, WaterBridge Ventures.

In August WaterBridge had invested in MedCords, an AI-enabled healthcare startup based out of Kota, Rajasthan with a technology center in Pune. Prior to this, Waterbridge led ₹3.5 crore funding of Gurgaon-based Doubtnut, a multi lingual online learning platform for students.

"With Waterbridge Ventures becoming the lead investor in our Series A fund raise, we are delighted to announce that 9stacks is India's first online poker company to reach this funding milestone. This is a great sign of confidence in the 9stacks team, the systems and processes we've put in place, in addition to the rapidly growing market itself. We will use these funds to ramp up user acquisition, data analytics, machine learning, and product & market expansion. We want 9stacks to be the preferred platform for poker in India, especially for new players, where anyone can discover, learn and play poker, any time, anywhere," said Sudhir Kamath, CEO, 9stacks.

Recently, 9stacks took 25 of its users to Las Vegas for the 2018 World Series of Poker. '9stacks Team India' came out with flying colors, with two players finishing in the top 100 of the main event; the best ever finish by any Indian.

About 9Stacks' founders, Sudhir Kamath is an IIM-Ahmedabad alumnus and ex-McKinsey consultant with over 17 years of experience. Prior to 9stacks, he was CEO of Suntera Energy, a privately held oil and gas exploration company. While, Pratik Kumar is an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, with over 12 years of experience in e-commerce and online marketing. He was the CMO of Nykaa.com and founding team member of Zivame.com.

Abhinav Nigam and Rishab Mathur are also IIT Kharagpur alumni. Abhinav is an ex-BCG consultant, with over 12 years of experience with Accenture Strategy and the Boston Consulting Group.

Rishab Mathur, on other hand has over 12 years of experience in technology. He was head of mobile technology for Nearbuy and CTO of 9monks and Blot Canvas.

[Top Image - YourStory.com]