Poker has succeeded in capturing the attention of Indians. Celebrities too have failed to resist the charm of this skill based game. The game of cards in its crude form of gambling has been depicted as the style statement of Indian movie stars who were portrayed as few notches above the average. In the real life too, poker and Indian celebrities have shown a great affinity for each other. The passion for poker has grown beyond the festive months for Indian celebrities. This post talks about five Indian celebrities who not only regularly play poker for entertainment but remain present in tournaments as well.
Dangal, the recent release of the mega-star, has been setting new milestones in the Indian cinema industry in terms of exceptional earnings. Matching pace with this, Aamir’s attraction for poker is also touching new heights. Aamir admits that he love to play poker online. Further, sources have confirmed that the star organizes poker parties at home in which the spectrum of stakes features anything between Rs 5 to Rs 5K. The star, reputed for his predilection for perfection, is a regular host to fellow actors and directors for enjoying poker. Aamir’s Union Park bungalow has 5 tables dedicated to poker. But, Aamir’s proficiency in the game is low as other contenders walk away with pot frequently. Kunal Kohli has made lakhs from the poker table in Aamir’s home.
A doctor by profession but an actor by virtue of lineage, the 35-year-old hunk has been spotted in quite a few movies as the lead actor. His rumoured closeness with Bipasha Basu and Priyanka Chopra had made the headlines. The actor candidly admits his fondness for poker. He frequents domestic poker tourneys and has notched up cool scores. He secured the second spot in the IPC 10K Freezeout in Dec’10 and took home moolah worth Rs. 1,70,000. He had also bagged Rs1.2 Lakhs in IPC 12K Headhunters held in April’11 where he stood third. He finished 7th in Dec’11s IPC 30K Main Event and was awarded Rs 90K. He has an ally in Shahid Kapoor of ‘Jab we met’ fame with whom he has been spotted several times in his Versova home playing poker.
Shahid Kapoor
With Rangoon slated to release in Feb’16, this Bollywood heartthrob has been in the news for another reason- his preference for poker. This was revealed after he was seen bonding with Harman Baweja over poker. His passion for poker has driven him to organize nightlong games in is home where close buddies huddle together to test the sharpness of their skills.
The actress who has appeared in a number of prestigious Hindi and South Indian movies is regularly spotted in domestic tourney circuits. With a degree in English under her belt, the Jat from Delhi’s fondness for poker first grabbed headlines in 2011s January when Times of India first published it. Over the years, she has improved as a player and has been continuously building upon her performances. In the IPC 15K Weekend Kickoff event of December’11, she stood fourth and bagged Rs. 140K. In January’13s IPC 5K WarmUp event, she had secured the third position. She had also participated in the January 2015s edition of Indian Poker Championship. She also keeps a keen eye on online poker trends in India.
Sikander Kher
Kiron and Anupam Kher’s son, Sikander debuted in Bollywood with 2008s Woodstock Villa. An aficionado, he regularly plays poker for entertainment. His favourite haunt is the poker rooms of Goa. He frequently participates in tourneys and has a second position in January 2013s 30K IPC Main Event to his name. He had also performed exceptionally well in Ultimate Poker Challenge tournament series’ 2012 edition where he finished three times in the final table.
