'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sign up on adda52 here and win cash prizes daily
Poker is one of the lesser known games in India. While it has one of the largest unofficial games in the country, very few actually end up following it wholeheartedly. However, Over 50,000 people in India play online poker on homegrown startups and the industry is growing by the day.
Several amateur poker players in the country are aiming to take up the game professionally and ply their trade worldwide. The problem that Indians face being in the country is obviously the stringent gaming laws. Betting still isn’t legal in India, making the task of going pro all the more difficult. While poker is often the main source of income for these gamers, devoting their life to the game still remains a distant dream.
Also read: Top 5 earning Indian poker players
Having said that, the poker industry is a sure shot profit making plan. The industry is reportedly worth a whopping $120 million and growing in the country, with several startups making the decision to invest in the admittedly dangerous sport.
With the game on the rise and setting its roots firmly in the sub-continent, we decided to explore the biggest losses in poker history. And yes, there is a lot of money involved:
#5 Brian Townsend
Playing under the nickname ‘sbrugby’, this poker enthusiast began playing professionally by the early 2000s. By the mid-2000s, he was one of the most respected pro-poker players, admittedly preferring online poker to the casino tables.
His world series appearance in 2011 was legendary and a moment to savour for the American. His rise in fortunes led to a subsequent rise in stakes and that’s when the problems started for Townsend. His fall from grace can be attributed to a dramatic loss, a game in which Townsend was down by $2.5 million and desperate to change his fortunes. The American though ended up losing an additional $2 million, making it a disastrous outing for the once ‘next big thing’ in poker.
#4 Ilari Sahamies
Better known as Ziigmund, Sahamies rose up the poker ladder like none before him. Specialising in the high stakes pot-limit, the Finland International made a decent name for himself, amassing big money through his gaming passion.
Poker brought with it a new outlook on life for Sahamies who soon turned pro and dedicated his life to the game. That was, however, till drinking and living the high life got the better of the talented Fin and his aggressive approach led to him losing $6 million of his $7 million earnings.
#3 Viktor Blom
‘Isildur1’, as he is better known, specialised in high stakes poker and as is often the case, the stakes sometimes get a little too much to handle. Beginner’s luck led Blom to amass a wealth not many could imagine as his worth grew to over $7 million. The party soon ended however as a number of experienced poker players took plenty off of Viktor. Brian Hastings famously took $4.2 million alone and he ended up losing over $7.5 million in total.
#2 Noataima
One of the oddest stories in poker history, an anonymous account going by the name of ‘Noataima’ appeared on the world poker stage and soon garnered plenty of attention. Discovered by HBstakes in 2006, Noataima grew in wealth without anybody knowing the real identity of the player.
What we do know, however, is that the ghost handler ended up losing over $7 million soon enough.
#1 Gus Hansen
The poker world is well versed with the name Gus Hansen. The great Dane won three World Poker Tour championships and was reportedly set to return to the gaming world in 2016. A return prompted by arguably the biggest loss in the history of professional poker.
Perhaps he should have stuck to his successful live poker sessions as the online world was hard and cruel to the Monaco resident. He is reportedly now nearing almost $20 million in losses, making him the biggest loser in poker history.
