After four seasons, Poker Sports League (PSL) has announced its return. With a prize pool of Rs 1.5 crore, PSL 2023 is slated to host all the prominent pro-poker players and enthusiasts of India.
The league is going to host a mixed bag of players, bringing variety skills, high investment biddings, significant retainers, and an opportunity to all amateurs to make their mark in the realm of high stakes poker while honing their gaming skills. Adding to it, PSL 2023 has onboarded Pocket52, a poker gaming app, as title sponsor. The company claims that the collaboration is a step forward to provide a secure and fantastic gaming experience to the players in PSL 2023.
Speaking on the announcement, Mr. Pranav Bagai, CEO, and Founder, stated, “As the world’s largest poker league in terms of prize pool and participation, PSL has taken the game of poker to a new level with its unique team-based format that sportifies the game. It’s a true test of skill and strategy, where each team has a balance of professionals and amateurs, giving everyone an equal opportunity to shine at the highest level – for FREE.”
“With our fifth edition on the cards, I am equally happy and excited to have Pocket52 as our title sponsor since our visions are aligned in terms of bringing poker to the masses – responsibly. We are sure that this collaboration will give a great opportunity to a wide range of poker aspirants,” Bagai added.
Nitesh Salvi, Director and Founder of Pocket52 was expressed his excitement on being associated with PSL 2023, and said, “At Pocket52, we are passionate about the game of poker and are always seeking new ways to enhance player experiences. With the new revamped app, players can expect a seamless and engaging experience like never before. The team format adds a new level of excitement to the game, encouraging teamwork and strategy.”
“As a responsible gaming platform, we are proud to be a part of an event that prioritizes fair play and responsible gaming practices. We are confident that this year’s tournament will be a huge success and we invite our community of players, from beginners to professionals, to join us in this journey of pushing our limits and exploring the exciting dimensions of the poker industry,” Salvi added.
The qualifiers on Pocket52 have been designed to award leaderboard points to participants based on their ranking in each tournament. Players ranking in the top-1000 position of this scoreboard stand the chance of winning prizes worth Rs 50 lakh – for free. The deal is far more rewarding for the top-36 players on the leaderboard who will secure a guaranteed place in one of the six teams. The base price for each qualifier will be Rs 50,000 and Pocket52 has sweetened the deal for the top 36 players by adding Rs 50,000 worth of tournament tickets.
The live auction between the six teams will take place in Goa on 8th July followed by the virtual matches from 22nd Jul to 10th Aug, which allows players to compete from the comfort of their homes. The league culminates with a grand finale at a live location between 16th and 20th Aug, where the champions of Pocket52 Poker Sports League – Season 5 will be crowned. The auction, virtual matches and live finale will be broadcast on an OTT platform.