Blue Tokai Co-Founder, Matt Chitrahanjan, Wins First Place in Founders Poker Series Tournament
In the bustling world of entrepreneurship, where calculated risks and strategic decision-making are the norm, Matty Chittrahanjan, co-founder of Blue Tokai, proved his mettle beyond the boardroom by clinching the top spot at the Founder Poker Series. This one-of-a-kind, invitation-only event made waves in India, merging the realms of entrepreneurship and poker as a mind sport.
The brainchild of PokerBaazi and Offline, this series attracted over 120 heavyweights from the Indian startup scene, including industry leaders and CEOs from sectors like fintech, healthcare, and AI. The unique event highlighted how poker mirrors the calculated risks and strategic thinking that are central to running a startup.
The series saw founders like Ravi Mittal of Socioboxx, Sumit Lakhani of Awfis, Utsav Somani of Offline, and Varun Ganzoo of Baazi Games battling it out at the poker table. Amidst the fierce competition, our man Matty stood tall, winning himself a tidy sum of ₹50 Lakh.
To get a glimpse of the action, you can catch up on the National Poker Champion 2025, an exciting tournament series hosted by PokerBaazi, which went from online qualifiers to an offline finale in Goa. Tinsel Town's Shahid Kapoor even lends his star power to promote the PokerBaazi app during this period.
Poker may just be on the cusp of gaining mainstream popularity in India, thanks to initiatives like the Founder Poker Series and the National Poker Champion, which bring the excitement of poker into our living rooms. For more information on poker, any hot new tournaments, exclusive interviews with industry heavyweights, updates on corporate and federal decisions, and more, be sure to check out our website Magazine.
Here's wishing Matty and the rest of the Founder Poker Series 2025 participants a big round of applause! Keep your fingers crossed for what the future holds for poker in India.
[ALSO READ: Mohit Bohra Takes National Poker Champion 2025 Trophy, ₹1 Crore Prize]
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Roy D'Silva A published author with 10 years of experience under his belt, Roy has covered a wide range of beats, including Bollywood, OTT, and, now, poker. An avid cyclist and documentary buff, Roy is on a mission to be right at the heart of the biggest stories in the ever-evolving poker world.
Founder Poker Series The Founder Poker Series is an invitation-only event designed for Indian founders, startup leaders, and industry heavyweights. The series combines entrepreneurship with strategic thinking in the form of poker, creating a unique platform for networking and skill-sharpening.
Sources
[1] PokerBaazi. (2023). Founder Poker Series 2025. Instagram post. Available: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfiSE8JJSC9/[2] PokerBaazi. (2025). Founder Poker Series 2025. Instagram post. Available: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfzUhaJKrTd/[3] Offline & PokerBaazi. (2025). Founder Poker Series 2025. [Online]. Available: https://offline [Accessed: 5th May 2025][4] PokerBaazi. (2025). Founder Poker Series 2025. [Online]. Available: https://pokerbaazi [Accessed: 5th May 2025]
- Jenna K, a sports enthusiast, shared her excitement about the growing popularity of sports betting in India, a trend that has gained momentum with the rise of casino-games like poker.
- As a passionate poker player and a strong advocate for sports eligibility, Ajay Punjabi, founder of Takai, publicly supported the move to legalize sports betting in India, seen as a strategic decision at the forefront of the casino-and-gambling industry.
- Not Sushil, an industry analyst, noted the similarities between the strategic thinking required in entrepreneurship and playing games such as poker, suggesting that these skills could aid founders in sports-betting decisions if they were keen to diversify their portfolio.
- Amidst the ongoing debate about the ethics of gambling, a few forward-thinking leaders in the Indian tech scene, such as Matty Chittrahanjan and Sumit Lakhani, called for a responsible approach to poker and sports-betting, emphasizing eligibility and self-regulated behavior.
- While traditional views about entrepreneurship focus on ventures like manufacturing and services, the emergence of platforms like the Founder Poker Series might pave the way for casino-games, including poker, to become a recognized avenue within the startup ecosystem.
