The International Federation of Poker (IFP) has announced that it will be holding a poker tournament called Match Indian Poker League (MIPL) in India. The MIPL is scheduled to take place in September this year.
The poker organization has teamed up with Viaan Industries Ltd, an entertainment and wellness company owned by celebrity Shilpa Shetty Kundra and entrepreneur husband Raj Kundra who will help launch the event. The IFP has called it the first ever professional “match poker” event to be held in India.
In a statement IFP President Patrick Nally said
The IFP has worked tirelessly for many years to develop the sport and the technology to support it and make it fit for purpose as a truly 21st century mind sport. It is a mind sport in an e-sport wrapper. Match Poker is inclusive and can be played by anybody with access to a smartphone and an Internet connection, anywhere and at any time.
This latest announcement reaffirms the rising profile of the Indian poker market. IFP’s new initiative is the second poker league to be launched in the country as the first league was the Poker Sports League (PSL) which is promoted by Dabur’s Amit Burman and Adda52.com.
Poker Sports League
The MIPL will have eight city teams competing against each other. Teams from cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh, Goa, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Kolkata will be owned by prominent figures of business and entertainment.
Although actual dates haven’t been set, IFP has stated that MIPL will be held over a weekend in September. In order to ensure that the event doesn’t flout local laws, there will be no buy-ins for the games but winners will get a share of real money prize winnings.
In the Match poker format, players use digital devices which allow for electronic scoring and dealing. This type of game is said to emphasize skill based play, eliminating the luck factor to a large extent. Members are split up and are seated one each at all tables in different positions. The team that ends up with the highest amount of chips at the end of the session wins
Players for the eight teams will be picked based on their skill-based ranking generated through their performance against an advanced Poker Bot in games that will be offered via a new Match Poker app to be launched in August. Raj Kundra said that he was delighted to partner with the IFP to develop the country’s sole internationally recognized poker league.
