“Poker in India is poised towards a long runway for growth” – Rahul Bhatia, Co–Founder, RV Online Gaming, Poker Magnet

In a recent interaction with Rahul Bhatia, Co–Founder, RV Online Gaming, Poker Magnet we discussed various topics related online Poker with him. Rahul Bhatia himself has played Poker professionally in the past. He also won the ‘World Professional Poker Tour – WPPT’ held in Sri Lanka, Colombo a few years ago.

For an ew come getting into online poker is risky, so we asked Rahul about what measures one should take while playing poker online.

“Among the most important things to be checked by a player, few that come to my mind are“, he said and went ahead to list them for us.

Rahul stated 4 important point he thinks one should look out for and those are as follows:

• RNG Certification is a must to ensure statistical randomness of our software
• The website should be legally registered with the government and underground sites should be avoided
• The player should ensure that the state he resides in legally allows playing Poker
• Efficiency of cash out policy of the company

The lines between skill-based and chance-based games have been quite blurry in recent times. There always have been debates about card games likes Rummy & Poker being fair. Are they skill-based or chance-based is always the biggest argument. We asked Rahul to share his opinion on whether Poker is a skill-based game or a chance-based game?

To this his response was, “In a chance-based games, if you are dealt a bad hand, there is 0 probability of you winning. In Poker, even with a bad hand the probability of losing can be flipped around by the skill you apply to your game. Skill is the deciding factor here and therefore it is no surprise that many Wall Street giants have an affinity towards playing poker.“

We wanted to know what makes people use Poker Magnet. We asked him, why do you think people choose Poker Magnet as their platform of choice? What makes Poker Magnet different from other poker platforms?

Rahul explained, “We can proudly claim that the Poker Magnet app’s user interface and user experience are one of the best in the country. Some of the unique features offered by our app are:“

• Head-up Display option
• Ability to host a private table
• Personalized animated emojis
• The proactive 24X7 customer support approach.

Talking about the ban on online games & betting in Tamil Nadu. Rahul said, “I’ve always found the southern market to be one of the most influential in the gaming industry. However, the new ban has left us all perplexed. We are hopeful that any changes will be made, and we support the Government’s decision.“

He further added, “it is important to remember that true money games fell decisively within the state list, and the focal government has likewise indicated this versus the legitimateness of web-based games on various events. Thus, it is now possible for every state government where all online legitimate cash games played for stakes or cash are covered by their Gaming Acts (including ‘expertise game organizations’ dream sports, rummy, and poker pages, which have been held to be legal by certain High Courts), to unite ISPs to block sites that they deem to be bet and thus in violation of their state laws.“

One of the major problems with online games and fantasy sports platforms is irresponsible gaming. It is also one of the major reasons behind why they are banned in Tamil Nadu. Being a responsible gamer is important. And hence we wanted to know what Poker Magnet does to ensure only responsible gaming happens on the platform.

“We are committed to nurturing and fostering an environment of responsible gaming. Our strict age filters only allow a person above 18 years of age to play on our app. This coupled with stringent KYC norms adds a layer of safety and ensures that only genuine players exist on our system.“, replied Rahul Bhatia.

Out of curiosity we asked Rahul about cheating in the online poker space. We asked him what are the chances of users cheating the system to gain an advantage and potentially win the game? How does the platform tackle problems like bot accounts and multi-accounting? 

Rahul explained to us how creation of fake accounts and multi accounts is a big problem. How some use it to get free bonuses and cheat the system.

But what are the steps taken to limit this was the real question. “We tackle these instances through constant surveillance of the player profiles, time spent on the website and hand recordings to identify potential frauds.” Rahul explained.

Poker is a rapidly growing space filled with a lot of potential opportunities. Rahul says, “Poker in India is poised towards a long runway for growth and allows multitude of career options for data crunching enthusiasts, software developers, game designers, artists and professional gamers.“

We asked Rahul to share some advice to those looking to make an career out of it. Rahul advised that one should identify his passion and hone his skills in line with it. “This is the right time to apply for a career in the booming online Poker space“, he said.

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