Strangers liven up others’ Diwali

BENGALURU: E-markets have transformed the way we shop, invest or even socialise. While we still celebrate festivals at home in a traditional way, aspects on how we celebrate has changed. For example, the festival of lights is honoured with the grandeur of diyas and crackers but an integral tradition of playing taash with family on table has been replaced by virtual bets online.Taash or the game of cards played during Diwali includes teenpatti, bridge and poker. Ajay Joseph is a 24-year-old electrical engineer who was born and brought up in Goa. Playing taash on festivals has been an essential part of his culture, but because he is unable to go home this time of the year, he has joined an online community of poker players. 

“It is about keeping up with the tradition as well as getting to play whenever you can. I am hoping to set up a virtual group where my family and I can play cards together wherever we are,” he says.
In the same way, college student Lana Rai, who hails from Sikkim will be missing her family’s Diwali get together for the first time. But she says that she has already curated a Teenpatti game online with all her cousins. “I will be playing cards for this Diwali from Bengaluru while they will be in Sikkim,” she says.

Mayank Shekhar is a professional online poker player and says that during the festive season, the online bidding goes up and a lot of traffic is witnessed online. “It is better to play online given the limited opportunities that professional poker players have in the country,” says Mayank. Another professional poker player, Shashank Rai agrees and both of them have signed up for an upcoming Diwali taash tournament online.However, for Ankita Mehta, 24, who has been on the poker scene for two months now is ditching the online poker this Diwali because her family is in town. “I am originally from Rajasthan and this Diwali since I am with my family, I will be playing taash with them,” she shares.

The New Scene
Mad Over Poker, an online poker startup based out of Bengaluru was launched on August 3. In less than three months, the app has over 10,000 registered users from across the country. “The online scene for poker is new and growing in the country,” says Amit Kanodia, co-founder and CEO of MOP. The app has designed diwali special games for poker where the players can create personalized groups.

According to Amit, Poker is a game of skill and social strategy so the fact that the traditional game is going online has little to do with doing away with culture. “Online poker is also connecting people,” he says. The added advantage of playing poker online as opposed to live table is the convenience. Amit adds that accuracy as well deposit can be better taken care of.  Ajay Joseph says  he can pick his phone any time of the day or night and not bother what he is wearing but focus on the game. There is no pressure to even look for people who are in the “mood” for playing poker. The age group of people joining the online poker scenes are between 21 and 30, says Amit.