Call, raise and fold are some of the many jargon terms popularised by movies and serials to audiences across the world. All of these terms are associated with the game of poker, the North American card game with a universal appeal. Such is its popularity across living rooms, clubs and casinos in the United States that it is widely regarded as the country’s national card game. By extension of that, it has become a prominent cultural export from the US to other countries, including India. As poker apps came to the Indian digital space, poker became one of the most popular card games in India. As a result, poker has been a massive influence in transforming the country’s real money games industry.
Rise of Real-Money Gaming
As you look at the recent real-money gaming figures, it is difficult not to accept that the industry has gone from strength to strength. By 2023, the real-money gaming industry in India is home to 444 million gamers. This is a 12.1% growth year-on-year. Experts expect the industry to grow at an annual CAGR of 20% between fiscal years 2023 and 2028.
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A large part of this revolution is down to the popularity of the mobile gaming market as well. 15 out of every 100 mobile games downloaded across the world in 2023 was in India. That amounts to a stunning 4.32 billion downloads. Real-money gaming accounts for 77% of the revenue generated by India’s gaming industry.
Indians have shown a natural preference for skill-based card games even in the pre-digital era. Therefore, it is no surprise that, along with fantasy sports, card games like rummy and poker are the major players in India’s real-money games industry.
Raising the Poker Hands
After being recognised as a skill-based game by the Indian judiciary, the acceptance and reach of online poker have increased further. It is estimated that the online poker segment is growing at a CAGR of 16.9%. Further, poker is expected to be worth $346 million by 2030.
In 2023, there were around 28 startups operating as poker gaming platforms in the country. These online poker platforms are fuelling the growth of the industry. In February 2020, it was estimated that there were around 30 lakh active poker players in India. Today, the Pocket 52 app, which is one of India’s leading poker apps, alone has more than 15 lakh poker players!
The online platforms are giving a whole new meaning to poker hands by adding legitimacy, reliability and commercial attractiveness to the game of poker.
How Online Poker is Transforming the Game?
Ask any poker player who is trying their poker hand online for the first time, what their concerns are. Legitimacy is sure to top the list. It doesn’t help that there are many unrecognised apps and websites that organise online games with half-cooked infrastructure. This puts the game as well as the player’s funds at risk. However, an authentic poker app takes care of these concerns by investing smartly in a robust app infrastructure.
Pocket52, for instance, ensures randomness in the gameplay at all times. Randomness is the backbone of any card game. If there is predictability or pattern in a game of poker, one player would end up enjoying an unfair advantage. Pocket 52’s random number generator is cryptographically secured and powered by lava lamps. This ensures non-linearity in the way random numbers are generated by the Pocket 52 software. Cards shuffled online are, therefore, free from any external influences and infiltrations. The entire infrastructure is certified by a globally recognised certification agency, iTech Labs.
A Truly International Experience
In its land of origin, poker has evolved into many interesting variations. 5-card draw, 7-card stud, Texas Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha are examples of poker variants. There are no-limit poker games as well as pot-limit ones. Poker enthusiasts are spoilt for choice on the popular Indian poker apps. Pocket 52 is no exception, with a wide range of poker variants and dozens of tournaments. A Pocket 52 participant can select their favourite poker variant from the tournament section of the app. Besides, there are cash games active all the time as well.
Whether you want to play stud poker like Steve McQueen did in The Cincinnati Kid or play a game of Texas Hold’em poker like Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, chances are that you can do so aboard poker apps like Pocket 52.
Aces High for Poker
After its groundbreaking success in the US, poker gained popularity in influential geographies like the UK and the rest of Europe, China, etc. In recent years, poker has made inroads into the Indian real gaming scene to emerge as the second most popular online card game after rummy. From a 7% market share in 2020, poker is expected to consolidate to a 10% share by 2026. Single-game platforms like Pocket 52 command 92% of the online real gaming market in India.
With sophisticated online platforms, poker is expected to stay relevant in the years ahead and continue the transformative poker revolution in the real market gaming scene.
