India’s First Female Poker Player Says She Will Not Be The Last
India is a country of contrasts. $500 a night five-star hotel complexes stand alongside shanty towns where people live in the poorest conditions, and as you drive through the streets of New Delhi, there is a bizarre and almost jarring mix between traditional and western culture. Girls in jeans and sunglasses rub shoulders with contemporaries in saris, and nobody looks twice.
At heart, however, India is very much a country of traditional, some might say old-fashioned values, particularly when it comes to questions of gender equality. The arrival, then, of India’s first female poker professional on the circuit is making waves that go way beyond poker circles.
Inspired by the online poker scene
Muskan Sethi has always had a passion for card games. As a child, she learned card tricks to entertain family and friends, but it was the game of poker that really intrigued her. From a young age, she attended tournaments with her father to watch the professionals in action, but it was the advent of the internet age that inspired her to get involved herself.
In her student years, she began to watch global tournaments on youtube, and to play on Facebook. The proliferation of online poker sites is what made it possible for her to develop her own skills in what is still a male-dominated pastime. Sethi predicts that the accessibility that online poker brings means it will open the game up to more female players, both in India and the wider world.
She told local reporters: “The game is male dominated, but that’s only because most women have not tried it yet. In my opinion, online poker is the best place to start, you can enjoy it alongside any other commitments you may have, as a recreational hobby, that is relaxing and can be rewarding.”
Sethi is currently in Las Vegas, and is part of India’s team at the WSOP. But her main focus is on the Global Poker League, and on winning a platinum pass to join the top players in the world at the PokerStars Players Championship, which takes place in the Bahamas next January. Of the 108 players to have qualified so far, only two are women.
Breaking down boundaries
The 28 year old is only too well aware that not everyone will see her success in a positive light and has had to tolerate her share of inane questions and trolling on her Twitter feed.
However, she takes the negativity in her stride, and treats such inane tweets as “Why do you want to gamble for a living? Nobody will marry you!” with the contempt they deserve.
She has also used her profile as an empowered young Indian woman to make a stand in other areas. For example, during the recent Wimbledon tournament, she highlighted the lack of Indian women involved.
The tennis comparison is, perhaps one worth examining more closely. In some ways, Sethi’s profile is similar to that for Sania Mirza, the Indian tennis player whose career will sadly be better remembered for the controversy she attracted and the criticism that traditionalists in her homeland were eager to heap upon her than for her undoubted sporting talent.
A national celebrity
Nevertheless, ten years is a long time, and Sethi is different to Mirza in a number of ways. For one thing, he has the unstinting support of her family, who are all keen poker players themselves. But even more importantly, this is a woman with a nation behind her. Earlier this year, she was one of a number of women honoured by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind at the nation’s inaugural “First Ladies” awards.
The ceremony paid tribute to 112 women from a whole range of areas who have challenged traditional stereotypes and forged careers in unconventional directions. To see the nation’s first professional poker player honoured alongside airline pilots, politicians, a racing driver, a mountaineer and even a professional wrestler shows just how much attitudes are changing at the highest level.
Sethi told reporters that she felt proud and honoured to be “counted amongst these strong, beautiful and accomplished women.”
More to come
Muskan Sethi is delighted to see the changing attitudes in her home country. She feels that these, along with the ability for anyone, regardless of age, sex or social background, to play poker online, mean that while she might be the first, she certainly will not be the last female poker pro to come out of India.
She feels that there is no physical reason women can’t be as successful as men in the game, given that success depends on strategic skills and mental capability. As someone who is already being held up as an example and an inspiration, it will be interesting to see how many follow in her footsteps over the coming months and years.
Lucky Player Wins $413K The Deal Jackpot at PokerStars
A lucky player from Ireland caught the big jackpot spin, while all other PokerStars players who participated in the Deal in the last 12 hours banked $31 each.
Follow PokerStars on Twitter & Claim Free WCOOP Tickets
All PokerStars account holders have daily opportunities to win WCOOP tickets without risking a single cent.
PokerStars Introduces Poker With a Twist via Mystery Cash Challenge
The brand new show by PokerStars combines elements of ring games and mystery bounty tournaments into a new and exciting format.
France’s Simon Wiciak Wins PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main in an Epic Fashion
PokerStars wraps up another successful EPT in Barcelona with a Main Event story worth of poker history books.
Watch EPT Barcelona Main Event: Day 3 Live Streaming
Join the excitement as the €5300 EPT Barcelona Main Event enters Day 3, and catch the live streaming coverage.
EPT Barcelona 2023 Main Event Exceeds €10M Prize Pool Again
Maintaining a remarkable trend, the EPT Main Event has achieved an impressive milestone for the second consecutive year, with over 2000 entries.
Get Ready for 2023 WCOOP at PokerStars – $80M up for Grabs
Kicking off on September 10 on PokerStars, this year’s WCOOP will feature 340 individual events and $80 million in guaranteed prizes across the board.
EPT Barcelona by PokerStars Is Just Around the Corner
One of the hottest stops on the PokerStars LIVE calendar is about to start, and there is much more to Barcelona than just poker.
PokerStars Power Path Offering Packages to Biggest Live Events
With PokerStars Power Path, you can win packages to all major events, such as EPT Barcelona, UKIPT London, and much more.
A Week of Midstakes Madness Is On at PokerStars
Running throughout the week, the PokerStars Midstakes Madness series features 61 events and brings almost $6,000,000 in guarantees across the board.
15 More Bracelets up for Grabs With WSOP Paradise
Taking place in the Bahamas during the first half of December, WSOP Paradise will feature a variety of events to match all bankrolls and preferences.
Check Out the Final Episode of Between the Lines by PokerStars
The fourth and final episode of PokerStars exciting Between the Lines show is out, bringing more exciting comparisons between poker and F1 racing.
PokerStars Power Path: New Way to Qualify for Major Tournaments
Power Path gives all PokerStars players a way to qualify for some of the biggest tournaments starting with a tiny investment.
PokerStars UKIPT in Blackpool Comes to a Close
The Main Event winner takes home a very respectable amount of £53,630 after outlasting the field of 262 players.
Brian Rast is Named 2023 WSOP Poker Hall of Fame Honoree
The six-time WSOP winner has now secured his place in poker history.
PokerStars Between the Lines: Waiting for Your Moment
The latest episode of the fun PokerStars mini-series teaches the importance of patience and discipline, both on the green felt and at a racing track.
Watch the World Series of Poker Live, Exclusively on PokerGO!
Immerse yourself in the electrifying atmosphere of the 2023 WSOP from the comfort of your home with PokerGO.
Tune in at PokerGO for the Conclusion of the 2023 WSOP PLO High Roller
The remaining five players will come back today to battle it out for the bracelet and $2.3 million first prize, with all the action brought to you live by PokerGO.
Last Chance to Win a WSOP 2023 Main Event Seat!
For players in Nevada and New Jersey the Seat Sprint promo is giving away 112 WSOP Main Event seats over the next 11 days.
Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow Just Misses Out on His Fifth WSOP Bracelet
Matusow came within inches of claiming a WSOP gold but couldn’t get over the last obstacle between him and his fifth bracelet.