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POY 2025: Week 20 Update (May 12 – 18)
PokerBaazi’s “The MoneyMaker” continues its electric month-long run, shaking up the Player of the Year (POY) 2025 leaderboard in a big way.
While Advait Rajguru still clutches the top rank, fierce challengers have emerged from across the country. Ritwik Khanna from Gautam Buddha Nagar and Aditya Sushant from Chennai have turned up the pressure, closing in fast on the current king of the charts.
Leaderboard Shake-Up: Big Climbs, Bigger Statements
In one of the most dramatic movements of the season so far, Ritwik Khanna soared 161 spots to Rank 2, riding high after shipping “The MoneyMaker” on May 16. Hot on his heels, Aditya Sushant surged 18 ranks to break into the Top 10 with a podium finish in the same tournament on May 14.
The updated Top 10 now features a dynamic mix of seasoned pros and consistent grinders from across India: Mumbai’s Prahlad Nilange, Ahmedabad’s Mohit Bohra, Pune’s Vishal Ojha, Gurugram’s Sanat Mehrotra, Delhi players, Rishab Malik and Aayush Arya, as well as Goa’s Mohsin Shaikh!
Take a Look at the POY TOP 10 Rankings:
| Rank | Player | Tournaments Played | Cashes | Weekly Winnings | POY Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (~) | Advait Rajguru‘ExploitativeGTO’ | 20 | 10 | 2.04 LAC | 998 (~) |
| 2 (↑161) | Ritwik Khanna‘Ritwikkhanna’ | 8 | 4 | 15.47 LAC | 997 (+25) |
| 3 (⬇1) | Prahlad Nilange‘Clutchg0d’ | 12 | 7 | 76.9K | 997 (~) |
| 4 (⬇1) | Mohit Bohra‘bullets777’ | 24 | 11 | 10.86 LAC | 997 (~) |
| 5 (⬇1) | Vishal Ojha‘Darky’ | 11 | 4 | 76.5K | 997 (~) |
| 6 (↑18) | Aditya Sushant‘gangajal’ | 19 | 9 | 12.45 LAC | 997 (+3) |
| 7 (⬇1) | Sanat Mehrotra‘mehro2511’ | 16 | 10 | 1.63 LAC | 996 (~) |
| 8 (⬇1) | Rishab Malik‘ryuk’ | 8 | 4 | 1.03 LAC | 996 (~) |
| 9 (⬇ 1) | Aayush Arya‘Learnnwin’ | 7 | 2 | 41K | 996 (~) |
| 10 (~) | Mohsin Shaikh‘gongo’ | 27 | 11 | 1.65 LAC | 996 (~) |
The Week 20 MVPs!
Top Scorers
One of the week’s standout performers was Neeraj Sattawat, the Jaipur-based 8-time NPS India medallist. Sattawat came within striking distance of his first “The MoneyMaker” title on May 14, finishing runner-up for a massive 10 LAC payday. He capped off the week with 18.77 LAC in total winnings!
Joining him in the MVP circle were Abhimanyu Mittal, Aditya Kesharwani, Ritwik Khanna, and Bhanuprakash KC — all of whom put up incredible performances.
| Player | POY Rank | POY Score | Weekly Cashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neeraj Sattawat‘Dattebayo7’ | 12 | 996 | 18.77 LAC |
| Abhimanyu Mittal‘AsratManfi’ | 93 | 986 | 18.68 LAC |
| Aditya Kesarwani‘KesarDa’ | 71 | 987 | 16.29 LAC |
| Ritwik Khanna‘Ritwikkhanna’ | 2 | 997 | 15.47 LAC |
| BhanuprakashKC ‘Chennaino1’ | 15 | 996 | 13.70 LAC |
RANK RISERS: THEY BEAT THE ODDS!
Impressive Rank & Score Jumps
The week saw some jaw-dropping leaps on the POY leaderboard, with underdogs turning the tables and staking their claim at the top.
Ritwik Khanna led the charge with a massive 161-rank leap to #2, closely followed by Aditya Sushant, who climbed 18 spots to secure Rank 6. The biggest shocks came from the deep field—Aditya Kesharwani soared 1,975 spots to Rank 71, and Abhimanyu Mittal stunned everyone with an astronomical 3,284-rank jump, landing at Rank 93! Nikita Fernandes also made a powerful move, climbing 71 positions to enter the Top 40. These players didn’t just show up—they stormed the leaderboard!
| Player | POY Rank | POY Score |
|---|---|---|
| Ritwik Khanna‘Ritwikkhanna’ | 2 (↑161) | 997 (+25) |
| Aditya Sushant‘gangajal’ | 6 (↑18) | 997 (+3) |
| Nikita Fernandes‘highpriestess | 39 (↑71) | 991 (+9) |
| Aditya Kesharwani‘KesarDa’ | 71 (↑1,975) | 987 (+271) |
| Abhimanyu Mittal‘AsratManfi’ | 93 (↑3,284) | 986 (+355) |
RUN RATE STRIKERS
Best Cashout Ratio
Goa’s Myron Pereira set the bar sky-high with a staggering 66.7% cashout ratio, topping the list of Run Rate Strikers. Mumbai’s Aditya Kulkarni followed closely behind, showing how to make every ITM finish count.
| Player Name | POY Score | Weekly Cashes | Cashout Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myron Pereira‘priyankAAchoprAA’ | 653 | 11.38 LAC | 66.7% |
| Aditya Kulkarni‘Whoarewe’ | 641 | 1.66 LAC | 65% |
| Suchit Save‘Jefe24’ | 643 | 1.84 LAC | 55.2% |
| Kritarth Pant‘agentjack’ | 995 | 7.05 LAC | 52.4% |
| Himanshu Arora‘pokerbrat7’ | 974 | 4.97 LAC | 48.3% |
HEAD-TURNERS
Single-Biggest Scorers
Belting in The MoneyMaker titles and bagging top scores were Abhimanyu Mittal, Aditya Kesharwani and Ritwik Khanna!
| Player Name | Top Score |
|---|---|
| Abhimanyu Mittal‘AsratManfi’ | 15 LAC |
| Aditya Kesharwani‘KesarDa’ | 15 LAC |
| Ritwik Khanna‘Ritwikkhanna’ | 15 LAC |
What’s Next?
With 13 more days to go in “The MoneyMaker” series, there’s still a world of action left to unfold. Can Ritwik Khanna or Aditya Sushant dethrone Advait Rajguru, or will the reigning champ hold the line?
Strap in — the 2025 POY race is the hot battleground of tournament Poker, and it only just gets better!
Your POY Score is Calculated Basis the Following Factors:
- Return on Investment (ROI): Your profits relative to buy-ins, adjusted for the log value of your average buy-in.
- In the Money (ITM): The number of times you finish in the money, multiplied by the log value of your average buy-in.
- Tournaments Played: The total number of tournaments you play in 2025.
- Winnings: Total prize money won in tournaments throughout the year.
- Final Tables: Number of times you make the final table, multiplied by the square root of participants in those tournaments.
- 1st Rank: Number of tournament victories, multiplied by the square root of participants.
- Biggest Score: Your highest single tournament score of the year.
(Disclaimer: Rankings are accurate as of midnight, May 18th)
