July Update: An Insight into How Tournament Runs Through July Changed the POY Dynamics!
As the calendar flipped to August, Maharashtra’s Prahlad Nilange “Clutchg0d” continues to “clutch” the #1 rank on the Player of the Year (POY) rankings – a position he had claimed in May-end. In hot pursuit are UP’s Ritwik Khanna “Ritwikkhanna”, Tamil Nadu’s Aditya Sushant “gangajal”, Rajasthan”s Neeraj Sattawat “Dattebayo7”, and Karnataka’s Advait Rajguru “ExploitativeGTO”.

The tournament bustle was intense and over 3.29 LAC entries were registered across the month. Take a quick look at the July stats.
JULY IN NUMBERS

  • Total Entries: 3.29+ LAC
  • Total Prizes Distributed: 48 CR
  • Players Clocking 120+ Tournaments: 150

But July wasn’t just about the toppers or the numbers. The POY Leaderboard witnessed dramatic rank climbs and breakout performances, showcasing the relentless grit and persistence of the players.

Let’s catch up on who landed the biggest scorecard in July and made meteoric climbs on the POY leaderboard!

Praveen KR – The July MVP
Bengaluru’s Praveen KR aka ‘PinaWXD’ emerged as July’s top scorer, with 90 ITM finishes, made 19 final table appearances, and 5 title wins, raking in a massive 36.45 LAC. His headline moment was in “The MoneyMaker” on 6th July, where he clinched a third-place finish and a 6.55 LAC prize.

Aman Prajapati, Amit Kumar Jha & Gopal Bajaj – The July Rank Risers
The following three players cruised high on the POY rankings through July:

Aman Prajapati “TheExplorer”: POY Rank #25 (242↑)
The Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh based player was lingering at Rank #267 when July began. He climbed 242 ranks, entering August on Rank #25. Aman’s July performance encompasses 6.38 LAC in winnings from 66 cashouts, 9 final tables, and 3 titles. On 11th July he took down “The Quest Lite” for 2.08 LAC.

Amit Kumar Jha “philivey007”: POY Rank #24 (14↑)
The low-stakes player who hails from Darbhanga, Bihar, has several top-notch finishes to his name, including a Bronze in the NPS India Mini Main Event for 35.92 LAC. In July, Amit secured 2.83 LAC on the back of 87 cashes including 11 final tables and 1 title win in July. headline score was in “The Big Show” where he finished 14th for 41.15K on 28th July.

Gopal Bajaj “AiDarwin”: POY Rank #3 (9↑)
Starting July at POY Rank #12, Gopal Bajaj from Latur shot up 9 spots to break into the Top 3! With 26.51 LAC in earnings from 58 cashes, including 9 FTs and 3 wins, he had a standout month. His biggest score? A 7.47 LAC win in “The Endeavour” on 8th July.

Arshdeep Singh ‘asg9966’ – The July Standout
The Firozepur, Punjab-based cash game regular has turned up the heat on the tournament tables since his APPT Cambodia outing in May. Arshdeep scored 14.26 LAC from 58 cashes and 6 final tables – making a massive leap of 437 spots to hit POY Rank #92 as July ended.

His top highlight was a third-place finish in “The Pride” on 2nd July for 3.08 LAC.

The 2025 POY Leaderboard takes the following seven factors into consideration:

  • 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.

POY Momentum Brewing in August
The ongoing The Circuit Online Championship (TCOC) that kicked off on 3rd August and will run all the way till 17th August, features a 53 CR prize pool, and four exclusive invites to “The Circuit.” While the series features a 1 CR Leaderboard, players will also gain momentum on the 2025 POY Leaderboard basis their performance in the series.

The POY race – with a 5 CR prize pool aside for the Top 100 finishers – serves as a benchmark for players demonstrating consistent volume and steady performances in tournaments.

Remember, consistency is key: players who complete 120+ tournaments earn a 50-point POY boost!
(*stats mentioned in this update are relevant from 1st – 31st July).

Player of the Year