Ankit Ahuja 🇮🇳

Originally from Delhi, India, and later moving to the Isle of Man and London, Ahuja’s path to the top is anything but traditional. Before turning pro, he worked as a high-level tech and business consultant, even serving as a consultant for PokerStars. This corporate background provided him with a unique, analytical perspective that he applied to the tables when he decided to pursue poker full-time in 2018. He quickly became a household name in Asian poker, making history as the first player to win the Asia Player of the Year (APOY) title twice (2019 and 2023). Whether it’s winning a Red Dragon High Roller in Manila or crushing high-stakes events in Barcelona, Ahuja’s journey reflects a player who treats the game with the discipline of a CEO.

Ahuja is widely respected for his steady mental game and his ability to make deep runs in field sizes that most players find overwhelming. His strategy is rooted in a “low-variance, high-reward” approach during the early stages, shifting into a calculated, aggressive gear once he nears a final table. He is a specialist in large-field No Limit Hold’em, where his patience and “short-stack ninja” skills allow him to survive spots that would bust a more reckless player. In recent years, he has focused heavily on fixing “mental leaks,” a move he credits for his 2023-2025 hot streak. His ability to adapt to different regional playstyles, from the aggression of the Asian circuit to the technicality of the EPT, makes him one of the most versatile players in the world.

With total live tournament earnings of over $3.8 million (according to The Hendon Mob), Ahuja is one of the most prolific performers of the modern era. His career-best score came in October 2023 at EPT Cyprus, where he navigated a massive field of 2,659 entries to win the $1,100 Eureka Main Event for $362,365. Other notable results include a victory in the 2022 Venetian DeepStack MonsterStack for $189,013 and a deep run in the 2023 WPT World Championship, where he finished 34th for $132,500. His 2025-2026 campaign has remained relentless, featuring an 8th-place finish in the 2026 EPT Paris PokerStars Open High Roller for EUR 57,240 (~$67,437) and a 3rd-place finish at the WPT Cambodia Championship Turbo event for $4,656. Ankit Ahuja (photo courtesy of Asian Poker Tour)