PokerStars Aussie Millions Festival to Feature Newly Sponsored Team Pros

Two students from India and Japan, studying in US and Canada, respectively, became Poker champions, before finishing studies.

Last Tuesday January 6, PokerStars revealed that it would sponsor Team Pros from India and Japan for the first time on its site, a gesture which proves that the expansion of poker under Indian gambling laws is well under way. The two players, who became ardent poker players, then champions, are Aditya Agarwal and Kosei Ichinose.

To show off their two new players, PokerStars will sponsor their debut at the Aussie Millions festival. The festival will be held in the Crown Casino, Melbourne, later this month. Agarwal and Ichinose are expected to take their seats in the AU $10,600 Main Event, which starts on January 25, through to February 1. Profile of Agarwal and Ichinose Agarwal, Indian-born, was chosen as he topped PokerStars’ biggest online tournaments, while Kosei Ichinose was Japan’s first Supernova Elite player. Agarwal finished in the top 100 of World Series of Poker Main Event in 2008, finishing in the top 100 for $51,466, and also had a cash finish at EPT Barcelona in 2007 for $34,313.

Ichinose scored big in PokerStars SCOOP, WCOOP and Sunday Major events, and won the APPT, Macau Millions and Red Dragon live events in Asia. Currently he contends in the very challenging MTTs, Omaha and Mixed Games online at PokerStars.

Agarwal said he would like to be India’s poker ambassador, promoting poker in his country. He will play under the online username ‘Adi Agarwal’. While Ichinose said he anticipated spreading ‘the popularity of playing online poker in Japan.' He will play under the alias ‘Kosei Ichinose’.

PokerStars’ Head of Pro & Celebrity Management, Kirsty Thompson, said that sponsoring Ichinose and Agarwal as Team Pros, from India and Japan, represented a milestone to help promote Poker in countries where Poker is little-played and not well-known.