For Nishant Kumar, a conventional corporate career took an unexpected turn after he discovered poker. Over several years, the IIT graduate competed in thousands of tournaments, accumulated more than $1 million in gross tournament winnings, and eventually moved into entrepreneurship.
Kumar, who graduated with a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering in 2017, initially followed a traditional professional path, working for major companies before becoming increasingly interested in poker.
He was introduced to the game at a social gathering in 2020. What initially appeared to be a recreational activity soon became a serious pursuit. Kumar said he was attracted less by the prospect of making money and more by the game’s emphasis on strategy, probability, decision-making and continuous learning.
From corporate work to professional poker
Over a period of more than five years, Kumar participated in more than 120 live tournaments and over 6,300 online tournaments.
He says his cumulative tournament winnings have exceeded $1 million across online and live competitions. However, he emphasizes that this is a gross figure and does not account for expenses such as tournament entry fees, travel or the cost of events in which he did not win money.
Kumar believes poker is frequently misunderstood. According to him, individual hands can be heavily influenced by chance, but decision-making becomes increasingly important when results are considered over a large number of games.
He also rejects the idea that professional poker primarily depends on reading an opponent’s facial expressions. In his view, successful players rely heavily on mathematics, probability, discipline and extensive preparation.
Kumar compares the long-term nature of poker to activities such as investing and trading, where individual outcomes can fluctuate but consistent decision-making can have a greater impact over time.
A major tournament becomes a turning point
Kumar joined a poker-focused company in 2024, taking on a strategy role that allowed him to combine his corporate experience with his understanding of the game and its players.
In April 2025, he competed in a major international tournament and reached the final table after an event that attracted more than 2,500 entries. He ultimately finished fifth and was the only Indian player at the final table.
Although the result brought significant recognition and prize money, Kumar says it was not the sole reason he eventually left his job. He had already been considering entrepreneurship for several months.
The tournament instead became a catalyst that helped him decide that it was time to pursue his own venture.
How his family viewed his career
Kumar’s career path was initially difficult for his family to explain to relatives. Moving from corporate employment into professional poker was an unconventional choice, particularly given his academic background.
His performance at an international tournament, however, provided his family with a different perspective. Seeing him compete successfully on an international stage gave them greater confidence in his chosen career.
Kumar says he had been planning his transition into entrepreneurship for some time. The tournament result and changes within the online gaming industry ultimately influenced the timing of his departure.
From poker to entrepreneurship
Rather than relying entirely on poker as a long-term career, Kumar decided to build a technology company.
He argues that professional poker can function like a treadmill: income generally depends on continuing to play, while results can fluctuate significantly. A business, by contrast, has the potential to grow beyond the founder’s direct involvement.
Kumar’s long-term ambition is to combine both interests—building a successful company while continuing to participate in major poker tournaments when possible.
Building a poker-learning platform
Kumar is now developing Ollinlabs, a platform designed to help people learn and improve their poker skills.
The service is intended to allow players to compete using virtual chips, receive a skill rating and use an AI-based coach to analyse their hands. The system is designed to explain strategic decisions in accessible language and help players understand how different choices could affect an outcome.
The platform does not involve real-money gaming. Kumar says the underlying technology includes an AI poker engine developed with his co-founder and technical team.
The company has also developed a neural solver intended to analyse poker situations and provide strategic insights.
Advice for people considering professional poker
Despite his own success, Kumar cautions people against leaving stable employment simply to pursue poker.
He recommends that anyone considering such a move should first maintain detailed records over a substantial number of games and build sufficient financial reserves to withstand an extended period of poor results.
According to Kumar, the lifestyle can be considerably more difficult than it appears from the outside. Professional players may experience long periods without positive results and must continue making disciplined decisions despite financial pressure.
He also believes that emotional resilience is essential because losing streaks can last for extended periods.
Can poker provide financial independence?
Kumar believes poker can potentially provide financial independence for highly disciplined and successful players, but he stresses that achieving this requires sustained effort and careful financial management.
For him, however, a single major tournament win was never enough to constitute a career. His decision to move toward entrepreneurship was driven by a desire to build something that could continue growing independently of the hours he spent playing.
His broader goal is to create a legitimate pathway for people who are interested in poker as a skill-based pursuit, while giving players access to tools that can help them study and improve their game.
