Team India has consistently impressed in Match Poker events and is fully focused on the World Championship. Winning the first Asian qualifier last year, finishing 4th in the 2020 Virtual Nations Cup, being crowned Asian Champions in 2019 in Taipei, and launching the world’s first pro Match Poker league have all been feathers in India’s cap but now the national team is looking for its first ever podium finish at a World Cup!

Here is the squad for the Indian team’s participation in North Macedonia at the 2021 Nations Cup Finals:


Name: Jagdeep Singh (C)

Age: 37

Profession: Poker Player

Bio: Has been part of the winning team in the national team in 3 out of the 4 completed seasons, captaining the team in two of them. Previously represented India at the 2017 Nations Cup in Oxford, where he won the ‘Deepstack Diamond’ for being the best performing player against the AI poker player ‘Deepstack’, then in Bangkok at the 2018 Asian Nations Pairs Challenge and most recently at the 2021 Nations Cup virtual qualifiers. He is excited to lead the national team in Gevgelija and is looking to grab this opportunity with both hands, while aiming to atleast bring home a podium finish for his country.


Name: Sajal Gupta

Age: 28

Profession: Self employed

Bio: I’ve been playing poker for more than 5 years, I have played all formats – MTT, Hold’em and PLO cash. Very interested to play a new format in Match Poker and make my debut for the national team.

Name: Pratibha Arya

Age: 28

Profession: Poker Player

Bio: Pratibha has been playing Match Poker since the launch of the Indian national league in 2017, being on the winning team in 3 out of the 4 seasons! She won ‘player of the season’ for her individual performance in season 2, and has been a consistently impressive player throughout. Pratibha will be making her 4th appearance for the national team in Macedonia and only has the world title on her mind!


Name: Amit Varma

Age: 48

Profession: Writer and Podcaster

Bio: Amit Varma is a writer and podcaster based in Mumbai. He has been a journalist for over two decades, and won the Bastiat prize for Journalism twice. He hosts the popular longform podcast, The Seen and the Unseen. He is retired from playing poker professionally, but was tempted to try Match Poker because of his love of optimising for new formats.


Name: Gaurav Kalra

Age: 40

Profession: Tech geek

Bio: An integral part of the dominant Haryana Hawks in the Indian national league, Gaurav has really embraced the uniqueness of the Match Poker concept and its team element. ‘Match Poker is making Texas Hold’em Poker a team sport with strategy spanning across a team rather than an individual, a very exciting concept.’


Name: Mukul Chadda

Age: 48

Profession: Actor

Bio: Mukul Chadda began his working career in Investment Banking at the erstwhile Lehman Brothers in New York, writing research reports on US Agency Debt securities. His current vocation is as an actor in Mumbai, best known for playing the lead role of Jagdeep Chaddha (the Michael Scott/David Brent equivalent) in the Indian edition of international show The Office. He also does Film, Stage & Improv, and Storytelling.

Somewhere between these two careers, he combined his investment & acting skills to focus seriously on poker, playing it semi-professionally for a few years. In 2011, he won the IPS (Indian Poker Series) Player of the Year title for his consistent finishes in their tournaments in Goa.


Name: Loveleen Singh

Age: 31

Profession: Poker Player

Bio: Loveleen will be making his Team India debut at the 2021 World Championships in Macedonia. He has been representing the Delhi Aces in the Indian national league and proven himself over the past 2 seasons. He will be looking to cement his spot in the national team and make his debut a very memorable one.


When Lithuania were announced as the winners of the ‘Plate’ at the 2019 European Nations Cup in Kyiv, an elated NF president Skirmantas Tomkevicius proudly said with a big smile ‘Lithuanian will always find the toughest path to achieve our goal, but we will get there in the end. It’s the Lithuanian way!’


It looks like he was right as Lithuania qualified as the final team in the line up for the 2021 World Championships in Gevgelija! A squad that has participated in multiple Match Poker events together, with their best performance coming in the 2020 Virtual Nations Cup where they finished in 3rd place overall behind Ukraine and Australia. Dainius Ulke was awarded with ‘Player of the Tournament’ in Kyiv and he will be looking to replicate his performance and help his national team finish on the podium.

The Lithuanian National Team for the 2021 World Cup is as follows:


Name: Lukas Kviecinskas

Profession: CEO of poker room “Poker Garden” in Lithuania

Age: 27

Bio: I played my first poker game just after my 18th birthday. And since then, day after day, tournament after tournament it became a big part of my life. I am so humbled and proud to be a champion of Lithuania in 2020 and the winner of multiple other tournaments.


Name: Dainius Ulkè

Age: 46

Profession: IT specialist

Bio: I started playing poker in 2007. Now that’s my hobby. I like the live game, I like the reaction of the players in different situations, I like to interact at the table. Proud to be representing the national team again.


Name: Arūnas Blauzdžiūnas

Age: 46

Profession: Reserve Officer

Bio: I started playing poker 12 years ago. It has become a daily hobby for me to relax after work. Playing live is the funnest interaction, and I love the sporting tension in a poker game.


Name: Erikas Zukas

Age: 30

Bio: He is the youngest member of our national team, eager to learn and understand other players – once Erikas has won tournament without even looking at his own cards!


Name: Mantas Urbonas

Age: 34

Bio: Poker professional from Panevėžys, now resides in Vilnius. Mantas is also a football team ‘Top Kicker’s’ owner and manager. He started to play poker 10 years ago, and his best achievement is 4th place of Battle of Malta winning 120000 EUR. Ranks 31st in Lithuania by live earnings.


Name: Diana Dvelienė

Age: 45

Bio: She lives in Kaunas and together with her husband, who is also a poker player in the federation, they run their own plants growing business. Does not play often in any live tournaments, but if she does, finishes ITM.


Name: Skirmantas Tomkevičius

Age: 45

Bio: The president of the recognised national federation for poker in Lithuania, Lietuvos Sportinio Pokerio Federacija (LSPF). I will be playing just in case its needed. He is the team manager and is working closely with the Polish national federation on their combined national Match Poker leagues!


 

Ukraine was one of the original founding members of the IFMP, represented by the late Mr. Gary Bowman who was a key individual in the creation of the international and national federation, a major believer and supporter of poker as a mind sport and strategic game of skill.

The national team, represented by the Ukraine Sport Poker Federation (USPF), first participated in a global Match Poker event in March 2019 in Dublin at the Nations Cup, and managed to dethrone the Irish as World Champions! The 2019 European Championships were then hosted in Kyiv and saw 13 national teams compete for the continental honours and to qualify for the World Cup. However due to Covid, the 2020 Nations Cup Finals were held in a virtual format, with the qualified nations competing from the safety and comfort of their own homes by being linked up through a video conference platform.

This didn’t change much for the Ukrainians and they proved their skills once again, successfully defending the World Championship and becoming the first 2-time Nations Cup holders. We know of their strength, resolve and fighting spirit as a nation, and this is exactly what they will bring with them to Macedonia as they look to once again emerge victorious. IFMP and the global Match Poker family stands with Ukraine as they continue to defend their nation.

The Ukrainian National Team for the 2021 Nations Cup Finals:


Name: Igor Kotyk

Age: 33

Bio: Igor Kotyk is a relatively young player, but he won the first main event at UPT in Ukraine back in 2012. In the prize-winning athlete’s victory not only online, in the SCOOP series, but also in live tournaments in Vegas. In the online segment, he is well known not only as an MTT athlete, but also a high-stakes cash player.


Name: Ivanna Yatsiuk

Age: 33

Bio: Ivanna is a debutant of the Ukrainian national team and a professional poker player. She has earned her place in the main team thanks to her excellent results. Lately Ivanna has won many big online tournaments and has proved her worth in the live series. Now it’s time to help the team win new trophies!


Name: Vasyl Zabrodskyy

Age: 56

Bio: Journalist and an amateur poker player, Vasil is the most experienced player of the Ukrainian national team and one of Ukraine’s most titled poker players. Zabrodsky’s collection includes three EPT championships, victories in other prestigious poker series and prizes in Ukrainian sports poker championships. This will be his debut performance at the Nations Cup as part of the Ukrainian national team.


Name: Volodymyr Drokin

Age: 32

Bio: A professional poker player, Volodymyr also has two gold medals of the Match Poker Nations Cup having been an integral part of the Ukrainian national team in both 2019 and 2020. In addition, he has won the Ukrainian sports poker championship and has repeatedly been noted for his successful performances at the World Series of Poker in Vegas. Drokin is a real fighter and helps his team prepare for the competition as thoroughly as possible, with the aim to defend their championship.


Name: Hanna Mazno

Age: 32

Bio: A professional poker player, Hanna made her debut in the Ukrainian national team in 2020. And before that, she managed to become the winner of the selection event to the team, organised by PokerMatch. This player from Kharkiv managed to get ahead of almost 100 competitors and win a place in the main team of the country. Well done and congratulations to Hanna!


Name: Artem Kobylynskyi

Age: 31

Bio: A very dangerous opponent for any player who comes to the table with him. Artem, a professional poker player, has made it to the EPT Super Final Main Event, and he has dozens of great results in online tournaments. Artem always tries to show his best game in the Ukrainian team and does it excellently.


Name: Oleksandr Petryk

Age: 32

Bio: A regular on the national poker circuit, Oleksandr will be making his national team debut at the 2021 Nations Cup Finals in Macedonia.


Name: Sergey Efimenko

Bio: President of the Ukrainian Sports Poker Federation and manager of the national Match Poker team. He has been a key figure in the growth of poker as a mind sport in Ukraine, creating a strong national structure and being recognised by the Sports Ministry. He also arranged for the national team to be awarded with their trophy and medals at the Olympic House in Kyiv by the Minister of Sport, after the 2020 Nations Cup victory.

The Estonian team has been a regular at IFMP events since 2012, and consistently impressed but haven’t made a podium finish as yet – something they are looking to change in Macedonia!

After the host nation received automatic qualification to the event, the Estonians were invited since they finished just behind Macedonia in the last European qualifier. A bunch of experienced Match Poker players, the Estonian national team has always been very enthusiastic to participate in any IFMP event. Kelly and Carmen are joined by some new faces making their live event debut this time, and no doubt will prove to be tough competition for the other participating nations!#

The Estonian National Match Poker Squad for the 2021 Nations Cup is as follows:

Name: Alari Raid

Bio: Alari is an entrepreneur, who’s passion is poker. He mainly participates in online events but has also won several live events.
One of Alari ambitions is to promote poker so he is organizing poker events among other things. His famous poker face and ability to read opponents makes Alari unexpectedly dangerous poker player.


Name: Marius Morel

Bio: Recreational player who enjoys long romantic walks on the beach, capable of winning 2 Estonian championships in 24 hours, 3-betting out of position. Allergic to limping, don’t bluff him, he never folds.


Name: Argo Garamaga

Bio: Argo is an Estonian poker player who has been playing poker for 10 years with some impressive results in his bag. For the past 5 years he has also been working with different teams that stream poker events around Europe. Poker has always been a major part of his life and he really loves the game and its social side of that. Argo is always positive and friendly!


Name: Veiko Aava

Bio: One of Estonia’s best known poker players who has won 5X Estonian championship titles. Veiko’s main virtues are his vast experience and the ability to read his opponents.


 

Name: Carmen-Elina Vist

Bio: Carmen-Elina is a second term Estonian Tournament Poker Federation board member who helps to shape Estonian poker landscape by organising different events from private to national championships. She is one of the most aggressive players with whom mostly people are scared to play in the same table. In her 10 year poker career she achieved among other things two Estonian champion titles and been voted several years in a row as the best female poker player of the year.


Name: Kelly Limonova

Bio: Entrepreneur, who has been representing Estonian national team since 2012 when they won the European Nations Cup Qualifying event in Vienna. Kelly is an uncomfortable opponent to all of her competitors. She actively plays poker also today and
her tirelessness, patriotism and sociability make this woman one of the pillars of the Estonian national team.


Name: Toivo Ojasoo

Bio: Toivo has 3 Estonian poker championship titles – one in Omaha, one in Holdem and one in Team challenge which means that he is a great team player who is always ready to jump through fire for his team. Fellow players characterise him as a man, who is nice and friendly in life but becomes the devil at the poker table.


Name: Danel Kunman

Bio: He has 15 years of experience in live and online poker. He holds many tournament champion titles, also very important – he has the title of Estonian Champion. He is super calm so it makes it extremely irritating trying to get any read out of him. He is a construction businessman and poker is long lasting hobby.