Kunal Patni

Kunal Patni was born and raised in Mumbai, India. Before turning to poker professionally, he worked in the banking sector. His first recorded live cash came in October 2014 at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour – APPT Asia Championship of Poker in Macau, where he won the HK$2,500 No Limit Hold'em Rebuy Championship for $22,714. This early success encouraged him to pursue poker full time. Patni continued to build his resume with consistent cashes across Asia, participating in events like the Asian Poker Tour and Poker Dream series.

Patni’s breakout performance came in January 2018 at the €1,500 WPT European Championship in Berlin. He finished second to Dustin Mangold, earning €96,140 ($115,819) – his largest single cash at the time. He followed up with a sixth-place finish in the $1,100 WPT Prime Cambodia Main Event in August 2022 for $35,690. At the 2023 World Series of Poker, Patni placed eighth in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout for $73,225, and three days later finished sixth in the PokerNews Cup Mystery Bounty for $44,945. In September 2023, he won a High Roller event at the USOP Hanoi in Vietnam, taking home $99,819. His career reached new heights at the 2025 WSOP, where he finished fifth in Event #68: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $224,833 – his largest cash to date. Patni also cashed multiple times at the WSOP in 2024 and 2026, including a 20th-place in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em ($24,697) and a 48th-place in the $1,500 Millionaire Maker ($33,000).

At the APT Phu Quoc 2024 series, Patni had a fantastic run. He finished as runner-up in Event #19: VND 4 Million Tick Tock BOOM! Super Hold'em, losing to Sam Nigel Insole, for VND 35.70 Million (₹1.19 Lakh). Earlier in the series, he reached the final table of the Vietnam National Cup (Event #1), finishing ninth for VND 82.27 Million (₹2.74 Lakh). In October 2024, he placed eighth at the APT Taipei PC. Beyond individual events, Patni captained the Deccan Aces to the championship in the Poker Sports League Season 6 (PSL 6), a team-based competition that has helped popularize poker in India. his total live earnings are around $1.35 million, while PokerNews lists $2.08 million and SoMuchPoker $1.89 million; these figures reflect the dynamic nature of live tournament tracking and the inclusion of recent cashes.

Patni is recognized for his balanced and adaptable style. He combines aggression with careful hand selection, often using deep-stack proficiency and positional awareness to outmaneuver opponents. His demeanor at the tables is calm and professional, earning him respect among peers. Patni has been a key figure in the growth of poker in India, frequently sharing insights on social media and through interviews. He now ranks 9th on the India All-Time Money List and has been a regular in Asian events and the WSOP. With a career spanning over a decade and a steady upward trajectory, Kunal Patni remains a prominent ambassador for Indian poker on the global stage.