PokerBaazi & Poker Life India join hands to promote mindfulness & mental wellbeing

As we all together battle the odds of the pandemic, PokerBaazi.com, India’s leading online gaming platform has announced a collaboration with Poker Life India for the Mindfulness Series. After last year’s successful interactive session on "Mental Health at the Felts" initiative, this leg brings 4 interactive videos- one video to be released every Monday with a special guest emphasizing on the topic each week. The Mindfulness Series aims to empower and educate people about the importance of mindfulness and mental health in life as well how it can be applied in the mind sport of poker. 

The sessions are hosted by Raj Shrestha Juneja, Poker player, YouTuber and founder of Poker Life India, who will be seen in conversation with renowned international mindset coaches such as Adam Carmichael, Founder - Winners Edge Poker, Karim Chelli, Founder - Karim Chelli Mentoring.

In a world gripped by the pandemic, mindfulness has emerged as a key characteristic to cope with anxiety and stress, resulting in enhanced patience, productivity, and thoughtful decisions. These skills positively impact one’s performance in a game of skill as it demands focus, mental stimulation and requires people to have a good control over their mind to thrive. To nurture this further, the new series by PokerBaazi.com focuses on how one can achieve a wholesome gaming experience when it’s coupled with responsible gaming and good mental health, resulting in realizing one’s full potential to unlock peak levels of performance and a winner’s mindset. 

The video sessions can be streamed on PokerBaazi’s Facebook page and on PokerLife India’s YouTube channel. The first episode of the series, discussing the key aspects of mindset and the process needed to play poker with perspective, is already live. To add a flavor of excitement to the series, PokerBaazi.com will also be conducting a contest on its Instagram handle and the winner will get a chance to have a 30-minute one-on-one session with mindset coach Adam Carmichael who has also been coaching various international professional poker players.

Commenting on the Mindfulness Series, Shashwat Mishra, Brand Manager & Creative Lead at PokerBaazi said “Poker is first and foremost a mind sport and as such, the most important attribute of a player is their mental health and fortitude. We at PokerBaazi have always tried to promote this, whether through our Baazi Care initiatives, properties such as Mental Health at the Felts as well as this exciting new collaboration which we hope can help guide poker players, both professional and aspiring, towards mindfulness and excellence.”

Raj Shrestha Juneja, Founder, Poker Life India, added “The need for mental health and mindfulness, is probably the most underrated aspect in the 21st century which was further highlighted by the pandemic. This series aims to highlight not just the need for it but seeks to initiate the journey for many. It shall seek to do so through reviewing relevant literature and interactions with people who excel in their fields- poker or otherwise!”

Adam Carmichael, Founder, Winners Edge Poker, further stated “As a poker player, mindfulness is like a superpower which allows you to focus your attention, as well as to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment. It allows you to regulate your stress responses in real-time and to perform at your best in high-pressure situations”

The initiative was started by PokerBaazi.com in July 2020 with a live session on "Mental Health at the Felts", in association Poker Boot Camp India, to help people cope during the pandemic. This series was a part of brand’s initiative Baazi Care which highlights important topics such as responsible gaming, good mental health of players, and also providing them support with their inhouse counselor and psychologists.

About the experts

Raj Juneja, Founder, Poker Life India

Raj Juneja is a professional Poker player and the founder of Poker Life India. Poker Life India is a YouTube Channel that caters to the needs of the Indian poker community and empowers them with information, insights, training, and guidance required to hone their skills to win in a competitive landscape. 

Adam Carmichael, Founder, Winners Edge Poker 

Adam Carmichael, a former professional high stakes player is now the founder of Winners Edge Poker. It is a coaching platform for poker players who are wanting to take all areas of their life to the next level. Adam coaches’ players to help them optimize their habits, build a bulletproof mindset, and create a lifestyle that has them thriving both on and off the tables. Over the past 3 years he has dedicated his life to working 1-1 with hundreds of players from 32 different countries, playing all formats from online MTTs to live high stakes skill games

Karim Chelli, Founder, Karim Chelli Mentoring

Karim Chelli is a mindset and performance coach and also the founder of Karim Chelli Mentoring. Starting his coaching journey early on, Karim used to coach entrepreneurs & professionals on how to improve their productivity and adopt a stronger mindset in their business or work. However, he slowly shifted his specialization and now works with poker players from all over the world on a daily basis to help them improve their mindset & performance. The Karim Chelli Mentoring, as a platform, helps dozens of poker players around the world unlock their full potential by developing powerful habits and removing self-sabotage inclinations.