They are being billed as the Missketeers, but as opposed to the three (or sometimes four) Frenchmen, this bunch of fighters consists of nine poker-playing Indian women – an all-female team ready to hit the tournament circuit for their sponsors 9stacksgaming.
As well as the already widely-known Muskan Sethi pictured above – recently honoured for her poker contribution as one of 100 outstanding women achievers who have excelled in professions typically dominated by males – the Nine Missketeers cover a variety of backgrounds.
Journalist and scrabble fan Radhika Mahalingaiah is in the team, as is chartered accountant Ritu Chadha and fashion designer Simrit Tiwana makes the grade too…
…as does youngest member of the new crew, Lavanya Thota.
The full roster of poker-loving women getting set to dive into action later this month at the Deltin Poker Tournament, played aboard the biggest floating casino in Goa, the Delta Royale.
9stacks founder Sudhir Kamat said of his ‘Nine Missketeers’ team:
“Given that poker is a mind sport that requires strategic acumen regardless of their gender we think there’s a huge market waiting to be tapped here, and we just need a small push to encourage more women to take up poker either professionally or just for fun.”