Nikita Luther

Nikita Luther
Born	20 January 1991 New Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Professional poker player
Years active	2015–present
Education	Sanskriti School, Delhi University of Delhi
Known for	First Indian woman to win a WSOP bracelet (2018)

Nikita Luther (born 20 January 1991) is an Indian professional poker player and gaming entrepreneur. She is best known for becoming the first Indian woman to win a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, achieving the feat in 2018 at Las Vegas. Widely regarded as one of India’s most accomplished poker professionals, Luther has played a key role in popularising poker as a game of skill in the country.

Early life and education

Nikita Luther was born and raised in New Delhi in a disciplined military household. She completed her schooling at Sanskriti School, New Delhi, and later graduated from the University of Delhi.

From an early age, she displayed an aptitude for analytical thinking, mathematics and strategy-based games. These skills would later form the foundation of her professional poker career.

Introduction to poker

Luther was first introduced to poker through the online platform Zynga Poker, where she played casually. Her interest deepened in 2015 after participating in a live poker game at a private event, where she discovered her ability to apply probability, psychology and decision-making under pressure.

In the same year, she entered the competitive circuit and won the Ladies’ Event at the Indian Poker Championship in Goa, marking the beginning of her professional career.

Professional poker career

Between 2016 and 2018, Luther emerged as one of India’s strongest tournament players.

In 2017, she won the Macau Poker Cup Team Event alongside Raghav Bansal. Later that year, she finished fifth at the Aria Poker Classic Main Event in Las Vegas, earning approximately US$65,000.

Her defining moment came in 2018 at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, where she won the US$1,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold’em event with Italian player Giuseppe Pantaleo. The victory earned them a prize of US$175,805 and a WSOP gold bracelet, making Luther the first Indian woman to achieve this milestone.

Out of thousands of global participants that year, she was the only Indian woman to win a bracelet. Her achievement was widely regarded as a breakthrough moment for Indian poker.

Continued success

In 2019, Luther recorded India’s first six-figure poker score by finishing second at the Aria Poker Classic Main Event, outlasting over 1,900 players.

By 2023, her record included:

• 14 WSOP money finishes
• 3 World Poker Tour (WPT) final table appearances
• Multiple deep runs at international tournaments

She has consistently ranked among India’s top live tournament earners.

Roles beyond playing

Apart from playing professionally, Luther has contributed to the growth of poker in India in leadership and ambassadorial roles.

She served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Poker Sports League (PSL), a team-based poker league aimed at expanding the game’s reach in India. She is also a brand ambassador for Natural8 India, an international online poker platform.

Luther is actively involved in mentoring emerging poker players, focusing on game theory, emotional control and long-term strategy.

Media appearances

In 2025, Nikita Luther appeared as a contestant on the reality competition series The Traitors India on Amazon Prime Video. The strategy-driven format aligned closely with her poker background, and reports indicated that she won the show alongside Urfi Javed.

Her appearance introduced her to a wider mainstream audience beyond the poker community.

Impact and legacy

Nikita Luther is widely regarded as a trailblazer for women in Indian poker. At a time when card games were often viewed as luck-based or socially discouraged, her success helped reposition poker as a skill-based competitive discipline.

Her career has inspired a new generation of Indian players, particularly women, to pursue poker professionally. Beyond her tournament achievements, Luther is recognised for advocating responsible play and for legitimising poker within India’s evolving gaming ecosystem.