"Love For Poker Tilted My Inclination Towards An MBA" – IIM Nagpur Student Avinash Kumar's Story

If we try to look at the strategic decisions in the game, then advanced strategies include Game Theory, Optimal Solutions for NL Holdem (a form of Poker) and calculation of Nash Equilibrium which are a set of strategies that drafts one strategy for each player such that no player has an incentive to change his strategy unilaterally. My exposure to poker for all those six-seven odd years, right from the nascent stage to those when I played it professionally,  gave me the surety that even though this game is a passion for me but as a career, I would be more suited for work that involves designing strategy on a professional front. I realized that an area that demands to assess what my competitors would do and accordingly act or react is something I should pursue in the long run. And henceforth, the inclination towards an MBA came into the picture.

A player can excel in poker only with the proper application of analytical techniques, game theory and appropriate decision making. And when I researched about MBA courses across IIMs and other prominent B Schools in India, I found out that all these subjects are available across IIMs & few top-notch Non-IIMs as well. Those subjects and courses were not only specific to Poker but also as concepts that are applicable in business scenarios. Eventually, I ended up writing CAT and opted for the PGP program at IIM Nagpur. From the 2018-20 PGP batch, IIM Nagpur has started offering Corporate Strategy as a specialization as well.

Going ahead in the future post my MBA, I would like to take up roles in the Strategy and consulting area which would be in resonance with my analytical and strategic capabilities.

Today, I can say that we don’t assess the power that a hobby, or a passion or even an interest can help you direct your career choice in the right direction.