Just a week before his breakthrough moment at the 2026 Borgata Winter Poker Open, Akash Hotwani felt cursed by the cards. After firing multiple bullets in both the Almighty Winter Kickoff and the Super Deep 6-Max without success, frustration set in. With nothing to show for his efforts, he made the long drive home to regroup with his wife and dog, unsure if he would even return.
“No matter what I did, I busted out of every single tournament,” Hotwani recalled. “Everything was a disaster. I went home in tears on Wednesday, planning to go back to the office and take care of my dog, thinking that was it for me here.”
A Timely Pep Talk
That brief return home turned out to be the turning point. With a few words of encouragement from his wife, Hotwani found new motivation. The very next day, he jumped into a BetMGM satellite and won his way back into the Deepstack Main Event.
“I played the flight on Friday with my satellite entry, and it lasted about ten minutes,” he said with a laugh. Still, he figured that since he was already there, he might as well take another shot and see what happened.
What followed was nothing short of extraordinary. Over the next three days, Hotwani outlasted a massive field of 4,280 players, ultimately capturing the Deepstack Main Event title, a $323,775 payday, and his first-ever BetMGM trophy.
“I can’t even put into words what it took to get here,” Hotwani told PokerOrg. “People only see the win, but they don’t see the year and a half of nonstop studying, grinding tournaments, burning my bankroll—literally spending my rent money just to keep playing.”
Grinding Pays Off
A familiar face on the Northeast tournament circuit, Hotwani had tasted live success before, though nothing on this scale. His first Hendon Mob–recorded victory came in October at Parx Casino, where he won a $340 nightly event. That was followed by a runner-up finish just weeks later.
“October and November, I finished first and second within three weeks, and that really boosted my confidence,” he said. “But this is completely different. Those tournaments last a few hours. This is days of grinding—playing 12 hours a day and then resetting your mindset to do it all over again.”
That mental reset paid dividends. After firing a second bullet, Hotwani bagged a top-five stack in Flight E and carried a top-three stack into Day 3. He entered the final table in the middle of the pack before pulling away from the field and sealing the win in dominant fashion.
More Than Just the Money
While the six-figure score is undeniably life-changing, Hotwani says the real value lies in what it represents.
“This win validates me as a poker player,” he explained. “The money almost doesn’t feel real because you’re already thinking about the next tournaments. But the trophy—that’s what gets me emotional. I’ve never won a trophy in my life, not even back in school. This is my first one.”
For Hotwani, the victory means more than a payday. It means the freedom to keep chasing his passion, armed with renewed confidence, a tangible symbol of success, and the reminder that sometimes, all it takes is the right pep talk at the right moment.
