Avneet Rana, co-founder and CTO, Baazi Games: For PokerBaazi, tech-innovation is the core value – Times of India

What was the inspiration behind a made-in-India poker app?
During our college years, all founders had a major affinity towards Poker and after graduation we wanted to be associated with the game of poker, expand the poker ecosystem, and grow it into a sport in India. We knew Poker is a major sport in the west but, when our CEO Navkiran Singh visited Las Vegas, he saw the true potential of the game that is when the thought of PokerBaazi came to him. After many rounds of discussions, we concluded that India needed a homegrown product which would serve the users with 30-40% better experience than the available options for playing Poker.
At time of the launch in 2014, we identified the gaps in the market and figured what exactly the users want. The basic and the biggest problem was to help the users understand the game and then take it to the next stage. Hence, it was necessary that we build an in-house technology team that understand the hurdles centric to the Indian audience and addresses very basic issues like easy explanation of the game, ease of digital transactions, slow internet speed etc. Further, we had a clear vision in place that we want to be known as Indian sports tech firm working towards building a 360-degree ecosystem for Poker in India and creating a category of its own.
Tell us about some of the salient features of the app?
We have recently launched a completely new PokerBaazi application and some of the salient that stand out include: The new AI system considerably reduces the navigation time of the players, and they can just focus on their game. The new app also features a winner tab that will now allow the players to go through the winner’s profile and share updates on a real-time basis related to the match won. The design and user interface overhaul has introduced a stack of new features such as Next-Gen Graphics, Minimal Design Language, High-res Gaming, Haptic Feedback, State Segregation and Navigational Cards.
We have also introduced advanced opponent statistics and player career statistics which offers players a chance to learn from past performances and provide them with an opportunity to take their game to the next level. In the new application, we also have a fully integrated payment system which allows a smooth and seamless user experience for poker patrons. With the technological advancements we have also ensured reduced battery consumption, automatic app updates and lower RAM consumptions. Through the portrait mode, players can enjoy playing online poker with just one hand.
How important is the role of tech innovation in improving the design and user interface?
For PokerBaazi, tech-innovation is the core value that has helped us scale our business and acquire new users. Therefore, having a strong in-house technology team is the driving force for us. All our games are multiplayer, a fast and seamless user interface (UI) is the most important part of the same. A user spends an average of 125 minutes a day on the PokerBaazi app and tech innovations are key to provide a superior experience by covering finest of design and UI details. For instance, having a portrait mode for a game which can be played with one hand that is otherwise played using two hands in most cases is a classic example of amalgamation of tech innovation in design.
Tell us how you leveraged AI and ML to enhance the experience of the app?
AI and ML helps with improving the in-game and product experience for the players by powering a more personalized experience. It also has applications in content marketing by helping create user journeys with increased efficiency, leading to a landscape where users have instant and reliable access to what they want, cutting through the clutter.
We use real-time probability analysis helps the player calculate the odds of a win. Further, AI&ML also plays a key role in collecting data for the recently introduced stats feature, which offers players a chance to learn from past performances and provide them with an opportunity to take their game to the next level. For example, knowing a statistic on the frequency of Poker hands you play (called VPIP), can help the player control the game better. AI&ML also plays a key role in user personalization to provide a tailored experience on the application. There are several back-end benefits as well including the most important use case of fraud mitigation.
What according to you is the single biggest USP of the PokerBaazi app?
PokerBaazi.com was started with the vision of making Poker a household game in India. Apart from a Poker passionate core team, our biggest USP is deeply rooted in the fact that we have always banked on a customer centric, and technology driven approach for our product. We have always believed in staying closer to our users, taking feedback from them time and again, and leverage our in-house tech to incorporate it in the best possible manner on the application.
What are the personalization options that the app offers? How do you think they act as differentiators?
PokerBaazi.com aims to provide a top notch design and user interaction. Our software provides our users with a variety of customization options. Themes, for example, are quite important when it comes to enjoying the game of poker online since they create a virtual environment that allows players to concentrate on the game. The app’s updated UI includes new themes like the Vegas table theme and futuristic table theme, as well as additional experience-defining features like expressive emojis, winning probability, opponent stats, shortcut chat messages, and chat visibility customization. There are a lot of gameplay customisations available on the game table to suit a player’s ease of playing. Color schemes also play a key role, and the app has been carefully color schemed with darker themes so that there is less strain on the eyes.
What do you think about the mobile gaming landscape in India, how do you think it has changed?
The gaming business in India is approximately $2.2 billion and is expected to develop at a 30% CAGR to $7 billion in the next five years, more than tripling in size. Due to the availability of affordable smartphones, which has grown at 15% year-on-year for the past five years in India, high-speed 4G internet penetration, and the world’s lowest data tariffs, mobile gaming has seen a dramatic boom in the pandemic and now accounts for most of the gaming market. These elements, together with the rise of mobile gaming companies, contribute to India’s youth’s growing desire for content.
The behavior, preferences, and lifestyle of Indian customers have evolved dramatically in recent years. Over the last few years, the number of online gamers has risen dramatically. The number of first-time payers for the games have also increased and Card Games, Fantasy and Casual gaming sector primarily have the fastest-growing population of the same. 20% of roughly 400 Mn active gamers in India choose to pay for games. This has directly aided the expansion of the skill-based gaming sector. Further, given the ever-changing demands of online gamers, the business has a big chance to innovate and meet those demands. It cannot be understated that the gamer always defines how the other elements of the gaming industry evolve.
Another important component of this ecosystem is the product/game. Every brand nowadays recognizes that the unique features of their product will influence their ability to attract and retain users. Hence, I clearly see that the bullish phase of Mobile Gaming is here to stay.
Any message to the budding app developers in the country?
We think, the app developers are currently enjoying a very interesting time. With the gaming industry running on a growth spree, the industry is welcoming the budding developers with open arms by creating new demand for their job. The demand for talented mobile app developers is increasing as the demand for mobile apps are growing. The budding app developers need to be ready to experiment, in a highly competitive and innovative market to stay ahead of the curve. At the same time, it’s always good to upskill yourself because the technology is constantly evolving, and new domains are opening every day. Today, it is no longer about the big tech companies, its more about finding the right fit for your talent which the booming start-up economy is here to offer.