India Poker Championship
Jan 2020

If the intention is to only play poker, then it is advisable to stay in and around Panjim itself. There are plenty of hotels which cater to all kinds of budgets. While staying in North or South Goa is usually the norm for tourists, if poker is going to dominate your visit to Goa, then you might as well stay on in Panjim and avoid the hassles of traveling long distances after putting in a long night at the tables.

We have special hotel rates for players during the IPC weekend. Click HERE for more info.

Once you are at the Big Daddy jetty point, head to the registration desk. Once you pay the casino entry fee, you will receive an entry band and ticket voucher. Keep these safely as it will be required inside to complete your buy-in process inside the ship. Board the ship and head to the tournament area on the upper level. Present your entry receipt, pay the balance of your buy-in and collect the seating card with your table and seat information on it. IPC participants therefore get their casino entry fee waived off. Players can pre-register for the individual or all the tournaments on the following days after 10:00 pm every night by paying their buy-in/s to the poker room staff.

If you are with a spouse or friend who does not intend to play, they will be required to pay the casino entry fee of INR 2500 (weekdays) and INR 3500 (weekends).

Please note – There is no online payment option to pre-register for any IPC event.

Players can participate in any IPC tournament by paying the buy-in at the venue. As seats are limited, we recommend players reach the venue at least one hour in advance to secure their seat. Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is applicable on all tournament winnings over INR 10,000. Players will get 100% TDS refund via Spartan Poker on IPC winnings in the form of 50% Game Bonus (Game Bonus can only be used on cash tables) and 50% in Locked Bonus (200 CP earned unlocks INR 1000).

IMPORTANT! It is mandatory to bring along identity proof (Aadhar) and Permanent Account Number (PAN) card information in order to be issued a TDS certificate. 

There will be plenty of cash game action during the IPC weekend and there are buyins and stakes to suit every appetite starting from 100-200, 200-500 and 500-1000. Higher stakes and buyins are also available on request.

All IPC players are welcome to food and beverages on the house within the tournament area. There is a delicious spread laid out every evening at the dining area featuring Asian, Continental, Indian and Goan cuisines. Premium alcohol and cigarettes are available on additional charges. Smoking is allowed only in designated areas of the ship.

Goa can be visited and revisited anytime in the year. November to February is usually the best time to visit with the minimum temperature goes down to 15°C and the maximum temperature in Goa in November to January roves between 20°C to 25°C, in February between 20°C to 27°C and 25°C to 30°C in March. Whereas the temperature in Goa in April, May and June roves in between 30°C to 40°C..

Back in the day, the monsoon season would not see too many visitors seeing as all beach related places, restaurants, bars and activities would halt for 3 months. However Goa can be quite beautiful in the rains and in recent years, many a traveler has fallen for its charms in these months. So really from a seasonal holiday destination, Goa is now virtually a year round tourist destination.