iWorld
PSL announces its 5th Season; onboards Pocket52 as its title sponsor
Mumbai: After four astonishingly triumphant seasons, the most electrifying poker extravaganza, Poker Sports League (PSL) has announced its return with a resounding bang. With stakes higher than ever before and a prize pool of a whopping INR 1.5 crores, PSL 2023 promises an exhilarating showdown, with excitement sweeping across pro-poker players and enthusiasts in India.
The riveting league of wits and strategy is going to host a mixed bag of players, bringing variety skills, high investment biddings, significant retainers, and an opportunity to all amateurs to make their eager mark in the realm of high stakes poker while honing their gaming skills. Adding to the galore, PSL 2023 has onboarded Pocket52, a leading online poker gaming app, as its title sponsor. The collaboration is a step forward to provide a secure and fantastic gaming experience to the players in the World’s biggest Poker league.
Thrilled to be back with yet another season of PSL with Pocket52 as the title, PSL CEO and founder Pranav Bagai stated, “As the world’s largest poker league in terms of prize pool and participation, PSL has taken the game of poker to a new level with its unique team-based format that sportifies the game. It’s a true test of skill and strategy, where each team has a balance of professionals and amateurs, giving everyone an equal opportunity to shine at the highest level – for FREE. With our fifth edition on the cards, I am equally happy and excited to have Pocket52 as our title sponsor since our visions are aligned in terms of bringing poker to the masses – responsibly. We are sure that this collaboration will give a great opportunity to a wide range of poker aspirants”.
As the official title sponsor of this season’s PSL, Pocket52 will provide players with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to compete in the league. Anybody who knows poker and wants to be a part of Poker Sports League Season 5 – just need to download the Pocket52 app and register for maximum 6 of the 31 online qualifier tournaments, which are completely free of charge and open to all till June 25th, 2023.
Nitesh Salvi, director and who founded Pocket52 was thrilled to announce their partnership with Poker Sports League for the upcoming tournament, and said, “At Pocket52, we are passionate about the game of poker and are always seeking new ways to enhance player experiences. With the new revamped app, players can expect a seamless and engaging experience like never before. The team format adds a new level of excitement to the game, encouraging teamwork and strategy. As a responsible gaming platform, we are proud to be a part of an event that prioritizes fair play and responsible gaming practices. We are confident that this year’s tournament will be a huge success and we invite our community of players, from beginners to professionals, to join us in this journey of pushing our limits and exploring the exciting dimensions of the poker industry.”
The qualifiers on Pocket52 have been designed to award leaderboard points to participants based on their ranking in each tournament. Players ranking in the top-1000 position of this scoreboard stand the chance of winning prizes worth 50 lakhs – for free. The deal is far more rewarding for the top-36 players on the leaderboard who will secure a guaranteed place in one of the six teams. The base price for each qualifier will be INR 50,000 and Pocket52 has sweetened the deal for the top 36 players by adding INR 50,000 worth of tournament tickets. The live auction between the 6 teams will take place in Goa on 8th July followed by the virtual matches from 22nd Jul to 10th Aug, which allows players to compete from the comfort of their homes. The league culminates with a grand finale at a live location between 16th and 20th Aug, where the champions of Pocket52 Poker Sports League – Season 5 will be crowned. The auction, virtual matches and live finale will be broadcasted on one of India’s leading OTT platforms.
The Indian online gaming industry is growing at a rapid pace, and the PSL Season 5 is a testament to this growth. According to a report by KPMG, the industry is set to grow over US$3.9 billion by 2025, with the potential to foster improved social skills, decision-making skills, brain function, and memory enhancement for players. Bagai added, “Our team-based format and unique approach to the game have captured the imagination of players and fans alike since we are giving every single poker player an equal shot at glory. We invite everyone to join us for an unforgettable journey into the world of poker sports and be a part of the future of online gaming. This could be the first step for many amateur and enthusiasts to play with pro-poker players as part of their teams and get hands-on training from the best players in India – to take their game to the next level.”
With the PSL Season 5, the Indian skill-based Online Gaming Industry takes another step towards building a strong, connected, and competitive gaming culture in the country. So, get ready to witness the birth of legends, the clash of titans, and the emergence of a new era in the realm of poker greatness! Don’t wait any longer, gather your team, and get ready to make your mark in the world of poker sports.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
