“I feel there is nothing to be ashamed of the downswings as these are part and parcel of the game and are unavoidable.”
Hey guys, today we have 21-year-old Srihari “bangbang999” Bang with us in our Rising Poker Stars chat segment. The young gun from Vijayawada finished runner-up in the AOPS Main Event Finale and scooped ₹27.40 Lac in prize money last week. Bang has won several titles across various Indian poker platforms and has made a lifetime total of ₹3.91 Crores and counting in winning. In the chat session, Bang talked in length about his poker journey, experience of finishing runner up in the AOPS ME, the best poker player in the industry, support system and many other topics.
Here are some excerpts –
Hi Sri, for those who don’t know much about you, could you please give a little introduction like where are you from, your educational background and other stuffs?
Thanks! I’ve graduated from Christ University last year and I’m currently studying Family Business Management Programme in SP Jain Global, Mumbai. I live in Vijayawada.
Tell us about your poker journey. How it all started?
My brother Pranav Bang introduced me to the game when I was in 2nd year.
Tell us about the experience of finishing runner up in the AOPS ME. How it all folded up and the competition at the Final Table?
I remember losing a huge pot Nut st vs nut full and was down to 0.5bb when 20 players were left. I had insane run and became 1/13.
I had an easy FT, I gave a sick beat to ‘borntrouble’ and clipped a set of 99 vs KK and busted him.
In HU I lost AA to Q6 and busted for 2nd place.
Online poker or live poker – which is more interesting to play?
I love playing online poker just because I can play more tournaments and more hands at once. But, I had some fun experience playing my 1st live tourney in Bangalore. I ended shipping that tournament.
How do you balance your personal life while playing poker? Can you give us a sneak peak to your daily routine?
Presently, I’ve started hitting the gym. I usually hit the gym after my grind and then review some hands. I wake up in the evening and start my grind at around 07:30-08:00 PM.
How do you prepare for a tournament? Is there any specific routine you follow prior to playing a tourney?
I bathe to clear my mind before registering to a tournament.
People often talk about glories but we learn the best from our mistakes, so was there any moment when you had it totally wrong but you learned from it?
I feel as a poker player I had to make thousands of decisions during the session. The best thing to do is to review each hand after the session to know if you have played the hand right and to learn from those mistakes, so that next time you are more confident in those spots.
Tell us about the support system that keeps you going even after a terrible day of poker?
After a terrible day at poker, the first thing I want to do is review my hands as to know what hands I might have played it wrong. Talking about my support system, it has to be my mom and my brother who have always believed in me during the tough time (downswings).
I also feel there is nothing to be ashamed of the downswings as these are part and parcel of the game and are unavoidable.
How do you decide on a tournament? What are the factors involved in picking or choosing a particular tournament?
I play all the feature tournaments on Indian websites. If the buy-in is above 50K I sell some action to my friends.
Who do you think is currently the best poker player in the industry?
I have utmost respect for Sriharsha Anna on and off the field and I try to watch and learn from his FT games. I feel he is the best poker player currently.
Which are the Indian websites you love playing at? Can you rank them in an order?
I love playing on Adda52 due to the UI and the more betting options available.
In terms of ranking, it has to be
Where do you feel a newbie can go wrong in poker? Any tips for the aspiring poker players in India?
Bankroll management is one thing everyone goes wrong about. Another thing would be to see at the tables what the best players in the country are currently doing and learn from them. Get your thought process towards the game right and have reasoning to whatever decision you are taking.
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