HS Pro Talks About Nosebleed Games, Side Betting Culture and Staking

Ankush "Pistons87" Mandavia is a high stakes cash and heads up sit and go poker player, playing primarily on PokerStars. He's been playing since 2006, but started taking poker seriously in 2010, sparked from a big run at 100NL cash that began on a $200 bankroll. He ran his roll up to $20,000 and hasn't looked back since. He credits cash game player ScqAA for teaching him about poker ranges early on, and taking him from more of a raw thought process to one that combines experience and instincts with logic. HUSNG's RyPac13 exchanged emails with Pistons recently, culminating in this interview.

HUSNG: How long have you been playing poker for? How long HUSNGs?

Pistons: I have been playing poker since 2003 (home games with friends with loose change out of our cars), and online since 2006. I transitioned into HUSNGs from cash in the beginning of 2010, also around the time i turned "pro", starting with the 100 4 mans and working my way up.

HUSNG: How do you keep learning and improving as each month/year goes by?

Pistons: My main resource to learning is by actually playing the game vs different opponents. I put in a ton of volume in order to get Supernova Elite and VPPs. I also have a network of great poker players in husngs, MTTs and cash that i can ask about hands and vice versa, which helps me stay sharp.

HUSNG: Who are the best players at the higher stakes games today?

Pistons: It really depends, there are a lot of great players. I think the best hyper players have to include Skaiwalkurr, Serkules, Piggybank, Lotte Lenya, Killuifuplay, Siervos, Fisfarfar, Harthor, Berndsen12 and of course my roommate Helio Tyf. There are many more super skilled players i havent mentioned because i probably forgot and don't want the list to go forever.

As far as turbos, I think Adonis112, Ben86, Lotte Lenya, Philivey2694 and Fisfarfar are playing great, but the same goes for this list, I'm sure I'm forgetting someone.

HUSNG: Have you been playing many hyper turbos? Do you prefer the turbo/regular speeds?

Pistons: I have been playing a balance between hyper turbos and turbos. It depends what mood I am in, but i generally prefer hypers to turbos these days, mainly because that's where all the action is.

HUSNG: Which top player do you feel you match up best against?

Pistons: I think i match up well vs Anthonyff. He is a great player, but we have a crazy dynamic that keeps our games entertaining.

HUSNG: How do you handle the swings that come with 2k and 5k buyin games?

Pistons: The swings at 2ks are not that big relative to 1k hypers (although still considerable). 5ks are on a another level, and dealing with these swings can be very tough. I try to not take it personally when i lose large sums at these stakes, but to say it doesn't affect me would be flat out lying.

HUSNG: If PokerStars added a 10k or 20k buyin would you consider playing?

Pistons: I think if there were one of these buy ins I would probably end up playing and selling action only in the right circumstance. For example if there is a player who is tilted from a 5k and decides to open sit a 10k, I don't think i could pass up the opportunity. I would probably sell some action though.

(above) The "Kush" Pistons87 plays both live and online poker, in addition to sports betting and staking.

HUSNG: Where have you been living post black friday? Do you like it there?

Pistons: I have lived mainly in Montreal, with a few stops in Europe for some EPTs and Toronto. I love Montreal, its a great city with energy, but I still do miss home in Atlanta.

HUSNG: Any WSOP plans?

Pistons: I actually flew to the WSOP on Saturday and plan to play a lot of events. The series kicks off with a 3k HU/PLO mix and a 10k HU on June 5th that should be fun. I also look forward to meeting a lot of the HUSNG regs and friends from other poker communities.

HUSNG: Who is the regular that has really had your number, so to speak (gotten the best of you most often)?

Pistons: This is a fun question! Haha, I think lifetime I lost the most to Lotte Lenya. He is an extremely solid player and has a great feel for the game.

HUSNG: Are there any players you really dislike?

Pistons: I don't really dislike anyone. Sometimes during battle or after a session ill say "god i really hate that guy", but I don't think there's anyone I truly despise that is currently playing. This is rare for husng players.

HUSNG: Have you done lots of staking over the years?

Pistons: I have done a decent amount of staking, Sometimes it went well and most times not so well. I learned from my experiences and now choose my horses carefully.

HUSNG: How do you approach finding a good stake?

Pistons: I think the most important thing in staking is having a good relationship with your horse as well as trust. Before picking someone up, I ask around about the player and do the full due diligence. Other regs perception of the player is key when I'm making decisions.

HUSNG: When is it time to let a player go when they are in makeup?

Pistons: I have had this discussion with a lot of players. Its time to let a player go if the makeup builds to a certain point that you think the horse is going to play bad because of it. For example in MTT backing, if first place in a big MTT isn't going to get them out of makeup, they might not have as much incentive to do well. The same goes for husng.

HUSNG: Any fun staking stories?

Pistons: I think the most fun form of staking is buying action. I have bought action of a lot of +ev people in different live events, but its insanely high variance. When making decisions you can't buy everyone's action and have to turn some people down. At PCA I bought a ton of action and had an offer for another player, and turned it down last minute. The player ended up final tabling. I like to think that if I bought action certain events would have changed the outcome, this helps me stay sane at least!

HUSNG: You're known for putting money on sporting events. What types of matchups do you like to bet on?

Pistons: I do like to bet on games that I can sweat. Usually I do it without vig so it essentially becomes a flip because lines-makers know what they are doing. My favorite is betting on American football.

HUSNG: What is the largest wager you ever threw down on a game?

Pistons: I think 3k is the largest I've done

HUSNG: Any other interesting sports bet stories?

Pistons: I think the funniest was once I bet 500 on a game with a friend and thought I had won it, but the next day he asked me for $ and I was confused. I went back and looked at chat and had booked the wrong side. I guess that is not so funny though.

HUSNG: Do people ever not pay up when you make a bet? Those high stakes friend to friend bets seem to often rely on a lot of trust.

Pistons: I have been scammed in poker before, but never on a sports or prop bet. I know people that have been stiffed for a lot of $ before though. The high stakes community runs on trust but you still have to be very cautious to protect yourself.

HUSNG: Future plans? How many more years would you set the over under for you playing poker in the future?

Pistons: I actually tried to quit poker last year, but with the lack of income and a couple business aspirations not going as planned, I got back into it. I don't think I'll ever quit poker completely, but I think a good over under is 2 more years for playing it professionally.

HUSNG: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and share your thoughts with us. Bet of luck in the series this year.