Heads-Up With PokerStars India’s “Star of the Month” – January – Himanshu Dwivedi

He may be young but has his sights set on lofty goals. Meet Himanshu Dwivedi, a 27-year-old Jhansi native who came out on top in PokerStars India’s “Star of the Month” – January Finale on Wednesday, becoming the fourth player to win the coveted “Star of the Month” title!

Himanshu, who began his poker journey on the international site PokerStars.com, is a die-hard PokerStars India loyalist. He made it into the Finale for the third time this month, and his perseverance finally paid off as he overcame the star-studded field, denying Shivam Baldota in the heads-up play. While the PokerStars India goodie bag Himanshu is soon to receive will be a savvy memoir for his efforts, the Indore resident is most delighted to have won ₹1.15 Lakhs in MTT tickets on the site.

We had a telephonic chat with Himanshu to find out all that we could about his poker journey. The one-piece of info that stands out is that he is an automobile engineer by qualification and worked for brands like Quikr Cars and Mercedes Benz before a chance meeting with Sharad Rao (former PokerStars India streaming ambassador) changed his life forever. While Rao straightened out his poker fundamentals, Dwivedi continued to widen his learning horizons under Alok Ranjan. Desperate to improve, Dwivedi reached out to anyone he felt could help him with his game.

He is currently back in Indore due to family commitments and excited as ever to add to his experiences in the game. Here are excerpts of our conversation with him.

Hi Himanshu! Congrats on winning the PokerStars India “Star of the Month” – January Finale. Why don’t we start by discussing how you first came across poker?

It was four years back when I was in Gurgaon and doing my internship with Mercedes Benz. One of my friends used to catch up for partying over the weekends, and we used to play poker. My roommate, Vikas Bajpai, told me about the game and introduced me to his cousin, Sharad Rao. I was intrigued with the game and went to meet Sharad. From the very first day, I was impressed by him and his lifestyle. I asked him about poker and that I was interested in learning the game.

He recommended that I read the book ‘Harrington on Hold ’em’ and ‘Modern Poker Theory’ and told me that he would teach me more about poker and its basics if I finish reading these books. I ended up reading the books within 3-4 days. Though I read them thoroughly, there were certain terms I did not grasp, and I kept pestering him to explain. Even though he was grinding 10 to 12 hours regularly, and I was kind of irritating him, he patiently clarified many doubts.

Soon afterward, he told me that I could play poker for a living if I wanted to. So I decided to move in with him for 1-2 months and learn from him. So yeah, that’s how my poker journey began.

Let’s talk about your progress in the game. How did you hone your skills?

I soon started watching videos on my own. Sharad taught me some poker basics, like aggression, position, stack, player profiling, playing your ranges, making the right decision, etc. My first online poker account was on PokerStars.com, and then I shifted to PokerStars India. After the initial learning period under Sharad, I relocated to Indore and kept playing on my own. Though I didn’t have a good bankroll then, within 2-3 months, I ended up shipping a few major tournaments and built a bankroll of ₹12 Lakhs. I didn’t tell my family that I was playing poker full-time.

Earlier, I was grinding for only 4-5 hours, mostly cash, but after meeting Sharad, I gradually increased my volume in MTTs. When I’d built a good bankroll, I started reaching out to people on the tables, thinking they’re better than me. I was testing them to find out how I could learn more.

At the same time, I started playing in live events. Last January, I placed fourth in the 15K NLHE Headhunter for ₹2.15 Lakh. By then, my bankroll had grown to ₹22-25 Lakhs.

Then I met Alok Ranjan, and he was another coach who influenced my entire perspective of poker. He taught me things like mental stability, timings, etc. He advised me never to take breaks when losing, the importance of taking notes. I feel he took my game to another level.

So you see, I picked up bits from different players. Rishab Malik taught me a lot about bankroll management. I connected with a U.S.-based player Amanda Hendrick also, who passed me some study material.

Currently, I wake up at 11 to 12 AM and usually start playing from 7 PM right till 5 AM. I grind every day, generally without any breaks, except on a few Mondays.

Tell us about your most cherished poker moments.

One of my cherished moments was when I finished runner-up in a flagship which significantly impacted my bankroll. The next time I didn’t buy-in from my end, I just won a satellite, and within two weeks, I ended up winning around ₹5- ₹6 Lakhs. Nowadays, I follow strict bankroll management – everything that I play is either via satellites or relatively smaller buy-in tourneys within my limits.

Another memorable moment was when I shipped three flagships back-to-back.

How has your experience been playing on PokerStars India?

I started my poker journey on PokerStars.com, where I used to grind SNG’s. I can say that PokerStars India is one of the best sites I have played on. The site has a smooth user interface, and I’m familiar with their tournament schedules and structures. I play from 2 PM till like 12 AM on PokerStars.

How did you hear about the ‘Star of the Month’ promotion on PokerStars India?

I’m a regular on PokerStars India, and they always have some excellent promotion running. That’s how I learned about the promotion and that I will be collecting points as I score in tourneys on PokerStars India. Even though I have played the Finale twice earlier, I couldn’t make it. This month, I was consistent and got the points to make it to the Finale and shipped it. 🙂

Tell me about the Finale. Let’s talk about some of the crucial spots in the tourney.

This was the third time I was playing for the “Star of the Month” title, and the fact that only the top two players get prizes makes it very tough, especially given the competition. So, I gradually ramped up my aggression in the Finale and ended up shipping.

You won ₹1.15 Lakhs in MTT tickets. This must be a significant bankroll boost for you. How do you plan to use these tickets?

Since I’m an MTT player, this is an added and useful boost. I can now utilize the tickets to play the stakes I usually don’t play on.

What are your plans for February? Do you intend to defend your ‘Star of the Month’ title?

I intend to continue my grind on the site through February, and yes, sure, I will be defending my “Star of the Month” win! Right now, they haven’t come up with any other leaderboard-based promotion for tournament players, but I’m hoping for something much better on the site in the future.

Does your family know that you play poker?

When I first left my job to play poker, I didn’t tell my parents about my decision, only that I’m doing some work and will be rejoining my firm in some time. When I moved to Indore and started playing full-time, my father cornered me about work one day. I told him that I play poker. He was like, okay, that’s good, but what about work. When I told him that I intend to earn my livelihood through poker, he was adamant that I cannot pursue it as a profession. I stood my ground. He gave me a month and said that if you can earn well in this duration, we’ll stand by your decision.

In that month, I won a reasonable amount, around ₹4 to ₹5 Lakhs. My father was impressed but asked me how I planned to go about it. I told them I planned to study poker more, showed them my blogs on PokerGuru, and some interviews. Since the last two years, my family has come to accept that I play poker full-time. Now they proudly tell others that I play poker.

Who are the players in the domestic circuit or the international circuit that you look up to?

I look up the most to Danish Shaikh. I’m a huge fan of his thought process. He’s one of the coaches at IPP (India Poker Pros), where I had signed up for a few months.

I also look up to Aditya Agarwal, though I have never seen him, only heard his name. Maybe someday, I will play against him, or he will give me advice on my game.

What are your future poker goals?

Right now, I don’t have significant poker goals, but within a few years, I will be looking to play higher stakes. I’ve just got back from playing some cash games in Kolkata, and when I was on the tables, I was literally shivering since I was intimidated by the high-stakes crowd. The look on my face was an instant giveaway!

So yeah, I need to catch up and then match up, and focus on smaller goals first to one day play higher stakes without getting nervous!

Any parting words?

I’d just like to tell everyone who’s playing poker to play within your limits, don’t jump off your bankroll. This is not a casino where you can just roll any dice and make lots and lots of money. So, you will definitely not be able to reach your golden poker dream within a short time, and if you’re patient, then definitely poker will give you a lot.