Meet Anand Babu Pallikona, a 32-year-old poker professional from Ponnuru, Andhra Pradesh. Currently living in Bangalore, Anand is a B.Tech graduate from IIIT Idupulapaya (2014), who first discovered poker way back in 2015 on YouTube and immediately fell in love with the game. He then created his account on 888 Poker and started playing the game online. Ever since, there has been no looking back for him.
Over the years, Anand Babu Pallikona has built an impressive online poker resume, winning over 126 online and amassing over INR 2.8 Cores in winnings. His career’s biggest highlight include winning PokerBaazi’s 1 Crore GTD The MoneyMaker for INR 12.52 Lakhs – his biggest score to date. Anand continues to crush the online poker felts, most recently finishing runner-up in PokerBaazi’s The Endeavour Lite for INR 1.96 Lakhs.
Anand Babu Pallikona’s live poker resume is equally impressive. After his online success, he transitioned to live poker and started playing live actively in 2019. Since then, he has racked up several prominent live scores, which include two live victories and multiple final table finishes. His first live title came in July last year when he shipped DPT Mini Main Event for a hefty INR 5.46 Lakhs. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the DPT Grand Freezeout Championship that year in October, claiming INR 5.75 Lakhs – his career best score to date. Most recently, he made waves by winning the DPT Xpress Freezeout for a cool INR 3.51 Lakhs and adding a second DPT title to his resume.
Anand Babu Pallikona’s Exclusive Interview With PokerProNews
With relentless grind and unwavering determination and hunger for excellence, Anand Babu Pallikona continues to make waves in both live and online arena. As he continues to rise and shine in the world of poker, Khursheed Ahmad from PokerProNews caught up with Anand to discuss his inspiring poker journey, his transition from online to live poker, recent DPT Xpress Freezeout victory, his evolution as a player, future plans and a lot more. Here are the excerpts of the conversation with Anand Pallikona.
PokerProNews: Anand, first of all, congratulations on winning the DPT Xpress February 2025 Freezeout! After several deep runs, you have finally secured your second live title. What does this win mean to you personally and for your career?
Anand: Thanks, Khursheed! Winning any poker tournament feels special, especially the live victories as they give you an extra level of joy.
PokerProNews: Every tournament has some defining moments that shift momentum. What were the key hands or turning points that played a crucial role in your recent victory at DPT Xpress?
Anand: Couple of hands that I can recall. The first was right after the money bubble when I had around 12 BB. I opened 2x from UTG+1 with KK and the chip leader in the small blind jammed with AJ off. I held and got a crucial double up there. Another key hand that happened was on the final table. UTG+1 opened 2BB and the chip leader from cutoff with 35 BB+ jammed with A10 off. I was on the button with 16 blinds (4th in chips) and called with JJ. I won the hand to take over the chip lead. After that hand, there was no looking back. I did what a chip leader is supposed to do, putting pressure and eliminating short stack players with inferior hands.
PokerProNews: You faced Nitish Mehndiratta in the heads-up battle. What was your strategy going into the final stretch, and was there a defining moment that gave you the edge over him?
Anand: After winning the crucial JJ vs. AT hand, I held a massive chip lead throughout the final table. The other players on the table were handicapped due to ICM implications and stack dynamics. I began heads-up play with a dominant 10:1 chip lead, and the match was over in just two hands. In the second hand, I jammed Q9 off-suit for 10 BB effective, and the big blind called with K 10 off. I binked 4 outer on the river to complete a straight and seal the victory.
PokerProNews: Poker is as much a mental battle as it is about skill. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your journey so far, and how do you handle the psychological highs and lows of being a tournament player?
Anand: Poker demands a lot of mental and physical energy. I believe that every player’s journey is different. Regarding the highs and lows of being a tourney player, I try to stay balanced. Shipping one big tourney gives you the illusion that you are gonna win big every week. However, if you have tough results for a couple of weeks, you feel like you are never gonna win. As an MTT grinder, you need to understand that you will have more losing days than winning days. I try to assess my gameplay objectively after the grind without any bias so that I can learn from my mistakes.
PokerProNews: You built a strong resume online before transitioning to live poker. How has that shift been for you?
Anand: Right from the early days of my poker career, I have always preferred playing live over online. In 2015, I traveled solo from Hyderabad to Goa for the Indian Poker championship to play a 5k tourney just to experience the thrill of live poker. Looking back, it feels like pure madness but live poker is more thrilling for sure.
PokerProNews: Looking back—how did you first get into poker and when did you take the game professionally? What inspired you to take it up professionally?
Anand: In 2015, I randomly came across a highlights video of the Poker Superstars Invitational on YouTube channel and was instantly fascinated by the game. After doing some research, I created my account on 888Poker and started playing the game.
PokerProNews: Your biggest online cash came in 2023 when you won ₹12.52 Lakhs in PokerBaazi’s MoneyMaker. How did that win impact your career?
Anand: Winning The Moneymaker tourney is definitely the biggest achievement in my career so far and has boosted my confidence considerably.
PokerProNews: With two live victories already under your belt, what is next for you? Are you planning to take shots at some international events or aiming for any other specific milestone?
Anand: I am looking forward to grinding Pokerbaazi’s NPS (National Poker Series). In the summer, I have plans to travel to Malaysia for the Poker Dream series.
Keep following PokerProNews for more such interviews and inspiring stories of poker players from India and other parts of the world.
