Georgia poker pro seizes $500K WSOP win

Name: Ankush Mandavia
Birthplace: Detroit, MI
Age: 29
Current Residence: Kennesaw, GA
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Profession: Professional Poker Player (tournament specialist)
Number of WSOP Cashes: 16
Number of WSOP Final Table Appearances: 2
Number of WSOP Gold Bracelet Victories (with this tournament): 1
Best Previous WSOP Finish: 6th (2014)
Total WSOP Earnings: $796,646
Personal Facts: Graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in economics

Winner's Quote:
Question: "Is there more of a skill to these turbo tournaments than we tend to give them credit for?"
Ankush Mandavia: "I would like to think so."

Ankush Mandavia is the newest member of poker's gold bracelet club.

The 29-year-old professional poker player from Kennesaw, GA won the $5,000 buy-in Turbo No-Limit Hold'em tournament, which was played over two days and nights and just concluded at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Mandavia collected $548,139 in prize money, making this the biggest win of his career. However, he's no newcomer to the tournament scene, having first cashed at the series five years ago. He's now posted 16 in-the-money finishes, two very deep runs, and now a debut victory.

"I've had a lot of deep runs in the past, but until now had never closed the deal," Mandavia said in a post-victory interview. "So, it's really gratifying to win. It feels really good."