Antonio Esfandiari

Antonio Esfandiari
Esfandiari at 2007 National Heads-Up Poker Championship.
Nickname(s)	The Magician
Residence	Tehran, Iran
Born	(1978-12-08) December 8, 1978 (age 33)
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	1
Final table(s)	4
Money finish(es)	14
Highest ITM Main Event finish	24th, 2009
World Poker Tour
Title(s)	2
Final table(s)	5
Money finish(es)	9
European Poker Tour
Title(s)	None
Final table(s)	1
Money finish(es)	1
Information accurate as of 16 September 2010.

Antonio Esfandiari (born Amir Esfandiari, December 8, 1978 in Tehran, Iran) is a professional poker player, known for his elaborate chip tricks.

Early life

When he was 9 years old his family moved to San Jose, California. He graduated from Del Mar High School in 1997.^[1]

At the age of 19, he changed his name to Antonio, which was adopted from living in a Mexican American community in San Jose, and became a professional magician. While he was performing magic, he was invited to a game of Texas Hold 'em and started to play poker. He has a younger brother, Pasha, who also plays poker.^[2]

Live poker

In 2004, he won close to $1.4 million and his first World Poker Tour title at the L.A. Poker Classic. He won his first World Series of Poker bracelet a few months later in pot-limit Texas Hold 'em.

Esfandiari appeared in the second and third seasons of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. After finishing last the previous year, Antonio was able to redeem himself with a second place finish the third season. He was also in each season of GSN series High Stakes Poker and each season of NBC's Poker After Dark.

On April 17, 2008, Esfandiari made the final table at the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo finishing in eighth place, winning €168,000 ($266,004). On July 14, 2009, Esfandiari made his deepest finish to date in the World Series of Poker Main Event, finishing 24th on day 8 of the tournament, earning $352,832. In 2010 he won his second World Poker Tour title by winning the WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World for over $870,000.

As of 2011, his total live tournament winnings exceed $4,500,000.^[3]

World Series of Poker Bracelet

Online poker

Esfandiari is currently affiliated with Victory Poker and is a Victory Poker Pro.^[4] Other Victory Poker Pros include Paul Wasicka and Jonathan Little.^[5]

Other television appearances

Esfandiari co-starred in the TV show I Bet You, on MOJO HD, with Phil Laak. He is also the face of World Poker Tour's Poker-Made Millionaire. He was also seen in the season 7 opener of Entourage.

Bibliography

• World Poker Tour: In the Money (2006) ISBN 0-06-076305-1

Notes

1. ^ http://www.teamnarnia.com/antonio-esfandiari.php
2. ^ http://www.bluffmagazine.com/magazine/Little-Brother-Antonio-Esfandiari-228.htm
3. ^ Hendon Mob tournament results
4. ^ http://www.victorypoker.net/victory-pros/antonio-esfandiari
5. ^ http://www.pokernewsdaily.com/victory-poker-signs-jonathan-little-fieryjustice-and-james-obst-andy-mcleod-9413/

• Shulman, Allyn Jaffrey (Mar. 26, 2004). Antonio Esfandiari Performs Wizardry at Commerce Casino. Cardplayer.
• Anderson, Lessley (April. 04, 2004). All-In SF Weekly.

External links

• Antonio Esfandiari Biography and New
• Antonio Esfandiari's blog on Coinflip.com
• Rounders Poker Show interview
• Antonio Esfandiari at the Internet Movie Database