Antonio Esfandiari

As one of the most intriguing poker players, Antonio Esfandiari doubles as both a former magician and a current professional poker player. Originally from Tehran, Iran, Esfandiari moved to the United States in 1988. At the age of 17, Esfandiari moved out of his parent’s house and soon had his own apartment, which was paid for by a job as a waiter. While waiting tables, he saw a bartender perform a magic trick. Being instantly impressed, he sought out a magic shop to see how the trick was done. Esfandiari quickly began learning the art and performing it while waiting on tables. Eventually, he became a full time magician, earning $300-$400 an hour.

At that time, Esfandiari had a roommate who happened to be a professional poker player. Esfandiari tried his hand at poker and won money in his first tournament. His enthusiasm for poker soon mirrored his for magic. Using his abilities has a magician, he learned how to pick up on human behavior and tells.

The first major tournament win for Esfandiari came in 2002 when he placed 3rd in the WPT 49’er Gold Rush Bonanza. He won $44,000 and soon entered more high stakes tournaments. A year later he made it to the final table of the $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament at the WSOP. In 2004, Esfandiari made himself a notable player during the LA Poker Classic. He beat out 382 players to win $1.4 million and a first place title. He was the youngest player to ever win a WPT event. He bought a Viper and an Armani suit with the prize money.

Several months later, Esfandiari beat Phil Nguyen in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Event, winning $184,860 and a gold bracelet in the WSOP.

In his spare time, Esfandiari writes books, appears in video games and creates instructional DVDs.

Books by Antonio Esfandiari

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