Antonio Esfandiari
Also known as 'the Magician', Antonio Esfandiari is the poker player who wows his opponents with a wide selection of jaw-dropping magic tricks at the table. Making his opponents' stacks disappear is definitely the centerpiece of the show he usually puts on.
Born in 1978 in Iran, Esfandiari's original name was Amir Esfandiari, he had it changed at the age of 19 when he turned to performing magic.
He moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 9, learned the language in less than six months and turned into a model student. That wouldn't last however. During 12th grade he became a party-animal, moved out on his own, and turned to waiting to pay the rent.
It was during the time he spent as a waiter that he was introduced to magic. He began to perform himself, and soon he quit his job to focus 100% on his magic.
His entered his first ever poker tournament at the encouragements of a roommate of his, and he finished in the money, despite the fact that he had been too young to enter in the first-place. This success was all the encouragement he needed.
Esfandiari's first significant tournament win came in 2002, at the WPT's 49er Gold Rush Bonanza where he took down a prize of $44,000 for his third place finish.
In 2004, he would go on to win the L.A. Poker Classic for a prize worth $1.4 million. His following move was to buy himself an Armani suit and a Dodge Viper, and burry himself in professional poker. The results wouldn't take long to surface: a few months after his L.A.Poker Classic win, Esfandiari took down the $2,000 PL Holdem event's first prize at the WSOP, earning $184,860 and a golden bracelet that would forever etch his name into a very select list of such jewelry owners.
He moved to Vegas for good around this time, and nowadays it is said that for $1,000, he'll give people a tour of the Strip they'll never forget.
He also appeared in High Stakes Poker, and starred in a TV show called 'I bet you' with
Phil Laak who had become his friend.
All-in-all, 'The Magician' has 6 WSOP money finishes to his name, 5 WPT ones (all 5 final table appearances) and an EPT cash.
His lifetime tournament winnings are rumored to be around $3 million.
Antonio Esfandiari : Poker Player
