Antonio Esfandiari

Antonio Esfandiari

aka "The Magician"
Nationality
United States
United States
Staking
GPI Rank 142,236
WSOP Bracelets 3
WPT Wins 2
Total Live Earnings $27,810,801
The Hendon Mob Data provided by The Hendon Mob

Biography

Antonio Esfandiari is an American professional poker player of Iranian origin. He is best known for winning three WSOP bracelets and two WPT titles. He is also famous for winning the biggest cash prize in poker history of more than $18 million which he collected at The Big One for One Drop event at the 2012 WSOP.

Intro

Antonio Esfandiari made his biggest poker achievement in the summer of 2012 when he outplayed the field of 48 players consisting of recognized poker professionals and wealthy businessmen in the $1 million buy-in The Big One for One Drop event. The tournament benefited the One Drop Foundation established by the Canadian entrepreneur Guy Laliberte who himself finished the tournament in fifth place. Esfandiari collected the record-breaking $18,346,673 for his win which was the biggest cash prize in poker history.

Background

Amir Esfandiari was born in 1978 in the Iranian capital Teheran. His family moved to California when Amir was nine years old. When he was 19 years old Amir changed his name to Antonio. In the poker world Esfandiari is commonly referred to as “The Magician”, the nickname he received for his skills and knowledge of magic tricks. Actually, before he started playing poker Esfandiari was pursuing a career as a professional magician. He is famous for occasionally performing his magic tricks at the poker tables.

World Series of Poker

Esfandiari has three World Series of Poker bracelets in his collection. He won his first title in 2004 by taking down the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event for $184,860. Although he continued scoring money finishes in WSOP events throughout the years, it wasn't until 2012 that Esfandiari once again made it all the way to the top. And what a summer it was for Esfandiari. He cashed in six WSOP events making two final tables and wining the biggest poker event in history, The Big One for One Drop.

Antonio Esfandiari's Top 6 WSOP Results

YearEventPlacePrize
2004$2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em1st$184,860
2012$1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop1st$18,346,673
2012WSOPE €1,100 No-Limit Hold'em1st€126,207 ($164,656)
2012$3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout3rd$151,613
2003$2,000 No-Limit Hold'em5th$34,060
2005$2,500 Short Handed No-Limit Hold'em5th$63,020

World Poker Tour

Esfandiari has a good WPT record as well. He won two World Poker Tour titles in 2004 and 2010, made five final tables and has the record of nine money finishes. Esfandiari made his first WPT final table in 2002 when he finished third at the Third Annual 49'er Gold Rush Bonanza $3,000 Main Event for $44,000. Two year later he won his first WPT event for almost $1.4 million at the L.A. Poker Classic. Then six years later he scored the second one at the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,000 Championship taking home $870,000.

Antonio Esfandiari's Top 5 WPT Results

YearEventPlacePrize
2004L.A. Poker Classic $9,900 Championship1st$1,399,135
2010Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,000 Championship1st$870,124
200249'er Gold Rush Bonanza $3,000 Main Event3rd$44,000
2011Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,000 Championship6th$119,418
2005Bay 101 Shooting Stars $9,750 Championship14th$40,000

European Poker Tour

Esfandiari scored his first and only European Poker Tour money finish in 2008 when he final tabled the EPT Grand Final Main Event in Monte Carlo and took home €168,000 for the eighth place finish.

Other Achievements

Apart from his WSOP and WPT titles Esfandiari has a couple of other big finishes as well. In March 2005 he came in third at the National Heads-Up Poker Championship in Las Vegas collecting $125,000 in cash. Just two months later he scored another third place at the WSOP Circuit Championship Event in Harrah's New Orleans Bayou Poker Challenge for $221,445. In 2006 Esfandiari played the exclusive Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament Season 3 Grand Final and finished in second place for $120,000.

Did you know?

  • Esfandiari's father did not approve of his son's choice to become a professional poker player at first, but eventually came in terms with it and is now Antonio's biggest fan.
  • In 2012 Esfandiari released an app called The Magician's Secrets for Winning Tournaments on Insta Poker mobile poker application.

PokerNews Covered Events

Event Place Prize
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #73: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
82nd $82,365
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #65: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
132nd $57,010
2018 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS North America
Main Event
46th 17,500 CAD
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #39: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Super Turbo BOUNTY
269th $998
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #20: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em MILLIONAIRE MAKER
736th $2,861
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #6: High Roller for One Drop - $111,111 No-Limit Hold'em
11th $257,072
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
£2,000 High Roller
6th £5,100
2014 World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific
$1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Accumulator
45th 2,560 AUD
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #62: The $1,111 Little One for One Drop
270th $2,630
2014 Aussie Millions
$10,600 Main Event
42nd 20,000 AUD
2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
$10,000,000 Guarantee Main Event
140th $18,200
2014 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
$100,000 Super High Roller
4th $575,920
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #47: $111,111 One Drop High Rollers No-Limit Hold'em
4th $1,433,438
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #34: $1,000 Turbo No-Limit Hold'em
139th $2,111
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #21: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Six Handed)
51st $7,071
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #9: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
48th $7,384
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Eight Handed)
43rd $9,743
2012 World Series of Poker Europe
Event #2: €1,100 No-Limit Hold'em
1st €126,207
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
501st $24,808
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 55: $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop
1st $18,346,673
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 36: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
3rd $151,613
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 17: $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em
12th $34,139
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 12: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em
16th $20,674
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 9: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
329th $2,895
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 5: $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em
44th $4,011
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #45: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em
7th $58,288
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #47: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em
73rd $4,504
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #35: $10,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship
30th $17,987
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #17: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em
12th $49,024
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 57 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em
24th $352,832
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 52 - $3,000 Triple Chance No Limit Hold'em
24th $14,967
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 25 - $10,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em World Championship
53rd $14,438
2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final - Monte Carlo
PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final
8th $266,004
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 35 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem
62nd $9,708
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 8 - $1,000 No Limit Holdem w/ rebuys
39th $11,905

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