Antonio Esfandiari's Vital Stats:
Antonio Esfandiari was born on December 8, 1978 in Iran and moved to San Francisco in 1988, where he still lives. He's the youngest player to win a televised World Poker Tour event, and also the youngest poker player to win a million dollar prize in a tournament. Before becoming a professional poker player, he was a professional magician.
Antonio Esfandiari's Poker Nickname:
“The Magician”
Did Magic Lead to Poker for Antonio Esfandiari?:
According to an interview by Steve Marzol, him doing magic with cards had nothing to do with his becoming interested in poker.
Antonio Esfandiari’s Favorite Hand:
79, because early on in his poker playing days, a friend joked that he had to come up with a signature hand and then Esfandiari won three monster pots with 79. He calls is “The Persian Carpet Ride.”
-From an interview in Poker Pro Magazine
Antonio Esfandiari's Poker Tournament Wins:
He won the first poker tournament he ever entered, a $30 buy-in event at the Garden City Club in San Jose, California.
He went on to win a million plus taking first at the Commerce Casino World Poker Tour event.
In 2004, he won the $2000 pot-limit Hold'em event at the World Series of Poker
Play Antonio Esfandiari Online:
at Ultimate Bet, where he always has a chair reserved for him. He's obligated to play there 40 hours a month, so the odds aren't bad of catching him.
Antonio Esfandiari Trivia:
- Antonio Esfandiari was born with the first name Amir.
- He and Phil "The Unabomber" Laak were once roomates
- He was born in Iran where it's illegal to own playing cards
- His secret ambition is to open a high class restaurant
