Antonio Esfandiari

Biography:

Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari is a professional poker player and former professional magician, known for his elaborate chip tricks. Antonio grew up in San Jose, California and currently lives in Las Vegas. Before his lightning rise to the top of the poker world, Antonio was a professional magician, and turned 12-hour days of practice into a thriving professional career. He never knew till his roommate introduced him to poker at the age of 19 and he realized that poker would be his life. He started playing Poker, like any other of his interests it wasn’t long until he found success in poker.

Antonio won the 2004 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic main event, receiving nearly $1.4 million. He was one of the most televised players on the professional poker circuit, famous for not only his prowess at the poker tables, but also for his ability to manipulate cards and chips for the camera.

He won his first World Series of Poker bracelet a few months later in pot-limit Texas Hold ’em. After that, he appeared in 2^nd and 3^rd seasons of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament. In 2008, Esfandiari took 8^th place by winning €168,000 ($266,004) in the final table at the 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Then in July 14, 2009, Esfandiari made his deepest finish to date in the WSOP Main Event and earned $352,832. In 2010, he made his 2^nd winning at WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World, earning $870,000. World Series of Poker 2012, Europe; Esfandiari won his third bracelet in the €1,100 No Limit Hold’em event, defeating Remi Bollengier and earned €126,207.

 His biggest cash so far has been winning the ‘Big one for one Drop’ in 2012, a $1,000,000 buy-in invitational tournament which left him richer by $18,346,673; the biggest prize money in poker history. 

World Series of Poker Bracelets