Antonio Esfandiari

If you're sitting at a poker table with Antonio Esfandiari and your chips suddenly disappear, it could be magic. Or it could be that you're facing one of the sharpest and most skilled players in the world of poker. Either way, he will leave you in awe of the challenge you just faced and with living proof of the powers of this young magician turned poker player.

Antonio has come a long way in his twenty-something years, and if that history is at all indicative of his potential, he'll be around to continue amazing those in his midst, whether it be at or away from the poker table.

Amir, the name Antonio was given at birth, faced hardship from the first years of his life as a child in Tehran, Iran. The family moved to America for a better life for all of them, but especially him and his younger brother by six years, Pasha. They settled in San Jose, California, and found life difficult. His parents spoke very broken English, and he and his brother spoke none.

While Antonio's father was determined to provide the tools for the boys to get an education and become successful, his mother left to return to Iran without so much as a goodbye. He and his brother were devastated, as was their father. Nevertheless, they all carried on with the help and under the roof of Antonio's paternal grandmother.

School was difficult for Antonio and his brother, even though their language proficiency was constantly improving. They were teased by their peers for their physical traits common to Middle Easterners, as well as their accented words. In their efforts to reduce the ribbing, they both Americanized their names ' Amir to Anthony and Pasha to Paul. Antonio then decided that the way to combat the harassment was to make himself the envy of others.

He goes by the nickname "The Magician".
By the age of eleven, Antonio had obtained a job as a telemarketer, making enough money to buy fashionable clothes and treat a few select friends to good times. When he reached sixteen, he secured a job as a waiter, priding himself on selling more wine to customers than the rest of the wait staff.

A bartender at the restaurant first introduced Antonio to magic by showing him a card trick. Antonio was so fascinated by it that he immediately purchased every book and videotape available about the art of magic, even changing his name from Anthony to Antonio, as the new name sounded more mystic. He taught himself a number of tricks and began to wow customers at the restaurant with his skills. He at last built up enough interest in his art to schedule private parties at which he entertained.

During those teen years, Antonio's father grew more and more upset with his son's lifestyle that included late hours, numerous phone calls, and extravagant spending habits. At seventeen, Antonio left home, living temporarily with his best friend, then securing his own apartment and establishing his independence.

At nineteen, Antonio accompanied a friend to a local cardroom in San Jose. As his friend competed in a poker tournament, Antonio tried his hand at a non-tournament table and found that he did well and loved the challenge of No Limit Hold 'Em. He loved the bluffing aspect of the game, and he immediately saw an opportunity to master the game and the possibility to make money doing it. As quickly as he was drawn into the art of magic years before, he now had a new passion for poker.

Antonio studied poker and began playing in cash games and small tournaments, eventually accumulating enough of a bankroll to get to Vegas and enter the World Series of Poker main event. In doing so, however, he lost everything he had worked hard to build. On the other hand, he met Phil Laak, a more experienced poker pro, and the two became fast friends. Phil counseled Antonio on the importance of money management, and with this knowledge, Antonio went back to San Jose with a serious determination to sharpen his skills and master the game.

In 2002, Antonio entered his first World Poker Tour tournament, making it to the final table of the Gold Rush event in San Francisco and placing third. With his first taste of significant prize money and the brilliance of the lights and cameras, he came back during the WPT's second season to show the world what this Iranian entrepreneur was all about. He won he L.A. Poker Classic in 2004, and the following day, after getting no sleep, played the WPT Invitational and took sixth place.

Antonio's mark had been made in the poker world, and he knew it. He was famously popular with women who were taken by his striking looks, his generosity, and his recent successes. However, there was one obstacle that he had yet to overcome. He returned to Las Vegas in 2004 for the WSOP and won the Pot Limit Hold 'Em event, bracelet and prize money included. The poker event that had taken every dime of his bankroll a few years prior had been conquered, and he couldn't have been happier.

In addition to finding a career that satisfies Antonio's craving for challenge and wealth, he has also gained back the respect of his father. He has the notoriety which comes from appearances on the WPT, and he is living well, enjoying his twenties in a way that most cannot afford.

So, if you find yourself at a poker table with Antonio, with his piercing stare and aggressive style influencing your game, you can be sure that it's his years of skill and hard work, not magic, that will result in the loss of your chips. All you can do is learn a lesson or two from this poker champion.