Antonio Esfandiari Bio

Antonio Esfandiari was born in 1978 in the country of Iran and he moved to America with his family when he was only 9 years old. He graduated from high school in 1997 and later became a professional magician. While working as a magician, Esfanidari was introduced to the game of Texas Hold Em and the rest was history.

Esfandiari made his first major impact on the poker world in 2004 when he won the WPT LA Poker Classic. He defeated Vinny Vinh for the title and the $1.399 Million prize. Later that year, Antonio took down his only WSOP bracelet when he won the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold Em event.

These wins propelled Esfandiari to super star status and he became known to the world as “The Magician,” a play on his former trade. In addition, Antonio is able to do elaborate chip tricks, a skill that has captivated poker fans around the world and has added to his fame and popularity.

After his breakout year in 2004, Esfandiari has been able to put together a nice string of profitable years, but it hasn’t been until recently that he has made a score of $500,000 or more in the poker world. This past December, Antonio took down his 2nd WPT title by winning the 2010 Doyle Brunson Classic in Las Vegas. He won over $870,000 for the victory and firmly reestablished himself as one of poker’s dominant players. For his career, Esfandiari has won over $4.5 Million in tournaments.

Esfandiari’s fame has gone on to make him a sought after player on all of the major poker programs. In fact, he has appeared on every season of Poker After Dark and all 7 seasons of High Stakes Poker. Also, Esfandiari has helped to author the book “World Poker Tour: In the Money” in 2006. This book also includes a DVD on chip tricks.

Antonio Esfandiari emerged as a poker super star just as the “Moneymaker Era” in poker was beginning. He is one of those players that bridge the gap between the old school mentality and the new school way of playing poker. His results have proven that there is more to him than just fancy chip tricks, and he should continue to be a force in the game for years to come.