My Poker Heroes

Very few poker players could match the interesting background that Antonio Esfandiari comes from. Born in Iran on December 8th, 1978, this exceptionally talented poker player was a professional magician before you took to the tables. He came to the United States when he was around 9 years old along with his parents and could not speak a word of English. His quick grasping ability saw him gradually pick up the language, complete his schooling and then subsequently his college studies.

While at school he was mesmerized by a magic show and decided to become one himself. He worked relentlessly hard and became a professional magician, a title that he takes pride in till this day. As a young man he grew up in San Jose, California and along with being a magician also used to play poker recreationally. It was in his early 20s that he first attempted entering tournaments, with the idea of making some money. His talent was evident from the first poker tournament that he entered, in which he incidentally won.

Gradually he became a star attraction in the poker circuit. He won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2004. The very same year, at the L.A.Poker Classic WPT Event, he won a big stack. Two historic titles, ‘Youngest players to win a televised WPT event’ and the ‘youngest player to win a million dollar tournament’, established him firmly among the big names in the world of poker.

His increased confidence and maturity in recent times has seen him notch up success after success in poker tournaments. This is something that is in total contrast to his reputation of being quite immature during his early professional poker career. He is also known to offer valuable tips to younger poker players who are just starting out on the circuit. Apart from his skills with cards, he continues to be a much sought after magician.