Antonio Esfandiari Profile

One would think it was the constant presence of cards in his hands that led Antonio Esfandiari to pick up poker; after all, as man making his daily bread via card tricks and other magical skills, he was already making a living with cards. But in truth, poker came as a form of recreation for Antonio, who picked up the game when he was 20, a year after he had picked up magic. When a buddy took him aside a few years later and told him he needed some lessons if he wanted to play poker seriously, Antonio paid attention. Fortunately for him, he learns his lessons well, parleying those classes in poker to becoming the youngest player to ever win a million dollar prize in a poker tournament and the youngest player to win a televised World Poker Tour event. His story is fascinating enough, but when considering he didn’t speak a word of English before age nine and came from a country where decks of cards were illegal, his story becomes even more amazing.

Antonio hails from Tehran, coming to America and into the third grade at nine years old, where the only English word he knew was “hello.” Among the many new opportunities available to him in America was the freedom to play cards openly, something he could never do growing up. Yet it wasn’t until age 19 that he was bitten by the magic bug while watching a strolling magician perform card tricks at a restaurant. It was soon after he began to make a living as both a waiter and a magician.

His entry to professional poker came soon after his short-lived stint as a pro magician, and his success was filled with hills and valleys. He went broke after some moderate success in 2001. He admits to being rough around the edges as a young beginner, and after a few displays which have been labeled as “classless” he rethought his life as a poker pro. Becoming disciplined in both his game and his behavior has earned him a reputation as a class act now, as well as a role with Annie Duke and other pros with Ulitimatebet.com.

If his website and its philosophies are any indication, Antonio could never be thought of classless again. http://www.magicantonio.com/ gives great insight into his lifestyle, his ideas on poker, and plenty of plays from his personal playbook.