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Antonio Esfandiari Biography
Antonio Esfandiari was the highest earning tournament poker player ever, with total winnings in excess of $25m up until Daniel Negreanu took that title by winning "Big One For One Drop 2014". A large chunk of this was from his $18.3m win in The Big One for One Drop, besting Sam Trickett heads-up to take home the bracelet.
Esfandiari, is also known as 'The Magician', as he was once a professional magician before becoming one of the best and most recognisable faces in modern day poker.
He is always a funny character at the table, and never fails to provide some top quality poker at the same time. Not many people have a bad thing to say about Antonio for obvious reasons. Antonio started playing poker when he was invited to a poker game when he was 19, during the same time he was peforming magic. It seemed from here on he was destined to transfer his magic onto the tables.
He kicked off his incredibly successful career big time when he won almost $1.4m at the LA Poker Classic Event.
Antonio has a very close friendship with fellow poker pro player, Phil Laak. They have been known to create great TV together at the televised table with their wit and generally likable personalities.
Game invented by Antonio Esfandiari & Phil Laak:
Lodden Thinks
The game of Lodden Thinks spiralled from some joking between the two as to what fellow pro Johnny Lodden while the three were at a televised table during a WSOP event. Esfandiari decided that their usual chat was boring and they needed to spice it up a little, so the two came up with Lodden Thinks.
The rules are as follows:
- 3 people are involved in the game, with 2 'betting' against each other, and one being 'Lodden' (ps. this doesn't actually have to be Johnny Lodden surprisingly.)
- Anybody can come up with a question with a numerical answer, and pose it to the group, with 'Lodden' thinking of an answer.
- The two 'bettors' then start off a bidding war as to what they think 'Lodden' would think. This goes on until one of the bettors declares 'I'm under', which means they take any number under what their opponent has just said, which subsequently means the other person takes over that number.
- 'Lodden' then reveals their answer, and depending on where that number lies in under or over, the winner is declared. What is so interesting about the game, is that it does not matter what the actual answer is, it only matters what 'Lodden' thinks the answer is.
A typical game for the minds of poker players.
Take a look at a Lodden Thinks game between Brunson and Ivey.
Wikipedia
Antonio EsfandiariWorld Series Of Poker
Antonio EsfandiariWorld Poker Tour
Antonio EsfandiariPublished 9 years ago
Esfandiari and Laak Pro Analysis 3Good analysis of an interesting WSOP hand between Velador and Keranen
Published 9 years ago
PokerStars Bonus Cut - What Got You Excited about PokerSome big names talking about what got them excited about poker and how they first started with the game
Published 9 years ago
Phil Laak Shoving and RappingPhil Laak limp-shoves against Antonio Esfandiari and starts rapping
Published 9 years ago
Antonio Esfandiari Outplaying Phil HellmuthAntonio Esfandiari outplays Phil Hellmuth in the preflop wars
Published 9 years ago
Negreanu vs Esfandiari - Kidpoker Flops BetterDaniel Negreanu outflop Antonio Esfandiari in a big pot during The Big One for One Drop 2014
Published 9 years ago
Antonio Esfandiari in a Tough Spot Against FlakstadAntonio Esfandiari gets in a tough spot against Andreas Flakstad who turns his hand into a bluff on the river
Published 9 years ago
Party Poker Premier League-Mizzi in a Bad Spot Against AntonioSorel Mizzi gets it in bad against Antonio Esfandiari, some drama on the flop and the turn
Published 9 years ago
Antonio Esfandiari and David Williams: Fun Poker MomentAntonio 'The Magician' Esfandiari and David Williams having fun while tournament life hangs in the balance
Published 9 years ago
The Big Game: Ike Haxton vs Antonio EsfandiariIke Haxton and Antonio Esfandiari trying to out-bluff one another
Published 9 years ago
Jonathan Duhamel vs Antonio Esfandiari: Sick RebluffJonathan Duhamel goes for a sick re-bluff on the river against Antonio Esfandiari
Jeff Gross touched on a variety of topics - including the big blind ante, poker players boxing and Fortnite.
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