Antonio Esfandiari

Antonio Esfandiari, also known as The Magician one of the best poker players of our years. He is also the inventor of the poker game Lodden Thinks.

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.

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7 years ago7,668BestPokerVids,

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Top 5 Richest Poker Players

The Top 5 richest poker players, featuring Daniel Negreanu, Sam Trickett, Daniel Colman, Erik Seidel and Antonio Esfandiari

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National Heads-Up Championship - Calling the Clock on Esfandiari

Ted Forrest calls the clock on Antonio Esfandiari after he moves all-in against him in their third round match up in the 2005 Nati...

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National Heads-Up Championship - Esfandiari Flips A Coin to Make His Decision

Antonio Esfandiari faces a tough decision against Ted Forrest in their third round match up in the 2005 National Heads-Up Champion...

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National Heads-Up Championship - Sam Farha Vs Antonio Esfandiari

Sammy Farha and Antonio Esfandiari have an exciting match in the first round of the 2010 National Heads-Up Poker Championship from...

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Antonio Esfandiari De-Pants Mike Matusow

Antonio Esfandiari dares to pull down Mike Matusow's pants at the World Series of Poker!

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High Roller Radio - Nolan Dalla on Poker's Superstars

Nolan Dalla, WSOP Media Director & author of "One of a Kind", talks to High Roller Radio about Poker Legends Phil Hellmuth, Phil I...

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WPT Tournament of Champions - My WPT Moment

Antonio Esfandiari and other top pros give us an insight into their favourite personal moments on the World Poker Tour

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Premier League - Esfandiari Bluffs Jungleman

It's the final table of the Party Poker Premier League Season VI and Antonio Esfandiari attempts a big bluff against Dan "Junglema...

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Premier League - Hellmuth & Esfandiari Arguing

Antonio Esfandiari is arguing with Phil Hellmuth whilst he's in a hand against Jonathan Duhamel in the Party Poker Premier League ...

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The Big Game - Vanessa Selbst Gets Mad!

Vanessa Selbst isn't happy with herself in this hand from an episode of Pokerstars The Big Game. Phil Laak, Antonio Esfandiari and...

Live Poker Events, 6 years ago

$1Million WSOP One Drop Returns!

When it comes to $1million buy-ins you’d be surprised just how many players are eager to pay up to play.

2015 WSOP Esfandiari All-In Moments

Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari roared this summer at the Rio for for five straight days.

50 Secrets to Poker Success Calls on Negreanu, Koon and Other Big Names

Journalist Lance Bradley’s new book “The Pursuit of Poker Success” has called on the world’s leading players to chart the route to greatness in the game…

A Day in The Life of A High Roller with Bill Perkins

Unilad’s Joel ‘Bamalam’ Watts tagged along with Bill Perkins for 24 hours in a humorous take on the hedge-fund, poker-loving’s daily routine.

Antonio Esfandiari Beats Comedian Kevin Hart in Boxing Match

It was magic against comedy in the boxing ring

Antonio Esfandiari Buys $5.4million Venice Beach Mansion

Esfandiari has put his recent troubles behind him and splashed out almost $5.4million on a brand-new Venice Beach mansion in Los Angeles

Antonio Esfandiari Expecting a Broken Nose as Kevin Hart Fight Confirmed

The boxing match is set to go ahead in mid-April according to ‘the Magician’

Antonio Esfandiari Gears Up for Grudge Boxing Bout With Kevin Hart

Esfandiari had accepted 35 to 1 odds to get into the ring with the much fitter Hart

Antonio Esfandiari Reddit AMA Highlights

Esfandiari got proceedings underway by starting his thread entitled “I am Antonio “the Magician” Esfandiari, and I’ve won $26 million playing poker. AMA!”

Antonio Esfandiari Takes on Staking Ambassador Role

Esfandiari’s decision to post his staking packages exclusively on the StakeKings’s site will no doubt tempt those with a few thousand to spare.