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.

Read More
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Esfandiari and Laak Pro Analysis 3

Good analysis of an interesting WSOP hand between Velador and Keranen

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Some big names talking about what got them excited about poker and how they first started with the game

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Phil Laak Shoving and Rapping

Phil Laak limp-shoves against Antonio Esfandiari and starts rapping

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Antonio Esfandiari Outplaying Phil Hellmuth

Antonio Esfandiari outplays Phil Hellmuth in the preflop wars

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Daniel Negreanu outflop Antonio Esfandiari in a big pot during The Big One for One Drop 2014

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Antonio Esfandiari in a Tough Spot Against Flakstad

Antonio Esfandiari gets in a tough spot against Andreas Flakstad who turns his hand into a bluff on the river

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Party Poker Premier League-Mizzi in a Bad Spot Against Antonio

Sorel Mizzi gets it in bad against Antonio Esfandiari, some drama on the flop and the turn

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Antonio Esfandiari and David Williams: Fun Poker Moment

Antonio 'The Magician' Esfandiari and David Williams having fun while tournament life hangs in the balance

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The Big Game: Ike Haxton vs Antonio Esfandiari

Ike Haxton and Antonio Esfandiari trying to out-bluff one another

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Jonathan Duhamel vs Antonio Esfandiari: Sick Rebluff

Jonathan Duhamel goes for a sick re-bluff on the river against Antonio Esfandiari

Live Poker Events, 9 years ago

Shuffle up and Deal: Cards are in the Air for the Big One for One Drop

Poker fans, poker media and players have been anxiously awaiting the start of the Big One for One Drop tournament, and the wait is finally over. Couple hours ago, the opening ceremony took place and

Live Poker Events, 9 years ago

Big One for One Drop: 15 Players on the Dinner Break

Despite a big amount of money players had to put forward to be able to play in this event, they were certainly not shy to get their chips in the middle today, as from 31 who started the day today,

Daniel Negreanu Surges to the Top of the All Time Money List

With his second place finish in the Big One for One Drop, Daniel Negreanu has dethroned Antonio Esfandiari from the top of the All Time Money List, and is the new sovereign with $3.5 lead over

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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started as an attempt to raise awareness about Amyotrophic lateral scleriosis (ALS) or Lou Gherig's disease in United States. The concept was not entirely new but the

Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari to Star in the 'Underground Poker' TV Show

Both Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari are great players and colorful characters in their own rights. But you put them together, and we are talking a whole new level of entertainment. All fans of high

Poker Week in Pictures: I'll State My Case

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Poker Tales - The Magician and The Unabomber

Poker masters, best friends, millionaires and mad men

Phil Hellmuth Joins Negreanu & Esfandiari as Poker Central Partners

Phil Hellmuth has signed on as a partner at Poker Central, the new round-the-clock poker TV network that begins airing in October.

2015 WSOP Esfandiari All-In Moments

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

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!”