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
9 years ago7,998ThePokerAces,

Published 9 years ago

EPT Monte Carlo: Glen Chorney Calls a Clock on Esfandiari

Antonio Esfandiari and Glen Chorney involved in a big hand in Monaco. Chorney calls a clock on the river.

6 years ago14,945BDJB,

Published 6 years ago

Esfandiari Gets Pocket Kings and an OUTRAGEOUS Deal!

Doug Polk looks at a hand from the new Poker After Dark series, where Antonio Esfandiari lays the trap with his pocket kings again...

6 years ago19,647BDJB,

Published 6 years ago

Esfandiari Is FLOORED by Bill Perkins!

It's the new 'Poker After Dark' big cash game and Big One For One Drop Winner Antonio Esfandiari does battle with billionaire busi...

6 years ago5,337BDJB,

Published 6 years ago

Esfandiari Scares the Crap out of Daniel Negreanu

In this classic episode from Season 2 of High Stakes Poker, Daniel Negreanu has the second nuts but gets scared by Antonio Esfandi...

9 years ago2,774BestPokerVids,

Published 9 years ago

Esfandiari and Laak Pro Analysis 3

Good analysis of an interesting WSOP hand between Velador and Keranen

9 years ago3,811BestPokerVids,

Published 9 years ago

Esfandiari and Tony G Clash in a Big Pot

The Magician finds himself in an uncomfortable spot

8 years ago11,956BestPokerVids,

Published 8 years ago

Esfandiari berates Phil Laak on poker night

Antonio berates his old-school poker buddy Phil Laak during a cash game episode of poker night in America.

10 years ago6,701

Published 10 years ago

Esfandiari betters Phil Ivey!

Phil Ivey obviously caught some sort of read from Esfandiari on this one!

14 years ago10,764

Published 14 years ago

Esfandiari in London

Exclusive PokerTube interview with one of the biggest names in the business - Antonio The Magician Esfandiari.

10 years ago13,877

Published 10 years ago

Footy and Life Beyond the Felt with Esfandiari

In today's daily WSOP APAC highlight show we join a group of poker pros including Antonio Esfandiari, world champ Greg Merson and ...

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