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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 8 years ago
Top 3 Funniest Poker Players TodayHilarious clips from poker moments with Phil Laak, Daniel Negreanu, and Antonio Esfandiari
Published 8 years ago
High Stakes Poker - Esfandiari's Great Read Against NegreanuAntonio Esfandiari makes a great read against Daniel Negreanu in this big hand from High Stakes Poker
Published 8 years ago
Horrible Mistakes by Poker PlayersBig mistakes made by some big name poker players! Including Dan Cates, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan and more!
Published 8 years ago
PokerStars Shark Cage - S02E13 - FINAL TABLEThe second season of the Pokerstars Shark Cage concludes with this star studded final table, featuring Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Es...
Published 8 years ago
PokerStars Shark Cage - S02E14 - FINAL TABLEThe second season of the Pokerstars Shark Cage concludes with this star studded final table, featuring Daniel Negreanu, Antonio Es...
Published 8 years ago
PokerStars Shark Cage - S02 Ep10Season 2 of the Pokerstars Shark cage! Episode 10. Where plays battle it out over 10 episodes and various heats to win $1,000,000 ...
Published 8 years ago
Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari play big straddle potAntonio Esfandiari and Daniel Negreanu clash on a cash-game episode of Poker Night in America.
Published 8 years ago
Esfandiari berates Phil Laak on poker nightAntonio berates his old-school poker buddy Phil Laak during a cash game episode of poker night in America.
Published 8 years ago
Antonio Esfandiari puts Negreanu to TestDaniel Negreanu faced with a decision in a hand against Antonio Esfandiari
Published 8 years ago
Sam Trickett Pulling Bluff vs EsfandiariAntonio Esfandiari put in a tough spot by Sam Trickett
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