Antonio Esfandiari: Biography, Career and Poker Results

October 7, 2026

Table of Contents

Antonio Esfandiari is an American professional poker player of Iranian origin, born in Tehran in 1978 and known as “The Magician” for the career in magic he pursued before poker. He has won three World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles, and in July 2012 he won the first $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop for $18,346,673, at the time the largest cash prize in poker history. ^[1][5]

Antonio Esfandiari at a poker table during EPT Monte-Carlo in 2008 — “Antonio Esfandiari 2008” by Equipo Unibet, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Antonio Esfandiari: key facts

Name	Antonio Esfandiari, born Amir Esfandiari ^[1]
Nickname	“The Magician” ^[1]
Born	December 8, 1978, Tehran, Iran ^[3][4]
Nationality	United States ^[1]
Known for	Winning the 2012 Big One for One Drop; televised high-stakes cash games
WSOP bracelets	3 (2004, 2012, 2012 WSOP Europe) ^[2]
WPT titles	2 (2004 L.A. Poker Classic, 2010 Five Diamond World Poker Classic) ^[1]
Poker Hall of Fame	Not inducted; finalist in 2019 and 2021 ^[7][8][9]
Live tournament earnings	$27,810,801 as of October 5, 2026 ^[1]

Early life: from Tehran to magic

Esfandiari was born Amir Esfandiari on December 8, 1978, in Tehran. His family moved to the United States when he was nine and settled in San Jose, California. He spoke little English when he arrived but soon became fluent. ^[4]

According to a 2008 PokerNews profile, his American classmates called him “Anthony”, and the name became “Antonio” later, while he was working as a waiter. PokerNews’s player profile adds that he changed his name to Antonio when he was 19. As a waiter he saw a bartender perform a magic trick, taught himself magic by practising several hours a day, and eventually left waiting tables to perform magic at parties as a professional. ^[1][4]

Beginning in poker

A roommate who played poker invited him to a casino tournament. Esfandiari busted out that day, but he was intrigued, and he went on to play cash games around the Bay Area while still working as a magician. ^[4] His father did not approve of the choice at first, but later came to terms with it and became, in PokerNews’s words, “Antonio’s biggest fan”. ^[1]

His first World Poker Tour final table came in 2002, a third place in the 49’er Gold Rush Bonanza $3,000 Main Event for $44,000. Two years later he won the L.A. Poker Classic for $1,399,135 and his first WSOP bracelet, in the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em event, for $184,860. ^[1][2]

Playing style

The nickname “The Magician” comes from his skill with magic tricks, which he still performs at the poker table from time to time. ^[1] PokerNews described him in 2008 as a player known for “slick chip tricks” and “spicy trash talk”, citing an exchange with Phil Hellmuth in 2002. ^[4] His televised appearances range from the first season of High Stakes Poker to large cash game pots on PokerGO and Hustler Casino Live in 2025 and 2026. ^{[12][13][14][15]}

Greatest achievements

The Big One for One Drop, 2012

The Big One for One Drop at the 2012 WSOP had a $1,000,000 buy-in and drew 48 players, with 11.11% of each entry going to the One Drop Foundation. ^[6] Esfandiari won it on July 3, 2012, beating Sam Trickett heads-up. On the final hand he flopped trip fives and held against Trickett’s flush draw. Trickett received $10,112,001, and One Drop founder Guy Laliberté finished fifth for $1,834,666. ^[5] The first prize of $18,346,673 was the biggest cash prize in poker history at the time, and Esfandiari gave the bracelet to his father. ^[1][6]

WSOP bracelets

Year	Event	Entries	Prize	Source
2012	WSOP Event #55: The Big One for One Drop, $1,000,000 No-Limit Hold’em	48	$18,346,673	[2]
2004	WSOP Event #21: $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em	324	$184,860	[2]
2012	WSOP Europe Event #2: €1,100 No-Limit Hold’em	626	€126,207	[2]

His WSOP.com profile, listed under the name Rasoul Esfandiari, shows three bracelets, one WSOP Circuit ring (a $1,675 Main Event in March 2016, 756 entries, $226,785), 17 final tables, 71 cashes and $25,428,948 in total earnings, a figure that also includes the WPT events shown on that profile and places him fifth on its all-time earnings list. ^[2] Card Player counts $21,917,242 in WSOP winnings from 49 cashes. ^[3] His best WSOP Main Event finish listed by PokerNews is 24th in 2009, for $352,832. ^[1]

Other major results

Year	Event	Result	Prize	Source
2013	WSOP $111,111 One Drop High Rollers	4th	$1,433,438	[1]
2004	WPT L.A. Poker Classic $9,900 Championship	1st	$1,399,135	[1]
2010	WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10,000 Championship	1st	$870,124	[1]
2014	PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $100,000 Super High Roller	4th	$575,920	[1]
2008	EPT Grand Final, Monte Carlo	8th	€168,000	[1]
2005	National Heads-Up Poker Championship	3rd	$125,000	[1]
2006	Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament, Season 3 Grand Final	2nd	$120,000	[1]

His most recent tournament cash listed by PokerNews is 82nd place in the 2019 WSOP Main Event, for $82,365. Card Player reported in 2025 that he had been “mostly retired for the last few years to spend time with family”. ^[1][13]

Poker Hall of Fame

Esfandiari turned 40 in December 2018, meeting the Hall of Fame’s age requirement, and was the only new name among the ten finalists in 2019. ^[7] He was a finalist again in 2021, when PokerNews noted that “much of Esfandiari’s claim to fame the past decade was that 2012 win” and that he rarely played tournaments any more. ^[8] He has not been inducted: he does not appear among the members listed on WSOP.com, which include the 2026 class. ^[9]

Television and cash games

Esfandiari played in the first season of High Stakes Poker, including an episode with Doyle Brunson, and was still playing on the show in Season 15. ^[15][12] In 2020 he faced Phil Hellmuth in PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel and lost all three heads-up matches: Round 1 for $100,000, Round 2 for $200,000 and Round 3, in which each player put up $200,000, for $400,000. ^[10]

September 2025, Hustler Casino Live: back at the table at $100/$200, he won almost $350,000, including a $175,000 pot against Sam Kiki. ^[13]
December 2025, High Stakes Poker Season 15: at $500/$1,000 he flopped four eights and won an $824,500 pot against Sameh Elamaway’s aces full. ^[12]
January 2026, PokerGO Super High Roller Cash Game: a $2.4 million pot against Alan Keating at $500/$1,000 with a $2,000 big blind ante, run twice and split. ^[14]

In January 2016 he was disqualified from the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event for what organisers called a breach of etiquette, linked to a $50,000 prop bet with Bill Perkins that required him to lunge everywhere he went for 48 hours. He donated the $50,000 to charity, $25,000 each to One Drop and Raising for Effective Giving. ^[11]

In 2012 he also released an app, The Magician’s Secrets for Winning Tournaments, on the Insta Poker mobile application. ^[1]

In his own words

“From Day 1, I just believed that I was going to win this tournament. I played my heart out, and the poker gods were on my side.” After winning the Big One for One Drop, 2012. ^[6]
“I am embarrassed of the actions I took to win that bet. On paper I won, but in life I lost.” On the 2016 prop bet. ^[11]
“I am a new father now, and this is not the kind of example I want to set for my son.” 2016. ^[11]
“I had a feeling. That is so insanely sick.” After the $824,500 pot on High Stakes Poker, 2025. ^[12]

Iconic hands and moments

The $18,346,673 hand against Sam Trickett

Run it Back with Antonio Esfandiari (PokerGO)

High Stakes Duel, Round 1: Esfandiari vs. Phil Hellmuth

FAQ about Antonio Esfandiari

How old is Antonio Esfandiari?

He was born on December 8, 1978, so he is 47 years old as of October 5, 2026. ^[3]

Where is Antonio Esfandiari from?

He was born in Tehran, Iran, and moved with his family to San Jose, California, when he was nine. He plays as an American. ^[4][1]

What is Antonio Esfandiari’s real name?

He was born Amir Esfandiari and changed his first name to Antonio at 19, according to PokerNews. ^[1]

Why is Antonio Esfandiari called “The Magician”?

Before poker he worked as a professional magician, and he still performs tricks at the table from time to time. ^[1][4]

What is Antonio Esfandiari’s net worth?

There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $27,810,801 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. His cash game results are not published. ^[1]

How many WSOP bracelets does Antonio Esfandiari have?

Three: the 2004 $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em, the 2012 Big One for One Drop and a €1,100 No-Limit Hold’em event at WSOP Europe in 2012. ^[2]

How much did Antonio Esfandiari win in the Big One for One Drop?

$18,346,673, for winning the first $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop at the 2012 WSOP. ^[5]

Is Antonio Esfandiari in the Poker Hall of Fame?

No. He was a finalist in 2019 and 2021 but has not been inducted. ^[7][8][9]

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