"Gus and Ladies"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Clonie Gowen
  • JJ Liu
  • Beth Shak
  • Erica Schoenberg
  • Vanessa Rousso
"Poker Brat Attack"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Steve Zolotow
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Annie Duke
  • Shawn Sheikhan
"Play Anything"
  • Mike Matusow
  • David Grey
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Jerry Buss
"Earphones Please"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Andy Bloch
  • Mike Matusow
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Sam Farha
  • Tony G
"Phil Phil"
  • Erik Seidel
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Antonio Esfandiari
"Talking Heads"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Phil Gordon
  • Mike Sexton
  • Chad Brown
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Michael Konik
"Against All Odds"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Gus Hansen
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Sam Farha
  • Tony G
  • Ted Forrest
"Killer Table"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Jennifer Tilly
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Phil Gordon
  • Patrik Antonius
"Loose Lips"
  • John Juanda
  • Allen Cunningham
  • Mike Matusow
  • Shawn Sheikhan
  • Barry Greenstein
  • David Benyamine
"Golden Men"
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Johnny Chan
  • Greg Raymer
  • Joe Hachem
  • Jamie Gold
"Queens And Kings"
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Howard Lederer
  • Annie Duke
  • Vanessa Rousso
  • Ali Nejad
  • Kristy Gazes
"Live To Hurt"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Shawn Sheikhan
  • Antonio Esfandiari
"Hecklers"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Gavin Smith
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Shawn Sheikhan
  • Jean-Robert Bellande
  • Sam Grizzle
"World Champions"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Berry Johnston
  • Johnny Chan
  • Jamie Gold
  • Phil Hellmuth
"World Series Legends"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Erik Seidel
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Layne Flack
  • T.J. Cloutier
"Ladies' Night"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Dee Luong
  • Cyndy Violette
  • Vanessa Rousso
  • Evelyn Ng
"Internationals"
  • Gus Hansen
  • David Benyamine
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Marco Traniello
  • Brad Booth
"Love At First Raise"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • David Benyamine
  • Marco Traniello
  • Erica Schoenberg
  • Jennifer Tilly
  • Phil Laak
"Cowboys"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Andy Bloch
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Chau Giang
  • Hoyt Corkins
  • Gabe Kaplan
"Jam Up"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Mike Matusow
  • David Williams
  • Barry Greenstein
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Eli Elezra
"Commentators"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Phil Gordon
  • Ali Nejad
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Chad Brown
  • Robert Williamson
"The Cash Game"
  • Allen Cunningham
  • Tom Dwan
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Mike Baxter
  • Guy Laliberte
  • David Peat
"Nets v. Vets"
  • Brian Townsend
  • Huckleberry Seed
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Tom Dwan
  • Johnny Chan
  • Andrew Robl
"Heads-Up Challenge"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Paul Wasicka
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Ted Forrest
  • 0
  • 00
"Mission Impossible"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Gavin Smith
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • David Williams
"Dream Table II"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Gavin Smith
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Mike Sexton
  • Paul Featherstone
"Mayfair Club"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Steve Zolotow
  • Jay Heimowitz
  • Mickey Appleman
  • Dan Harrington
  • Mike Shichtman
"Cash Game II"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Eli Elezra
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Dee Tiller
"WPT All-Stars"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Gus Hansen
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Michael Mizrachi
  • Tuan Le
"Poker Prowess"
  • Andy Bloch
  • John Juanda
  • Clonie Gowen
  • Phil Laak
  • David Williams
  • Annie Duke
"Mega Match"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Allen Cunningham
  • David Benyamine
  • Barry Greenstein
  • Eli Elezra
"Of Mouth and Men"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Paul Wasicka
  • Alan Boston
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Mike Sexton
  • Jamie Gold
"Show Open"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Howard Lederer
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Gus Hansen
  • Phil Hellmuth
"Dream Table"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • Mike Matusow
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Scotty Nguyen
  • Ken Light
"WSOP Champions"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Carlos Mortensen
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Johnny Chan
  • Chris Moneymaker
  • Jamie Gold
"19th Hole"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Gavin Smith
  • David Oppenheim
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Daniel Negreanu
"International"
  • John Juanda
  • Gus Hansen
  • Roland de Wolfe
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Johnny Chan
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Close But No Cigar"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Allen Cunningham
  • Andy Black
  • Lee Watkinson
  • Dewey Tomko
  • David Williams
"Speak Your Mind"
  • Phil Gordon
  • David Grey
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Todd Brunson
  • Corey Zeidman
"Brilliant Minds"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Andy Bloch
  • Brandon Adams
  • David Sklansky
  • Bill Chen
  • Jimmy Warren
"Dream Table III"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Johnny Chan
  • Daniel Negreanu
  • Jennifer Tilly
  • Phil Laak
  • Arnold Thimons
"Internationals III"
  • Brad Booth
  • Allen Cunningham
  • John Juanda
  • John Phan
  • David Benyamine
  • Ivan Demidov
"Cash Game Nets v. Vets"
  • David Benefield
  • Taylor Caby
  • Eli Elezra
  • Cole South
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Gabe Kaplan
"Hellmuth Bash I"
  • Kenny Tran
  • Tom Dwan
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Bob Safai
"Hellmuth Bash II"
  • Kenny Tran
  • Tom Dwan
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Bob Safai
"Celebrities and Mentors"
  • Phil Gordon
  • Gavin Smith
  • Don Cheadle
  • Jason Alexander 
  • Barry Greenstein
  • Orel Hershiser
"Commentators - NO SHOW THIS WEEK"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Ali Nejad
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Joe Sebok
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Kara Scott
"Commentators - NO SHOW THIS WEEK"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Ali Nejad
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Kara Scott
  • Joe Sebok
"USA vs. Italy"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Howard Lederer
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Marco Traniello
  • Max Pescatori
  • Dario Minieri
"My Favorite Pro"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Jens Voertmann
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • James Ashby
  • Steve Bartlett
  • Craig Ivey
"Sit ‘N Talk"
  • Jennifer Harman
  • David Grey
  • Mike Matusow
  • Jean-Robert Bellande
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Vanessa Rousso
"Top Guns Cash Game #1"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Howard Lederer
  • Eli Elezra
  • Tom Dwan
  • Ilari Sahamies
"Top Guns Cash Game #2"
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Phil Ivey
  • Howard Lederer
  • Eli Elezra
  • Tom Dwan
  • Ilari Sahamies
"Railbird Heaven Cash Game #1"
  • Phil Ivey
  • Gus Hansen
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Tom Dwan
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Railbird Heaven #2"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Phil Ivey
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Tom Dwan
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Commentators"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Ali Nejad
  • Gabe Kaplan
  • Mark Gregorich
  • Joe Sebok
  • Kara Scott
"Nicknames"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Annette Obrestad
"Game 100k, Part 1"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Tom Dwan
  • Eli Elezra
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Phil Laak
"Game 100k, Part 2"
  • Gus Hansen
  • Tom Dwan
  • Eli Elezra
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Laak
"Cash Game 50k, Part 1"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Mike Matusow
  • Brandon Adams
  • Todd Brunson
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
"Cash Game 50k, Part 2"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Mike Matusow
  • Brandon Adams
  • Todd Brunson
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Phil Hellmuth
"He Said, She Said"
  • Mike Matusow
  • Erica Schoenberg
  • Karina Jett
  • David Grey
  • Annie Duke
  • Jean-Robert Bellande
"Magnificent Six"
  • Chris Ferguson
  • Phil Ivey
  • Howard Lederer
  • Doyle Brunson
  • Phil Hellmuth
  • Daniel Negreanu
"Lonesome Shark"
  • Mike Matusow
  • James Akenhead
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Antonio Esfandiari
  • Brad Booth
  • David Williams
"Mixed Martial Arts"
  • Howard Lederer
  • Patrik Antonius
  • Erick Lindgren
  • Bruce Buffer
  • Dan Henderson
  • Randy Couture
Antonio Esfandiari

Antonio Esfandiari

San Francisco, CA

See This Pro in Action

7/10/2007

12/18/2007

9/16/2008

4/21/2009

10/27/2009

11/3/2009

5/18/2010

7/20/2010

8/24/2010

8/31/2010

9/21/2010

Key stats:

One WSOP championship and one WPT championship

Close profile

The Magician

Antonio Esfandiari – Abracadabra, You’re a Star

Antonio was born in Iran in 1978. He lived there until the age of nine, when his father moved the family to San Jose, California in search of a better life. Because they were poor and knew very little English, Antonio's attempts to fit in at school were often met with ridicule and rejection.

Antonio worked hard on his English. He got a job, and bought fine clothes and flashy toys. If his classmates didn't want to have anything to do with him, at least they were going to know that he was having more fun than they were.

Years later, Antonio was hard at work as a waiter and he saw a bartender perform a magic trick. Antonio was blown away. With intense single-mindedness, he threw himself into magic. He wanted to stand out, and he thought magic was going to be his pedestal. Not only did he master the tricks, he developed a showman's personality. Before long, he was working as a professional magician.

Antonio's entry into poker was equally accidental. His friend had entered a poker tournament and he came along for the ride. A smaller tournament was running at the same time, so he bought in for $30. A few hours later, he left a winner. And just like he had done with magic, Antonio poured himself into poker. He was routinely doubling and re-doubling his bankroll. He was on track toward playing for even higher stakes when he got derailed at the 2001 World Series of Poker and lost everything.

Undeterred, Antonio regrouped and, with the help of his friend and roommate Phil "The Unabomber" Laak, he climbed back into the game. In 2004, he entered the World Poker Tour's L.A. Poker Classic and won the biggest prize ever by such a young player - $1.4 million. Three months later, he went back to the WSOP and won a gold bracelet.

Today, Antonio stands very tall on poker's pedestal. He still likes the flashier things in life and, with more than $2.6 million in tournament winnings, he certainly can afford them – both for himself and his large circle of friends.

And yes, they're having a lot of fun.

Bottom Banner
© Copyright 2006-2007 POKER-PROductions. All Rights Reserved
Face the Ace Poker Game Show on NBC