If your interest has ever ventured to the poker games then chances are that you may have heard of the magician-turned poker champion Antonio Esfandiari whose emigration from Iran to California in the United States of America exposed him to the world of magic and cards which is responsible for his present state of fame and stardom.
Who is Antonio Esfandiari?
The young Antonio Esfandiari was like a man hungry for success in any form and so, he concentrated on improving his knowledge through education which he achieved at Del Mar High School in San Jose. In a bid to take better care of his dad and younger brother, Antonio began working as a waiter in a restaurant at 16.
He became hooked on magic when one of the bartenders showed him a smart trick on cards. The teenage Antonio soon got obsessed with the act of magic and employed the help of every book and videotape he could lay his hands to master the art of magic. He practiced daily until he became perfect. Antonio changed his name from Amir to Antonio to sound more mystical and started practicing his magic at the restaurant which led to his invitations to many private parties to perform magic
It appeared that Antonio’s dad was not comfortable with his way of making a living, so the young magician left home to stay with a friend who introduced him to the poker game. His interest in the game brought him to a non-tournament poker table until he started experimenting with cash games and ultimately engaged in several successful poker tournaments and today, he is recorded as one of the most successful poker players of our time.
As one of the best poker players in the United States, Antonio has made appearances on several poker television shows. He has two World Poker Tour (WPT) championships to his credit and has bagged three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets in the course of his career which include the “Big One for One Drop” which he clinched in 2012. The “Big One for One Drop” was pegged at a $1,000,000 buy-in tournament which was aimed at benefiting the One Drop Foundation and winning this event singled Antonio Esfandiari out as the winner of the largest single payout in tournament poker history at $18,346,673. He attained the exalted position of number one in all-time tournament poker winnings and held onto it for a long time.
Who is Antonio Esfandiari’s Wife, Parents, and Family?
Antonio Esfandiari, the magician cum poker player was born as Amir Esfandiari in the city of Tehran, Iran on the 8th day of December 1978. After his family moved to California USA in search of greener pastures, his mum suddenly abandoned him and his younger brother Pasha Esfandiari and returned to their hometown in Iran, leaving only their dad Bijan Esfandiari to cater for the boys. Antonio’s father and his boys didn’t waste time grieving over an absentee mother, they proceeded to make a better life for themselves in their new home in California.
According to the celebrated poker player, his life can be likened to a roller coaster ride. Immigrating from Iran to America, the struggles, the trials and tribulations he had to face in order to survive, but the beaming light at the end of this tunnel was meeting his amazing wife and significant other Amal Bounahra whose father happened to be the poker pro Badih “Bob” Bounahra. The birth of his cute son on the 7th day of January 2015 changed the magician’s life forever, in his own words, he said he had always known that fatherhood would come upon him one day but the actual feeling is something that is better experienced than explained.
The famed professional poker player went further to explain that his present state of euphoria emanates from the loving relationship he had with his dad. He likened his father’s love and sacrifice to the law of physics in his life which is ever reliable. He refers to his dad as his hero and one of the best things that happened to him and he believes that because of the love and devotion his dad gave to them, he is in a better position to give the same to his son. The magician concluded by saying that several years of being very close to his beloved dad has always made him wonder what life would look like from his dad’s perspective and at last he knows.
