WPT History Books: Antonio Esfandiari

All the way back in Season II, Antonio Esfandiari (pictured) topped a field of 382 players to win his first six-digit poker cash at the WPT L.A. Poker Classic. He has gone on to win many millions more after that first WPT title helped launch one of the most successful careers in tournament poker. Here is a look at the details from that event, and his final-table opponents.

Buy-In: $10,000
Prize Pool: $3,781,500
Players: 382
Number of Players Paid: 27
Min-Cash: $22,690

Final Table Results:

1: Antonio Esfandiari – $1,399,135
2: Vinny Vinh – $718,485
3: Mike Keohan – $359,245
4: Bill Gazes – $226,890
5: Adam Schoenfeld – $170,170
6: David Benyamine – $94,540

In addition to being one of the most successful players in the history of the WPT, Esfandiari’s more than $27 million in career tournament earnings puts him in fourth place all-time. He has played in a total of 14 WPT events, has won two WPT titles, and has close to $3 million in WPT earnings.

In addition to his L.A. Poker Classic title back in Season II, Esfandiari also won the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Season IX. Esfandiari made the final table at Five Diamond in three consecutive seasons, and cashed five years in a row at Bellagio in December from Season VII-XI. That is an impressive display of tournament poker consistency no matter what the tournament. Esfandiari has $2,997,005 in WPT career earnings. Here is a look at his WPT results.

Season I: Gold Rush Tournament – 3rd Place ($44,000)
Season II: L.A. Poker Classic – Champion ($1,399,135)
Season II: WPT Invitational – 6th Place ($8,000)
Season III: Aruba Poker Classic – 34th Place ($9,000)
Season III: Bay 101 Shooting Star – 14th Place ($40,000)
Season VII: Five Diamond World Poker Classic – 59th Place ($23,420)
Season VIII: Five Diamond World Poker Classic – 23rd Place ($28,569)
Season IX: Five Diamond World Poker Classic – Champion ($870,124)
Season X: Five Diamond World Poker Classic – 6th Place ($119,418)
Season XI: Five Diamond World Poker Classic – 4th Place ($329,339)
Season XI: Bay 101 Shooting Star – 9th Place ($64,450)
Season XII: partypoker WPT Montreal – 80th Place ($6,846)
Season XIII: partypoker WPT Montreal – 25th Place ($13,942)
Season XV: partypoker WPT Canadian Spring Championship – 24th Place ($8,537)
Season XV: Five Diamond World Poker Classic – 43rd Place ($32,225)

Career WPT Earnings – $2,997,005 (21st all-time)