Antonio Esfandiari has plenty of experience winning astronomical sums at the poker table, and playing wild hands. The three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner (and two-time World Poker Tour champion) won the inaugural $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop at the 2012 WSOP for $18,346,673. It remains one of the largest singular prizes ever won in tournament poker.
Esfandiari has largely stepped away from major tournament poker in recent years, but he’s continued to play in high-stakes cash games. He recently returned to televised action in the new season of High Stakes Poker on PokerGO. It didn’t take long for him to get involved in one of the wildest pots of his poker career.
‘The Magician’ Makes Quads Appear
In Episode 7 of the recently dropped Season 15 of High Stakes Poker, Esfandiari was playing no-limit hold’em with $500-$1,000 stakes. Sameh Elamaway, a familiar face for fans of recent seasons of HSP and the CEO of a financial services company, opened to $5,000 with pocket aces. Esfandiari called with pocket eights, and Justin Gavri came along in the big blind with J♣7♣.
Esfandiari got a dream flop of 8♥8♦6♠ right off the bat. The three-handed action checked all the way through. Esfandiari’s circumstances got even better as the A♦ turn made Elamaway a full house.
Gavri checked, Elamaway bet $10,000, and Esfandiari raised to $37,000. Gavri quickly folded, and Elamaway, understandably, re-raised to $85,000.
Esfandiari just called, and the 3♦ river completed the board.
“A true dream for Elamaway,” said Nick Schulman on commentary. “Actually, a nightmare.”
Elamaway bet $225,000, more than two-thirds of his remaining stack, and Esfandiari quickly put him all in for the rest. Elamaway snap-called, and quickly tabled his aces full.
“No good,” Esfandiari replied, with a two-handed flip, one for each eight.
“I had a feeling,” Elamaway said, a smile improbably creeping across his face. “That is so insanely sick,” Esfandiari replied, smiling even wider as he scooped the $824,500 pot.
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