Esfandiari wins $18M WSOP event

[wittenacious]

Updated Jul 4, 2012 1:12 AM ET

LAS VEGAS (AP)
Antonio Esfandiari prevailed in a daylong battle against Sam Trickett at the final table and claimed poker’s richest prize of $18,346,673 on Tuesday night at The Big One for One Drop.

The $1 million buy-in tournament was the first-of-its-kind World Series of Poker event.

On the 85th and final hand, Esfandiari held on to win with three fives he acquired before the turn and overcame Trickett’s flush draw.

Trickett, who had gone all in, nor Esfandiari were able to improve their hands during the turn and the river. Esfandiari finished with 143,975,000 chips.

Read more: http://msn.foxsports.com/other/stor...llion-World-Series-of-Poker-tournament-070312

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Tell us about it, Ron (cowboy_ron). This is right up your alley and that's a helluva lotta scrilla. Did you get a sniff?

 

[cowboy_ron]

No, wit this 1M buy in tourney is a little too rich for my blood...my wife would divorce me if I told her I dropped that much on one tourney.

I think Tricket was getting tired, there is no way he should have called an all in bet with a Q 6 even though they were suited..still a bad call..after the flop Antonio had trip 5's and never looked back...very nice payday for both players.

The classic one was when Sam eliminated Phil Helmuth...both had good pocket hands, Phil with A 10, and Sam with A Q, with Sam completing his straight on the river, eliminating Phil in 4th place.

 

[wittenacious]

No, wit this 1M buy in tourney is a little too rich for my blood...my wife would divorce me if I told her I dropped that much on one tourney.

Hahaha. Yeah, that $1M buy-in a field limiter, alright. Didn't wanna just count you out w/o asking, though.

Man, I had no idea the winner's prize money had gotten anywhere close to that kind of payday. Even though they said it was a record, wow has it ever gotten to be huge.

Are you plenty tired after it all? You start your vacation soon, don't you? Thought I read something about a getaway planned in another thread.

 

[Hostile]

The Magician (Esfandiari is a former magician) must be one happy man about now.

 

[cowboy_ron]

Hahaha. Yeah, that $1M buy-in a field limiter, alright. Didn't wanna just count you out w/o asking, though.

Man, I had no idea the winner's prize money had gotten anywhere close to that kind of payday. Even though they said it was a record, wow has it ever gotten to be huge.

Are you plenty tired after it all? You start your vacation soon, don't you? Thought I read something about a getaway planned in another thread.

This is only the second year for 1M buy in tourney..the payday is huge as you can see.

Before the WSOP every year I allocate so much for buy ins and try to stick to it.

The first couple of weeks really wore me down for some reason (surely age has nothing to do with it..haha) and I had to lighten it up lately..not even sure I'm playing the main event this year which starts Saturday.

Still planning on a vacation soon to try and catch up on some rest though.

 

[cowboy_ron]

The Magician (Esfandiari is a former magician) must be one happy man about now.

Yea, he'll put on a little show for us sometimes...he's actually pretty good at it.

 

[Hostile]

Yea, he'll put on a little show for us sometimes...he's actually pretty good at it.

Daniel Negreanu is my favorite player to watch when he is on as far as reading other players. But I have heard he is kind of a jerk. Is that true? He comes across well on TV.

You don't have to tell me, but have I seen you at the big events in recent years on TV? If you are on youtube anywhere and want to PM me, I'd be grateful.

 

[cowboy_ron]

Daniel Negreanu is my favorite player to watch when he is on as far as reading other players. But I have heard he is kind of a jerk. Is that true? He comes across well on TV.

You don't have to tell me, but have I seen you at the big events in recent years on TV? If you are on youtube anywhere and want to PM me, I'd be grateful.

Not at all hos...Daniel is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet...he plays up to the crowd and they eat it up. A real cutup at times.

You're exactly right on him being able to tell what cards someone has, not only the cards but the suit as well when he's on..when he's off he's way off...but as often as he gets close to what you have is actually pretty eerie...that's how he can win so many hands with rags......one thing I've figured out about him is when he bets or raises the the end of the bet being 75...such as 875, 1175, etc..you can rest assured he either has a pocket pair pre flop or he hit something on the flop if after.

 

[Hostile]

Not at all hos...Daniel is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet...he plays up to the crowd and they eat it up. A real cutup at times.

You're exactly right on him being able to tell what cards someone has, not only the cards but the suit as well when he's on..when he's off he's way off...but as often as he gets close to what you have is actually pretty eerie...that's how he can win so many hands with rags......one thing I've figured out about him is when he bets or raises the the end of the bet being 75...such as 875, 1175, etc..you can rest assured he either has a pocket pair pre flop or he hit something on the flop if after.

Next time you play with him, tell him hello for me. Guy just flat out is entertaining. I prefer watching him play to Helmuth, although a Helmuth blow up is fun.

Helmuth thinks he is the best ever, and I just don't see it. I saw Annie Duke just own him one time. She played him like a fiddle because his game is so ego driven.

I don't know who I think the best is, maybe Negreanu. Possibly Ivie or Eric Seidel, who I think flies way under the radar.

 

[Hoofbite]

I never really got into poker.

There was a stint during undergrad where it was the thing to do but sitting at a table for hours on end for a few bucks isn't exactly entertainment at it's finest.

Had a couple of people I knew who were addicted to it.......literally. Even dumber, they'd play online and lose money left and right.

One guy finally came to me and told me he was on a hot streak and that he was up 14K at that point........probably still in the hole overall but it was his parents money so I doubt he cared.

2 nights later he came into the building looking like complete hell and said that he had lost it all.

18M though is ridiculous money. Hard to imagine being in his shows during the few moments before and a few moments after the outcome.

 

[FloridaRob]

I watched the heads up match between those two guys. It is different when we cannot see the cards.

True WSOP Poker story I heard this weekend. My wifes ex is a business partner with Dewey Tomko who finished second in the WSOP in 1982 I think. Dewey was heads up with Jack Straus at the final table. On one hand, Jack Straus pushed all his chips to the middle of the table. Dewey had him covered in chips and Dewey said "Call". Dewey won the hand and thought he had won the tournament. But Jack had stuck a chip underneath a napkin and because he did not say "all in" the game continued. Jack came back and beat Dewey in that tournament. And because of that event, the term "a chip and a chair" was born.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

This is only the second year for 1M buy in tourney..the payday is huge as you can see.

Before the WSOP every year I allocate so much for buy ins and try to stick to it.

The first couple of weeks really wore me down for some reason (surely age has nothing to do with it..haha) and I had to lighten it up lately..not even sure I'm playing the main event this year which starts Saturday.

Still planning on a vacation soon to try and catch up on some rest though.

I quit playing for a bit. I wasn't catching enough cards. It was a downer. I've been building my stack without gambling any significant amount. I got my teeth kicked in this year a bit. Not too bad. In 2011, my earnings were over 10k... not bad for a player like me. I had some good luck down in New Orleans. The players there didn't seem as good as the guys I see down at some underground houses here in Texas.

I did catch a beating one night down there too. But it wasn't any huge loss. But I had bought in for 120, racked up a couple grand... I tied it on with free blue moons and some Native Indian feller got me on a flush with a full house.

Go figure.

My drunk butt bought in once more for a hundred, lost and went home. Came back the next night, risked a bit more and it paid off a nice little chuck about the same size I had the night before.

That's gambling for you.

When I got back to Texas. I went on a huge win streak, played my game just like I always do, won for a bit, then lost for a bit. Man, us guys have to be able to either have deep pockets, or take the sting of a loss. It happens to the best of us. I found my new strategy is to play at places where people know me less, they don't know my game. When I do that, I win. But I find less and less of those places around since I'm a frequent flyer around the local card houses. If casinos were as big in Texas as in Vegas, I'd have better odds, I think.


Let me know if you're ever in town, I could show you around.

 

[BigStar]

Congrats to the Magician Esfandiari. Great player, a little more conservative style than the newbies on the scene. Phil Ivey is still the best hands down CASH poker player in the world. Tom "Durrrr" Dwan is another great CASH player with more creativity to his game than anyone out there who is successful. Patrik Antonius is on a similar level of cash poker greatness, but not quite to that of Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan.

All in all, congrats to Antonio Esfandiari and his buddy in crime Phil "somehow luckily scored Jennifer Tilly" Laak.

 

[Longboysfan]

Were they showing hole cards the whole tourney then shut it off for the final 2?

I did watch the last 20 hands or so on the heads up.
But a lot of posturing and folds.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

Were they showing hole cards the whole tourney then shut it off for the final 2?

I did watch the last 20 hands or so on the heads up.
But a lot of posturing and folds.

That's 80% of poker..

 

[Hostile]

I'll tell you why I don't like Phil Helmuth even though he is a great poker player. He doesn't respect the game. Phil doesn't believe anyone should ever bluff him. Phil believes the dealers cost him hands. Phil thinks online poker players aren't learning the game. Phil is never at fault for being outplayed.

I saw footage one time of him going heads up with Tom Dwan. Dwan had pocket 10s. That is a great hand in head's up. Phil had bullets.

Dwan is an Internet player and he plays aggressive. If you play Phil aggressive he folds a lot unless he actually has a hand. Dwan did well against him head to head.

So, pocket 10s and Dwan goes all in head to head. Phil called him immediately. Then because Dwan got a bad beat third 10 Phil rants that Dwan doesn't know what he is doing.

The man worked him, but he doesn't know what he is doing? He has won millions online, but doesn't know what he is doing.

Phil says he would never go more than $3000 on a pair of 10s head to head? I don't believe that for a minute, pocket 10s is a good hand pre flop especially and head to head it is even better. Dwan raises, which is smart, and Phil raises back. He should know the Internet players are aggressive, especially if they have a hand. 10's is a hand. Even pre flop. Yes, he had the nuts.

But see if Phill plays a pair of 10s it is brilliant. This kid played them and it was bad poker?

No, Dwan knows Phil gets tentative if he gets pushed. So he pushed him early and broke him quick. I call that good poker. Yes, he sucked out hitting the third 10. He knew it. He was going to apologize for the bad beat. But he did nothing at all wrong.

What I don't get is why Phil can't respect someone bluffing him. That is great poker when you can bluff someone off the better hand.

 

[BigStar]

Hey Hos,

Great Post on Phil Helmuth...you summed up her persona and style to a tee. He is not evolving his game and is very arrogant (to put it lightly) about pointing out opponent's bluffs "stupid poker" or "donkey poker" when his great hands (PRE-FLOP) get busted. (Ex; Dwan's pocket tens in a heads up tournament pre-flop)

Phil Helmuth is not a very good post flop player,( great examples would be Phil Ivey, Tom Dawn, Antonious, Phiffer, and that will always be an asterisk along with his 11 bracelets. I know that sounds almost ******** being that his 11 bracelets "should", all in hold em I believe, specifically qualify him as a great hold em player. He is a great Hold Em Tournament Player, his record shows that.

Get him at the cash table with Ivey, Dwan, Antonious, Fiffer, and the like and he wouldn't stand a chance. Phil actually played a few early season of High Stakes Poker that used to be televised on GSN and did terribly and that was with a relatively conservative table.

Sorry for the rant, but as you can see, love to talk me some poker. And I seem to remember Florida Rob in the last poker discussion in off topic as well. What's up member?

 

[Hostile]

Hey Hos,

Great Post on Phil Helmuth...you summed up her persona and style to a tee. He is not evolving his game and is very arrogant (to put it lightly) about pointing out opponent's bluffs "stupid poker" or "donkey poker" when his great hands (PRE-FLOP) get busted. (Ex; Dwan's pocket tens in a heads up tournament pre-flop)

Phil Helmuth is not a very good post flop player,( great examples would be Phil Ivey, Tom Dawn, Antonious, Phiffer, and that will always be an asterisk along with his 11 bracelets. I know that sounds almost ******** being that his 11 bracelets "should", all in hold em I believe, specifically qualify him as a great hold em player. He is a great Hold Em Tournament Player, his record shows that.

Get him at the cash table with Ivey, Dwan, Antonious, Fiffer, and the like and he wouldn't stand a chance. Phil actually played a few early season of High Stakes Poker that used to be televised on GSN and did terribly and that was with a relatively conservative table.

Sorry for the rant, but as you can see, love to talk me some poker. And I seem to remember Florida Rob in the last poker discussion in off topic as well. What's up member?

At one time Ivey had 5 bracelets to Helmuth's 11. I think he now has 8. I don't believe Helmuth holds onto that record for long.

 

[FloridaRob]

The wife asked me to go o the hard rock tonight to play but I was just too tired. Maybe tomorrow night.

I actually think that Helmuth does all that mouthy stuff because of TV. I have heard from others that know him that he really is not that way at all and only acts that way when the camera is on because that is what he is known for. I think Tom Dwan is the best player on the circuit today. The guy is like a constant hammer with the chips. The pressue he keeps a player under is unreal. He can take a deuce - seven offsuit and play it like Aces. That is the sign of a great player. A player that has NEVER shown me anything is Doyle Bronson. He must have made his money from his book or drunk poker players because he is so easy to read I think I could bluff him.

Women poker players are the cattiest players anywhere tho. They play the girly thing to perfection with guys but act like pure evil to other women. My wife who never says a word to anyone at the table and is really a great player (learned from her ex and dewey tomko) was in a tourney a couple of weeks ago at the Hard Rock. She was in early position and raised all in on an A-K suited up. Everybody folded except the little blind. The lady who had my wife covered in chips sat there and sat there forever. They finally had to call the clock on her. Finally when the manager came and did the clock countdown, right before he hits zero, the lady turns over pocket Aces and smirks. My wife got slow rolled by Aces---- how tacky is that.

The best and worst thing to ever happen to poker was Chris Moneymaker. The guy had cards raining down on him the year he won. For some people who appreciate the Tom Dwans, Phil Iveys, Esphadiaris, Tomkos, and the like to see a guy making absolutely stupid call after call and winning was bad and great for the game all at once. Very few of the really great players make the final table any more. They always say, you can bluff a good player but you can't bluff a mute. And those guys luck their way up the ladder.

 

[BigStar]

Hey Florida Rob,

That is a real crap story with that women slow rolling your wife with aces. MY girl may have crossed the table with a DC right hand, jokes, kinda...

I'm a total amateur who runs up to AC Borgata and Showboat to play 2-4 cash games (all my bank roll can handle ya know) but been playing since a kid here in DC in the old Capitol ST games.

I totally hear you on Tom Dwan and sometimes am just awe in the way he can manipulate players with his slllloooowww thinking and huge "obviously calculated...i think that's just part of his game to be honest...the way he just takes that chunk of chips and then just nonchalantly re-raises someone 200 grand like its just part of the process is admirable.

What are your thoughts on Ivey? I know he blows a lot of his money on table games and the life style, but even Dwan seams to tense up with hands with him. There is a hand at least five years ago where Ivey re-raises a guy heads up all in with Queen high with the confidence of a gigolo leaving a hotel room. Poker at it's finest.

Good to hear from poker folks in the know