The World Of The Poker

[Rasputin]

Iranians in 2005 World Series of Poker !


With only a handful of players left in this years World Series of Poker chamionships in Las Vegas, there were two Iranians who were still in the field as of Wednesday. My favorite Bonyadi finished 41st and won $235,000. Shahram "Sean" Sheikhan finished 11th and won $600,000.

You are probably unaware of this, but this is a HUGE money tournoument. Total prize money is $52 Million! More than 5,000 entrants paid $10,000 each to compete. All but a few have been eliminated so far. First place gets $7.5 million (plus just as much in ad revenues), and anybody who makes it the final table (top 10) will get at least $1 million. Poker is growing so fast that it is now bigger than professional tennis and golf combined!

Another thing you may not know is that Iranians are quite active and quite successful in professional poker these days. And, why not? Poker has its root in an ancient Persian card game called "aas naas". Here's where they stand in world rankings today before the end of this year's WSOP:

7th- Amir Vahedi: Sherman Oaks, California..... $602,049

8th- Amir "Antonio" Esfandiari: San Francisco, California..... $459,246

12th- Farzad Bonyadi: Aliso Viejo, California..... $748,490

22nd- Davood Mehrmand: Frankfurt, Germany $348,110

101st- Fred Lavassani: Burbank, California..... $172,881

120th- Reza Payvar: Tarzana, California..... $360,225

150th- Sirous Baghchehsaraie: Glendale, California..... $115,992

Vahedi and Esfandiari get the most attention, but in my opinion, Bonyadi is the best Persian player year-in and year out. Aside from Skill and nerves, he also has great patience, chip management and a champion's intuition, i.e., he can read his opponent well.

On Tuesday, he made an exceptional play against last year's champion Greg Raymer to separate himself from the field. Raymer was the chip leader at the time and had been on an unbelievable lucky streak. Every one was staying away from him. Here's how Bonyadi played the hand that could've easily ended his run:

Cardplayer.com wrote: "With the board showing J-5-5-A-5, Bonyadi bets out $80,000. Raymer raises to $230,000. Bonyadi then reraises $400,000 more, and Raymer finally folds. Bonyadi shows the King high bluff. "

Bonyadi didn't really bluff. He doesn't do that much. He just knew Raymer was bluffing. Still, that's a scary board, and a scary player, to bet most of your chips into.

By the way, if Bonyadi or Sheikhan had won the world championship, it would not have been a first for an Iranian. Mansour Matloubi was the first to win in 1990, and Hamid Dastmalchi won in 1992. WSOP started in 1970).

[Cop]

ey val chand modat pish didam barnamasho ye irani bood yadam nemiat ki bood

[Rasputin]

Poker addict

I see countless Iranians in poker rooms every day many losing $200-$1,000 a day!


LOS ANEGELES -- With all that's going on in the world generally, and in Iran specifically, writing about poker maybe sound a bit stupid.

However, after what I have witnessed in the last couple of years, I feel it is my duty to use public information gateways to warn spouses and parents of frequent poker players as to what may be awaiting them if they are not carefuel.

Before anything, I should let you know I am a frequent player myself. I have been lucky to have made enough money to support my poker habit; you see, I lose an average of $2,000 a month playing 3-4 days a week. Although a lot of money, it will not push me to the brink of bankruptcy.

My good friend Amir (obviously not his real name) started playing poker in 2002. Back then he had a nice house in Tarzana, southern California, a beautiful wife and 2 great kids. Amir had a thriving insurance and financial planning business. He had 3 office workers, drove a nice BMW and his wife bought clothes for parties (without the need for returning them the next day).

Amir started playing poker once a week at the Commerce casino in LA. Once a week at nights turned into 2 nights and then almost every night. He was in effect prefering poker to his wife and kids because he could only see them at nights like most working dads.

Then he started leaving office in the afternoons, going from one casino to the next; 11-4 at the Bicycle and 5-10 at Commerce and 11-3 at Hustler.

He used to tell us he is making more money playing poker than working in his office. But the truth was quite different.

By September 2003 he had borrowed $10,000 from me and God knows how much from others. To make a long story short, Amir lost his business, his home, filed bankruptcy and sadly, but rightfully, his wife and kids.

I see countless Iranians in poker rooms every day; old men, old women, young boys, young women, people who arrive at the casino and just "look" rich to men or women who look almost homeless. Many of them lose $200-$1,000 a day.

Since December 31 of last year I get an allowance of $2,000 a month to support my poker "habit". I admit that I have an addiction. Fortunately my wife is managing all our finances and she has taken over all the money. I am exteremly lucky to have a spouse like her. Not everyone is lucky as I. Who knows, maybe I will seek help to overcome my addiction soon.

In the mean time, PLEASE keep a close eye on your spouses and kids. If they play poker and you feel the quality of your life has started to suffer in any way, confront the issue and resolve it before it is too late as it was the case for Amir.

By M.M

[Cop]

shoot

[Rasputin]

Antonio Esfandiari first impressed me with his play at the Lucky Chances World Poker Tour event in 2002 where he finished third. I have stated many times how I get a kick out of someone getting the best of Phil Hellmuth and Antonio did the job at this event. He continually took the initiative and made Phil react to him. I was disappointed he only finished third because he was the star of the show.

I met Antonio at a party and he was nice. I told him about my website and I wanted to do a profile of him. He told me he would help me out, but I am still waiting! After a couple of emails and a discussion at one of the tournaments, I am left with the general information that is out there. I always like to ask a player one specific question where the only answer would be on my website. One of these days, he might answer one.

Antonio was born in Tehran and moved to the United States when he was nine. After high school, he went to college for about a year until he saw a bartender from a restaurant do a magic trick. He went to a magic store the following day, bought the trick, and went home and practiced. He practiced magic twelve hours a day for two years. By the time he was nineteen, he was a professional magician. He would perform his magic in the restaurant where he worked and would give his business card out to the customers. This led to having a large clientele and he started doing his magic at private parties. After about a year of performing magic, he stepped foot into a casino for the first time.

He took his ups and downs as most players do and learned some valuable lessons along the way. On one of the World Poker Tour episodes, he stated he has a good ability to read people. This skill can take a person far in the poker world. So far, Antonio has had great results in the short time he has been a professional. He finished fifth at the World Series of Poker in the $2000 No Limit Holdem event, third at the WPT Lucky Chances in 2002, and beat 382 players to capture first place at the Commerce Casino World Poker Tour event, winning over a million dollars for his first place finish. The very next day he came back to finish sixth at the World Poker Tour Invitational, where his roommate Phil "Unabomber" Laak finished first. Antonio currently resides in San Jose, California.

[Nushabeh]

lol i've seen antonio play on TV vali not the other irani guys.. hala red ur last comment khodet nembeshti yani u ba antonio harf zadi?

[Rasputin]

lol i've seen antonio play on TV vali not the other irani guys.. hala red ur last comment khodet nembeshti yani u ba antonio harf zadi?

nah azizam ! this is just an article about him !

[Nushabeh]

ooook geej shodam lol

[Rasputin]

ooook geej shodam lol

Ye dush begiri,radif mishi .

[Nushabeh]

lol

[Rasputin]

lol

.

[jjbb]

I almost watch all the poker game in tv. farhad and esfandiari are excellent.

[Rasputin]

Discalimer before reading this article: All kinds of gambling, specially poker, can potentially ruin one's life if it becomes more than just a infrequently indulged-in fun activity.

Last Friday I recieved a call from a friend who invited me to a high stakes poker "home game" in Encino, southern California. We both drove to an office building on West Wilshire and stood in front waiting for our "limo" ride. After a few minutes, a 2004 long wheel based Maybach (the $350,000 Benz) stopped and a very attractive young woman invited us to get in. We got in the car and very shortly she asked us to put on blind folds!! I started getting a bit worried. My heart rate was definitely over 100.

I was thinking what the heck was up. I had never ever gotten in a stranger's car and then got blind folded. The young lady explained that to protect the sponser of the home game they had to make sure no one could find out about the whereabouts of the home. She also asked us to turn off our cell phones.

After a 40 minute drive, we drove into the 1/8 mile long drive way of a very large mansion. Once we arrived inside the home with the help of the young lady and still blind folded, we got permission to take off the blind folds. A huge security guard paded us down to make sure we were not bugged or were carrying a gun or who knows what else.

WOW! What a house. The enrty alone must have been over 3,000 square feet of wood inlaid marble with a 30 foot ceiling. The furniture alone in the entry way was worth more than the entire furniture in my home.

Besided my friend and I, there were 14 other people in the house. Interestingly enough, 4 other Iranians were there. Six out of the 14 high stakes poker players were Iranians and one was a very classy 40-something lady.

One of the players was a 6'8" African American basketball player whom I didn't know but must have been famous because he was signing authographs for some of the guests.

Each player gave their first $25,000 to the "floor man" and the group was divided in 2; eight players to each table. We were told that markers were available up to $100,000 with a 2% fee. That is, 2% interest per week or 104% a year. This is how you can ruin your life mind you.

Anyhow, we started playing. My friend's first $25,000 lasted around 40 minutes. He asked for a $25,000 marker and started playing. I lasted about 1.5 hours after losing my pocket kings to pocket queens when a 3rd queen showed up on the turn.

After a debate between the devil and the common sense angle in my head, I also got a $25K marker. I was told that the marker was due in full by 2pm the next day or I had to make the first payment of $5,000 the next day, realizing that the interest clock started running the minute my hands touched the chips.

I played a few more hands and by 11pm I had $9,500 left. Holly crap. What the hell have I gotten myself into. How could I explain this to my wife. I was already thinking about divorce lawyers and how life in a 1 bedroom condo would be like.

As I was dealing with the guilt and all other emotions in my head, I got 2 aces on my small blind; I bet $1,500. The Iranian lady at our table raised to $5,000. Two players called her until the player at the dealer position raised to $10,000. Without hesitation I went all in, $500 short of a full bet.

There is now $49,500 in the pot. God, can I win this hand... please... please.

The next two cards resulted in another $70,000 of betting. The guy at the dealer position at pocket 10s. The flop, turn and the river were all junk cards. No one made a hand except that guy and I. $70,000 or so was pushed to him and $49,500 was pushed to me. WOW!! What a relief. Thank you God. Thank you.

I told everyone that I was out. Paid my $1,050 for playing 6.5 hours and most importantly paid off my marker. Over all, I lost around $1,600 and had an experience of a life time. But an experience which I wouldn't want to repeat, no matter how much movie like it was.

[Rasputin]

The 2006 World Series of Poker started almost a week ago in Las Vegas. Thousands of professional and amature poker playerspaid $10,000 each to participate in the largest ever tournament in the world for a chance at a minimum $12,000,000 first prize.

Of the 8,773 enterants, only 27 were left on Monday night. I was not one of these people! But I atleast lasted 3.5 days and finished in the money. I won my seat by playing another tournament for $1,500 and won $12,500 in this one which is called the main event. So it was not as painful for me as it was for many others who had paid the full $10,000 entry fee but had only lasted a few hours.

As of 10:45am this morning, 25 players are left. It is estimated that the top 9 players will all win over $2M. The tournament pay schedule pays down to the 700th player or so. For example, a person who finished at the 35th postion will get $330,000 and the player who finished at the 500th position may get $15,000 or so.

The most interesting thing about this years tournament is the absence of big name professionals such as Brunson, Chen, Hellmuth, Cloutier etc.

Allen Cunnigham is the only well known pro left in the last 27 players. There is one Iranian player named Sirus Jamshidi amongst these 27 and he is gauranteed to win $500,000 if he lasts a few more hours.

3 of the top 10 and 5 of the top 27 players are Amercians of Jewish descent. There is one Arab American and 2 Asian Americans among this group.

I don't know this Sirus guy but because he is a Persian Bro, I am rooting for him and hope to see him on the final table on the TV.

[Rasputin]

Amir Vahedi is one of the best poker players around. If there's a poker match on an American TV channel -- ESPN, Travel, on Fox Sports, ... -- he's likely to be one of the players.