Poker Stories: Antonio Esfandiari

Daniel Negreanu is currently no. 1 on the all-time tournament earnings list with nearly $32 million in live tournament earnings. The 42-year-old Toronto native was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014 and has six World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles. He was named Card Player Player of the Year in both 2004 and 2013. The Team PokerStars Pro has also become a notable online presence in recent years, maintaining his Full Contact Poker blog, website and podcast, as well as a popular YouTube channel featuring vlogs, rants and hand analysis. Negreanu is also the author of numerous poker books and has appeared in movies, TV shows, music videos, a video game and even his own documentary, Kid Poker. Highlights from this interview include saying no to drugs, being whipped, why the Germans are inspiring, being a mama's boy, pathetic clickbait headlines, crazy fan tattoos, punching online trolls in the face, the romantic idea of being broke, why Mike Matusow is a deadbeat, the importance of integrity and why the UIGEA cost him a private jet.

20 Mar 201752min

Mike Sexton is a legend of the game, not only for his achievements as a player, but also as one of poker's greatest ambassadors. The 69-year-old member of the Poker Hall of Fame is perhaps best known for his work as a commentator for the last 15 seasons on the World Poker Tour. But Sexton has also proven that his game is as sharp as his wit with a WPT title of his own, a WSOP bracelet and the Tournament of Champions title. Sexton is also the author of two books, the most recent being an autobiography titled Life's A Gamble. Highlights from this interview include collegiate gymnastics, growing up with a fellow poker great, volunteering for Vietnam, working as a salesman, a passion for little league coaching, crazy North Carolina home games, betting more than you have, why shag dance music is the greatest and a big sweat he had in a bet with Phil Ivey.

6 Mar 20171h 13min

Andrew Lichtenberger broke onto the poker scene back in 2009 when he finished 18th in the World Series of Poker main event. Most recently, he won his first bracelet at the 2016 series. The New York native has nearly $9 million in live tournament earnings and another $3 million online. The 29-year-old also keeps himself busy away from the felt, with an online poker site with LuckyChewyPoker.com, a clothing line and even a book called Yoga Of Poker: A High-Stakes Journey To Freedom. Highlights from this interview include smuggled daycare cereal, bowling with children, an insurmountable mountain/hill, the tempo of Celtic folk music, being an unattached, modern man, inspirational Uber drivers and an $80,000 cooler.

20 Feb 20171h 13min

Brian Rast is one of the best all-around players in the game today and currently sits in 10th place on the all-time tournament earnings list with $18.7 million in cashes. The Southern California native won the Super High Roller Bowl in 2015 for $7.5 million and he has also won the $50,000 buy-in Poker Players Championship twice, in 2011 and 2016. The 35-year-old is also a prominent high-stakes cash game grinder and an owner and operator of the WSOP School of Poker, as well as 3Bet Poker Clothing. Highlights from this interview include how to clear your head, quiz bowl challenges, college break ups, playing Counter-Strike alone, insane prop bets, stale playlists, cooking a good salad and a $3 million pot.

6 Feb 20171h 24min

Scott Seiver is only 31 years old, but he's already established himself as one of the top poker players of all time.That's not an exaggeration. He has $21.7 million in career live tournament earnings, which is currently good enough for sixth place all time. Scott has five seven-figure scores on his resume, with his biggest being a runner-up finish in the $500k buy-in Super High Roller Bowl in 2015 for $5.1 million. Seiver earned his World Series of Poker bracelet back in 2008, taking down a $5,000 no-limit hold'em event for $755,891. He is also a World Poker Tour winner, having won the WPT Championship in 2011 for $1.6 million. Highlights from this interview include why Tokyo is a real city, Ivy League schools, betting on a butterfly stroke, offseason tournament destinations, the surprising importance of Bill Gazes and how to play pocket jacks.

23 Jan 201746min

Matt Stout is a New Jersey native with a big personality that has made him a standout player both live and online for the past decade. Stout has $3.5 million in career live tournament earnings, along with another $3.7 million won online. He is the founder of the Charity Series of Poker, a non-profit that has raised more than $150,000 for worthy charities and causes, and he is also an ambassador for the both the Borgata and Seminole Hard Rock. Highlights from this interview include 600-inch TV screens, Vegas real estate, being friends with your ex-girlfriends, accidentally dropping out of college, comedians and high-stakes Monopoly.

10 Jan 20171h 22min

Jason Koon is coming off of his best year on the tournament circuit with nearly $3 million in earnings. In fact, four of Koon's five biggest scores came in 2016. Koon won the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showodwn in August for $1 million and most recently, he nearly took down back-to-back $25,000 high roller events at Bellagio. In total, the West Virginia native has $6.5 million in live cashes. Highlights from this interview include a high speed police chase, track and field injuries, an $800k pot, why modern country music is terrible, online trolls, lying travelers, bad blackjack strategy and another exciting credit card roulette story.

4 Jan 201757min

Jesse Sylvia banked nearly $5.3 million when he finished runner-up in the 2012 World Series of Poker main event. In the years since, the Martha’s Vineyard native has proven that he is no fluke, making two more WSOP final tables and winning his first World Poker Tour title at the Borgata Poker Open for a little over $820,000. In total, Sylvia has earned more than $6.8 million in live tournaments. Highlights from this interview include living on an island, big pressure final tables, wonderful college professors, the 4Heart Suit, credit card roulette, imaginary numbers, pepper steak, and being a master of your domain… at the table.

22 Des 20161h