No. 1: Antonio Esfandiari
Photo Credit: Plutor
Poker Winnings: over $24 million
Game of Choice: Texas Hold’Em
One could say that Iranian native Antonio Esfandiari is living the American dream, though it wouldn’t have seemed likely judging by his beginnings. After moving to California at the age 9, Esfandiari was consistently bullied and teased as a child. A fallout with his father lead to a drop in his academic achievements and he juggled around with magic tricks for some time during his adolescence. After playing some amateur poker for two years, Antonio quit his job as a waiter and left his magic routines behind to focus on becoming a professional poker player. He has more than managed that, wouldn’t you say?
