Antonio Esfandiari Wins 2016 World Series of Poker Bicycle Casino Main Event

The poker pro known as “The Magician”, Antonio Esfandiari, has just won the 2016 World Series of Poker Circuit Bicycle Casino Main Event, where he took home his fourth gold bracelet. With 756 total entries into the tournament, he was able to outlast them all and finally got to the final table, where he was able to beat Jamie Gold and take first place.

The Hand That Gave Esfandiari the Win

With only two players left at the final table of the main event, Esfandiari would face off against Gold in a heads-up challenge, but Esfandiari has a clear advantage, holding the majority of the chips. Gold mounted a good defense, but when it came down to the last hand, it was clear he would not be taking the first place prize money or the bracelet. Esfandiari was holding , while Gold had great pocket cards with , but the last showdown went like this:

1. Gold raised to 260,000 on the button and Esfandiari called from the big blind.
2. The flop  gave Esfandiari a slight lead, but decided to draw Gold in as he checked, where Gold proceeded to raise to 300,000. This lead to Esfandiari raising to 800,000, and Gold quickly moved all-in.
3. The turn  gave Esfandiari a full house and the advantage over Gold.
4. The river  was no help to Gold, giving Esfandiari the victory.

The final table was full of talented poker players, but in the end, Esfandiari took the prize.

Final Table Players and Results

With nine players sitting at the final table, it was a tough battle for Esfandiari, but he managed to pull ahead of them, quickly becoming the chip leader. He bullied his way to heads-up battle with Gold. The other eight players didn’t get a bracelet, but they did walk away with some good cash earnings. It also gave each player some points towards the Player of the Year.

With the POY points, Esfandiari is currently ranked 61 for Player of the Year, but he will still need to win a lot more this year if he wants to be a top competitor.