Antonio Esfandiari Wins 2016 World Series of Poker Circuit Bicycle Casino Main Event'The Magician' Defeats Jamie Gold Heads-Up To Win His First Gold Ring |
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Antonio Esfandiari is one of poker’s brightest stars, so it’s only fitting that he won his first World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring in the global center of entertainment: Los Angeles.
The man known as “The Magician” outlasted a field of 756 entries in the 2016 WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event, surviving a tough final table and defeating 2006 WSOP main event champion Jamie Gold heads-up to win the title, the hardware and the $226,785 first-place prize.
This was Esfandiari’s first live tournament title since winning his third WSOP gold bracelet in Europe in 2012.
Esfandiari came into the final day of the event in the middle of the pack of 12 remaining players. There was plenty of tough competition to deal with, including Bruce Buffer (12th – $17,215), recent CPPT Wynn main event champion Ludovic Geilich (8th – $26,980), Bryn Kenney (6th – $44,395), Ray Henson (4th – $76,830) and Barry Woods (3rd – $103,080).
It finally came down to a heads-up battle between Esfandiari and Gold, with the former starting with more than an 11-to-1 chip advantage. Gold was able to double up right away and mount a small come back, but that momentum quickly came to halt in what would be the final hand of the tournament.
Gold raised to 260,000 on the button and Esfandiari made the call from the big blind. The flop came down A
5
2 and Esfandiari checked. Gold bet out 300,000 only to have Esfandiari check-raise to 800,000. Gold moved all-in and was instantly called by Esfandiari, who had flopped two pair with the A2
. Gold was in trouble with the AK
. The 2on the turn gave Esfandiari the full house and a stranglehold on the hand. The 8 secured the pot and the title for Esfandiari and sent Gold to the rail as the runner-up with $139,820.
Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:
| Place | Player | Earnings (USD) | POY Points |
| 1 | Antonio Esfandiari | $226,785 | 912 |
| 2 | Jamie Gold | $139,820 | 760 |
| 3 | Barry Woods | $103,080 | 608 |
| 4 | Ray Henson | $76,830 | 456 |
| 5 | Alexander Greenblatt | $58,025 | 380 |
| 6 | Bryn Kenney | $44,395 | 304 |
| 7 | Blaise Hom | $34,395 | 228 |
| 8 | Ludovic Geilich | $26,980 | 152 |
| 9 | Jackduyph Duong | $21,420 | 76 |
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