Esfandiari: "We tear it up."

Antonio "the magician" Esfandiari paid a brief visit to the ESPN.com poker club for a chat yesterday.  Before he made himself disappear, he offered advice final table strategy, how he get reads on opponents, and if his crew, Rocks and Rings, could out-party the Tiltboys. 

Some highlights:

Chops (Wicked Chops Poker): Bigger partiers during their prime: Rocks & Rings or the Tiltboys?

Antonio Esfandiari: Rocks & Rings. Are you kidding me? It's not even close. Tilt-who? We tear it up.

Sean(Chicago, IL): You seem to like to talk a lot while you play to get reads on your opponents. Do you have specific "types" of questions you ask to enhance your reads?

Antonio Esfandiari: I like to make people feel befriended and when we're in a pot when I ask them a question they might give away their hand. Poker is a boring sport at times you need to keep it going at the table. Whenever someone makes a big bet at me, I like to ask them what they have? They start counting their chips and then I say, no, what are your cards? That usually gives up some information.

Eric, AZ: I noticed your really good at chip tricks...whats your fav?

Antonio Esfandiari: The anti-gravity pop up where the chips pops up from one hand into the other.  Or the four coin roll down is good too.

Matt, Coral Springs: Hey Antonio - what are your feelings on playing once you are in the money to get to the final table. I find I make the money in large tournaments very frequently but dont make too many final tables. Any ideas?

Antonio Esfandiari: You should maybe take more risks and stop worrying about making more money. You need to accumulate more chips early to give yourself a better chance to win.

Comments

[BlackSpy]

Yuschenko, that field goal you kicked against Springfield A&M was clutch.

[Yushchenko]

rumor is they play a game of Risk that lasts months as they sit around in silk Robes... Rock and Rings is really a cover/alias for Risk and Robes.

[BlackSpy]

Rocks & Rings = D&D