Poker Pro Antonio Esfandiari Leads EPT Grand Final

[I Heart Gambling Online]

The man who was just named the face of the World Poker Tour Poker-Made Millionaire could actually earn his next million dollar payday on the European Poker Tour. Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari currently holds an impressive 300k chip lead over the rest of the field as Day 4 gets underway at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

The play yesterday during Day 3 of the tournament can only be described as roller-coaster like. The players sat down needing to rid the field of 44 of their compatriots in order to walk awauy with a little something for their troubles. However, eliminating that last bubble player would take an incredible three hours of hand-to-hand play on the bubble. Surinder Sunar finally succumbed to poker gods and was sacrificed as the bubble boy, leaving the 80 players who would take away at least $26,908.

Once the field crested the peak of Sunar's elimination, and much like a roller coaster after that seemingly interminable clinking climb up the first hill, they went screaming toward the end of the day, finishing not too long after with just 39 players remaining.

Obviously, and as per usual, play is already underway for those 39 players and the field has already lost several players today, including Freddy Deeb, and are down to 28 players. At the top of the pile remains Esfandiari with online poker pro Isaac "westmenloAA" Baron, Johnyy Lodden, Joe Hachem, Luca Pagano and Raymond Rahme also still up on the leader board.

All players are currently guaranteed at least $60,082, but would all really rather go home with the $3,193,822 first-place prize. Who wouldn't? Play will continue until only the eight who will make up the 2008 EPT Grand Final final table are left standing. So, stay tuned to the Beat, the home of amazing theme park analogies, for more updates from this event.

Charles Simmons is a regular poker news contributor to the Bodog Beat and a lover of roller coasters.

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- Bodog Beat