Antonio Esfandiari Pulls Out The Rabbit on "Moon Magic"

Poker After Dark returned to PokerGO tonight with the first of two “Moon Magic” episodes starring Danielle “dmoongirl” Andersen. The $25/$50 game featured a $100 ante as well as plenty of action with new and old Poker After Dark favorites in the lineup.

Antonio Esfandiari made his triumphant return to the ARIA stage and Lauren Roberts joined him as both got involved in their fair share of hands. The two players made earlier appearances in the new Poker After Dark schedule starting with “The Return of Tom Dwan” and fit right in with this eclectic group.

Returning for the second straight week in Seat 1 was the ‘People’s Champion’ of “Leave it to Seiver” week, Jacky Wang. Armed with his familiar eccentric clothing, Wang drove the action and ended up a winner in the game using his unusual playing style to keep his opponents off guard. If you missed the “Lodden Thinks” game of how much the table thought Wang’s hoodie was worth, be sure to catch a replay of the episode on-demand on PokerGO.

Representing the Las Vegas cash game pros in the game was Justin Young. Esfandiari and Young share a playing history dating back to their days in Los Angeles. The ‘seven-deuce’ game was a part of the action then and took effect from the start of tonight’s game. Young drew first blood in the session by getting one through against Esfandiari, who suggested the game in the first place.

Hey @MagicAntonio, how you going to let @JustinYoung07 beat you at your own game!? ????#PokerAfterDark is LIVE! https://t.co/aDTeNfkGuS pic.twitter.com/NeeawDoR0m

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) November 29, 2017

Esfandiari had his foot on the gas pedal for the entire session and the only player who came close to matching him in pace was Poker After Dark newcomer Barry Woods. After arriving fashionably late from a tournament he played earlier in the day, Woods jumped in and fired away. Woods’s chips and words were on display from the moment he sat down.

Woods battled with Esfandiari in a seven-deuce hand that left him on the sidelines and Esfandiari showing why he’s on the best in the business.

#PokerAfterDark Pro Tip: When @MagicAntonio starts singing, he probably has it ????????https://t.co/aDTeNfkGuS pic.twitter.com/lLiOdKfvVT

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) November 29, 2017

The trend of Esfandiari picking up large pots continued with his win over Roberts in the night’s second act. Roberts tried her best to get a river bluff through but Esfandiari wasn’t convinced and raked in the rewards.

“The Magician” makes the perfect turn card appear and then picks off @PlayPokerLkAMan‘s river shove. @MagicAntonio LIVE on #PokerAfterDark pic.twitter.com/ixQgctInwy

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) November 29, 2017

The game wrapped with drinks around the table with a charity initiative at the forefront. All players participated and clearly enjoyed themselves during the session. Andersen made for a great host and booked a five-figure win in her first ever Poker After Dark appearance.

Spoiler alert: I drink a lot of scotch in the last hour. But, only in the name of @REGcharity charity. Not bc I like scotch or am a hustler?!? Obv. ????‍?? @PokerGO #PokerAfterDark #ItsForTheKids #Lolz #ImSantaBitches

— Danielle Andersen (@dmoongirl) November 29, 2017

The second night of “Moon Magic” starts at 6:00 pm ET on PokerGO tomorrow night with the same lineup scheduled to appear. Check out PokerCentral.com for any updates to the game and all of the latest news in the poker world.