Antonio Esfandiari Now Sponsored By US-licensed Ultimate Poker

US-licensed poker room Ultimate Poker is expected to launch real money games by the end of 2013, becoming one of the pioneers in legal online gambling in the US. Befitting such a monumental endeavor, the Nevada based online poker room has now announced that top US poker pro Antonio ‘The Magician‘ Esfandiari is to be its new brand ambassador.
Commenting on the sponsorship deal, Ultimate Poker chairman Tom Breitling, said: “We’re thrilled to have Antonio Esfandiari represent our company. Antonio is the ultimate champion and modern poker player. He brings the gaming lifestyle to the online arena with his work-hard, play-hard attitude.”
Not only is the 34 year-old pro one of the games most talented players with 3 WSOP bracelets and 2 WPT titles to his credit, but he is also the winner of the world’s most expensive tournament played last year called the “Big One for One Drop.” Esfandiari managed to take down the  $1m buy-in tournament to claim the  biggest cash prize in poker history worth $18,346,673.
For his part, Antonio Esfandiari seems equally as delighted to be representing Ultimate Poker, which received its Nevada gaming license last October. The parent company of Ultimate Poker is Fertitta Interactive LLC, which also owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and commenting on what representing Ultimate Poker means to him, Esfandiari explained:
“It feels awesome. I don’t really know how else to put it. It’s so wonderful to be with a company that is regulated by the Nevada Gaming Commission. It’s just huge..Players will be able to win packages and be able to have experiences with the UFC that no one else will be able to have. I love the UFC, so it works out perfectly.”
At present, Ultimate Poker is a play money site run on a Facebook app, but with over 41,000 likes on its fan page.