Antonio ‘The Magician’ Esfandiari found himself out on his ear at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event Monday after he was seen urinating into a vessel at the table.
Tournament officials disqualified him from further participation in the event, where he had built a stack of $100,000
Esfandiari, famous for winning millions in a Big Drop for One Drop charity match in 2012, later explained that his downfall was the result of a bet with hedge fund manager and poker player Bill Perkins that Esfandiari could not last a 48 hour period “lunging” everywhere he went.
Rumours are that the bet was a large one, motivating Esfandiari… but he claimed that it so weakened him that by the time he sat down to play he had to resort to extreme measures when the call of nature overtook him and he was unable to rise to the occasion.
It was an expensive decision that cost the poker ace his $5,300 buy-in fee and the possibility of winnings in the competition.
Apologising for his behaviour, Esfandiari told reporters:
“Looking back, I realise I didn’t look at the bigger picture. I made a mistake. My actions were totally out of line and unacceptable. I got so caught up with the bet that it was funny, the extent I would go to. I wish I could go back and do things differently. My behaviour was a bit childish and I apologise. I am not proud of the way I behaved today. I got disqualified from the tournament. I think Bill Perkins got the best of me.”