Amir Vahedi
Encyclopedia
Amir Vahedi was an Iranian
professional poker
player born in Tehran
, Iran
. who won a World Series of Poker
(WSOP) bracelet at the 2003 World Series of Poker
in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event.
Vahedi was a resident of Sherman Oaks, California and was the first poker tutor of the actor Ben Affleck
.
player of the year in 2001 and was runner-up to Men Nguyen
for Card Player Magazine's 2003 player of the year. In 2003
he made the final table of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker
and finished sixth, earning $250,000. Earlier in the series he won his first WSOP bracelet in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event, earning $270,000.
During the 2003 World Series of Poker
, in reference to the natural tendency of players to tighten up on the bubble (when only a few eliminations are left to the money), Vahedi stated: "In order to live, you must be willing to die."
Vahedi was also the season three champion of the Ultimate Poker Challenge
.
During his lifetime, Vahedi won over $3,250,000 in live tournament play. His 9 cashes at the WSOP account for $671,216 of those winnings.
's early poker tutors.
Amir had two brothers, Saeed and Masoud, two sisters, Farideh and Fahimeh, two daughters, Chanel and Erika, and a son, Albaro.
on January 8, 2010. An autopsy report is pending.
Iranian peoples
The Iranian peoples are an Indo-European ethnic-linguistic group, consisting of the speakers of Iranian languages, a major branch of the Indo-European language family, as such forming a branch of Indo-European-speaking peoples...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player born in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. who won a World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) bracelet at the 2003 World Series of Poker
2003 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time...
in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event.
Vahedi was a resident of Sherman Oaks, California and was the first poker tutor of the actor Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
.
World Series of Poker
Vahedi was named no limit Texas hold 'emTexas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
player of the year in 2001 and was runner-up to Men Nguyen
Men Nguyen
Men "The Master" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player.-Early years:In 1967, he dropped out of school at age 13 and became a bus driver to help support his family. In early 1978, a staunch anti-Communist, he escaped from the Communist regime of Vietnam by boat and sailed with...
for Card Player Magazine's 2003 player of the year. In 2003
2003 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time...
he made the final table of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
and finished sixth, earning $250,000. Earlier in the series he won his first WSOP bracelet in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em event, earning $270,000.
During the 2003 World Series of Poker
2003 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time...
, in reference to the natural tendency of players to tighten up on the bubble (when only a few eliminations are left to the money), Vahedi stated: "In order to live, you must be willing to die."
Vahedi was also the season three champion of the Ultimate Poker Challenge
Ultimate Poker Challenge
The Ultimate Poker Challenge was a series of weekly poker tournaments acting as super-satellites into the series semi-finals.The first and second seasons are available on NTSC DVD...
.
During his lifetime, Vahedi won over $3,250,000 in live tournament play. His 9 cashes at the WSOP account for $671,216 of those winnings.
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Event | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 2003 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 839 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter what was the largest poker tournament ever played in a brick and mortar casino at the time... |
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em | $270,000 |
Personal life
Vahedi served in the Iranian army during the Iran–Iraq War before becoming a war refugee and immigrating to the US. He was one of Ben AffleckBen Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
's early poker tutors.
Amir had two brothers, Saeed and Masoud, two sisters, Farideh and Fahimeh, two daughters, Chanel and Erika, and a son, Albaro.
Death
Vahedi died due to possible complications of diabetesDiabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
on January 8, 2010. An autopsy report is pending.