On January 8th 2010, the poker world was shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of one of the game’s brightest characters, Amir Vahedi.
Born in Tehran, Iran in 1961, Vahedi served his country in the Iran-Iraq War, also known as the ‘First Gulf War’, during the 1980s. At the request of his mother, he left the army and travelled as a refugee, spending time in countries such as Germany. Eventually he made it to Los Angeles, California, where he settled down and successfully set up and ran various businesses, before taking up poker as a full time career in 1996.
The man famous for his large Cuban cigars and even larger personality was a highly successful poker player, with a particular talent for No Limit Hold’em tournaments, though it didn’t always come so easily to him. Vahedi confessed that bankroll management was a problem earlier on in his career, with the temptation to gamble at craps or roulette all too strong and has since stated that success as a poker player “all comes down to money management”.
Vahedi won over $3.25 million in tournament prize money during his career, perhaps his most famous triumph being his one and only World Series of Poker bracelet, which came in 2003’s $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event. At the final table, featuring the likes of Brad Daugherty and TJ Cloutier, Vahedi came from around $20,000 in chips, with not far off $800,000 in play and managed to win the event, taking home $270,000 in prize money for his efforts, along with the coveted gold bracelet.
His last documented tournament victory came in the $175 No Limit Hold’em Shootout at the Sport Of Kings event, in March 2008, where he scooped the $7,740 first prize. Later that year, he made his last final table appearance in the $25,000 buy in WPT event at Bellagio. Vahedi cashed nine times at the World Series of Poker, including a sixth place finish in the Main Event, for over $670,000 in prize money and in 2001, he was voted No Limit Texas Hold’em Player Of The Year.
A family man, Vahedi leaves behind two daughters and a son. It is thought that he died due to complications arising from diabetes, though a full autopsy report will not be available until the beginning of March. He was just 48 years old.
Famously hired by Ben Affleck as a poker tutor, Vahedi was fond of saying “In order to live, you must be willing to die”. The poker community will remember him as an aggressive and fearsome player, but a friendly and likeable gentleman, away from the felt.
Amir Vahedi, sadly missed.
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