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Ashkan Razavi is an Iranian-born Canadian professional poker player from Maple Ridge, British Columbia, who built his path to a World Series of Poker gold bracelet from behind a dealer’s button. A former poker dealer who turned professional and claimed a landmark $781,398 bracelet victory in 2012, Razavi outlasted 3,404 entries - the largest $1,500 event field at the WSOP in four years - in a grinding four-day performance that confirmed his transition from dealing the cards to owning the table.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
With total live tournament earnings surpassing $1,371,821 (according to The Hendon Mob), Razavi has accumulated over $1.17 million at the World Series of Poker alone.
His standout results include:
- 2012: 1st place in the WSOP Event #9: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry for $781,398 - his career-best score and first gold bracelet. He defeated Amanda Musumeci heads-up after outlasting a 3,404-entry field in one of the series’ biggest events of the summer.
- Multiple WSOP cashes accumulating over $1.17 million in career WSOP earnings across five final tables.
- 2025: Led the final 14 at the WSOP Circuit Calgary Main Event in January 2025 - one of several deep runs at Canada’s growing Circuit stop.
Razavi remains an active presence on the circuit, regularly competing at WSOP Circuit Calgary where he has made multiple deep runs. His estimated poker net worth exceeds $1 million.
Biography & Poker Background
Born in Tehran, Iran, Razavi immigrated to Canada at the age of 13, eventually settling in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. He began his connection to poker not as a player but as a dealer - a profession that gave him an intimate, practical understanding of the mechanics of the game before he ever took a seat on the other side of the felt.
He turned professional after years in the industry, and his 2012 WSOP bracelet run validated that transition completely. His rail - supporters in T-shirts reading “Ash Can Do It” - erupted when he took down the title in one of that summer’s biggest events, defeating a final table that included Brian Rast and Ryan Olisar alongside Musumeci.
Razavi has maintained a strong domestic presence since the win, particularly at the expanding WSOP Circuit Calgary stop. Despite owning a bracelet, a Circuit ring has so far eluded him in Calgary - but his multiple deep runs there have made him a familiar name to the Alberta poker community.
Play Style & Strategy
Razavi is a patient, technically solid tournament player whose career success across a broad range of event sizes and formats reflects genuine game-theoretical understanding developed over years of dealing and playing.
His approach includes:
- Dealer’s insight: Years behind the table gave Razavi unparalleled experience in observing hand patterns, decision-making under pressure, and table dynamics before he ever competed professionally.
- Large-field endurance: His bracelet came in a 3,404-entry event across four days - a result that required sustained, consistent play over a longer duration than most events demand.
Social Media & Online Presence
Originally from the Lake District, UK, I’ve spent the last few years living and breathing the Southeast Asian poker circuit. Since 2025, I’ve been a fixture on the floor at the APT, PokerStars, and WSOP events, serving as a lead reporter and media specialist for Somuchpoker. My work is about more than just recording action; I manage the social media and digital content that brings action rail to the fans. By combining a business education and creative background, I aim to look past the technical hand histories to capture the actual human grit and drama that happens during a deep run.
