Mori Eskandani: The Poker Hall of Famer Who Helped Transform the Game on Television

Mori Eskandani has spent decades influencing poker from both sides of the camera.

Before becoming one of the game’s most important television producers, Eskandani built his reputation in Las Vegas cash games and recorded more than $1.2 million in live tournament earnings. His greater legacy, however, comes from helping create and produce many of the programs that introduced high-stakes poker to a worldwide audience.

From High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark to the World Series of Poker, Eskandani has shaped how televised poker looks, sounds, and tells its stories. That contribution earned him induction into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018. He later became president of PokerGO, placing him at the center of the game’s transition from traditional television to subscription streaming.

Who Is Mori Eskandani?

Mori Eskandani is an Iranian-born American poker player, television producer, Poker Hall of Fame member, and poker industry executive based in Las Vegas.

He first became known within the game as a high-stakes cash player. Over time, he turned his knowledge of poker and its personalities into a production career that helped make the game accessible and entertaining for television audiences.

Eskandani founded POKER PROductions in 2003. The company became closely associated with several of the most recognizable poker broadcasts of the modern era, including High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, and World Series of Poker coverage.

His ability to understand both poker strategy and television storytelling made him particularly valuable behind the scenes. Rather than treating poker as a conventional game show, his productions emphasized player personalities, meaningful decisions, table conversation, and the tension created by large sums of money.

From the Card Rooms to Las Vegas

Eskandani began playing in card rooms in the Portland, Oregon, area before moving to Las Vegas during the 1980s. There, he became part of the city’s high-stakes cash-game community.

That experience later provided a foundation for his work in television. Eskandani understood the rhythms of a real poker game, the strategic importance of individual hands, and the personalities capable of holding an audience’s attention.

His background also helped him earn the trust of professional players. Poker television requires participants to play naturally while surrounded by cameras, microphones, production personnel, and long recording schedules. Eskandani’s standing within the poker community allowed him to manage that environment without losing the authenticity that made the games compelling.

Building a Career in Poker Television

Eskandani’s first major step into poker production came through his work with inventor and producer Henry Orenstein on Poker Superstars in 2004. Eskandani served as a co-creator, tournament director, and consultant on the program.

His production company subsequently became responsible for an extensive collection of poker programming. The list included:

• High Stakes Poker

• Poker After Dark

• The National Heads-Up Poker Championship

• Face the Ace

• World Series of Poker Europe coverage

• World Series of Poker broadcasts

By 2011, POKER PROductions was working on coverage of the World Series of Poker, expanding Eskandani’s influence to the game’s most recognizable tournament series.

His productions arrived during a period when televised poker was changing rapidly. Hole-card cameras had given viewers access to information previously hidden from spectators, but presenting that information effectively still required editorial judgment.

Producers had to decide which tables to feature, which hands to preserve, how much table conversation to include, and how to explain complicated decisions without slowing the broadcast. Eskandani’s poker experience helped bridge the gap between serious players and casual viewers.

The Impact of High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark

Two programs are especially closely connected with Eskandani’s career: High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.

High Stakes Poker placed many of the game’s most recognizable professionals in a televised cash game featuring substantial amounts of real money. The program captured not only major pots but also the conversations, rivalries, negotiations, and psychological pressure that distinguish cash poker from tournament play.

The show featured stars such as Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Sammy Farha, Antonio Esfandiari, and Phil Ivey. Its format gave viewers a closer look at how elite players handled deep stacks and difficult decisions over extended sessions.

Eskandani has been identified as a producer and creator of the series, which became one of the most influential poker programs of its era.

Poker After Dark offered a different presentation. Its smaller fields, invitation-based lineups, and extended table coverage gave viewers more time to follow the development of each game. The program regularly combined accomplished professionals with distinctive personalities and carefully selected themes.

Together, the two shows helped establish a template for personality-driven poker broadcasts. The cards mattered, but the people holding them mattered just as much.

Mori Eskandani’s Poker Hall of Fame Induction

Eskandani entered the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018 alongside John Hennigan.

The World Series of Poker recognized Eskandani for his role in producing leading poker television programming over two decades. The official announcement cited his work on the WSOP, Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, and the NBC National Heads-Up Championship.

His induction was significant because it recognized an achievement that could not be measured by bracelets or tournament earnings alone.

The Poker Hall of Fame allows for the selection of special honorees who have contributed to the overall growth and success of the game. Eskandani’s career represented precisely that type of contribution. His work helped bring poker into millions of homes, documented important periods in the game’s history, and gave many leading players a platform to become recognizable public figures.

The official Hall of Fame records continue to identify him as a 2018 inductee honored for his production of coverage involving the WSOP, Poker After Dark, and High Stakes Poker.

Becoming President of PokerGO

PokerGO appointed Eskandani as its president in February 2021 after he had already spent several years working with the company.

The appointment placed an experienced television producer in charge of a platform built around live poker coverage, original programming, tournament broadcasts, and an extensive on-demand library.

PokerGO’s programming model reflects the broader evolution of sports media. Poker coverage that once depended primarily on scheduled television windows can now be delivered through livestreams and subscription-based platforms.

Eskandani’s role connects those two eras. He was central to poker’s development as traditional television entertainment and later helped lead its expansion as a dedicated streaming product.

PokerGO continued to identify him as its president in a December 2024 company announcement, while official WSOP material published in 2025 also referred to him by that title.

Mori Eskandani’s Tournament Poker Career

Although Eskandani is best known as a producer, he has also compiled a substantial tournament record.

The Hendon Mob listed him with $1,286,832 in total live tournament earnings and a career-best cash of $201,600 as of August 5, 2026. Live earnings databases change as new results are recorded, so those figures should be treated as a current snapshot rather than a permanent total.

His career-best result came during the 2024 PokerGO Tour Mixed Games festival. Eskandani defeated a 63-entry field in the $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. event, earning $201,600 and his first PGT title.

The victory suited his playing background. H.O.R.S.E. rotates through limit hold’em, Omaha hi-lo, razz, seven-card stud, and seven-card stud hi-lo, requiring proficiency across several traditional poker variants.

Eskandani nearly added another PGT title in 2025. He finished second in the $10,200 Mori’s Mix event, which was named in his honor, and collected $136,500. He also placed fifth in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship at the 2025 WSOP for $70,587.

Official WSOP records list Eskandani with no bracelets or Circuit rings, along with 28 WSOP cashes and $374,541 in earnings from WSOP-branded events.

Playing Style and Mixed-Game Reputation

Eskandani is most closely associated with traditional limit games and mixed-game formats.

His tournament record includes results in seven-card stud, H.O.R.S.E., limit hold’em, eight-game, and other mixed disciplines. His 2024 PGT victory and subsequent performance in Mori’s Mix reinforced his reputation as an experienced all-around player rather than a no-limit hold’em specialist.

It would be difficult to assign him a single tactical label based only on publicly recorded tournament results. His longevity and mixed-game results, however, demonstrate familiarity with the technical adjustments required when games and betting structures change.

That versatility also appears relevant to his success in production. A producer responsible for presenting different poker variants must understand what decisions matter, why a hand is interesting, and how to communicate its significance to viewers.

Why Mori Eskandani Matters to Poker

Many influential poker figures are remembered primarily for what they accomplished at the table. Eskandani’s legacy is broader.

He helped decide how an entire generation saw poker.

The programs he produced showed viewers that poker could deliver more than cards and chip counts. A well-constructed broadcast could reveal personality, strategy, pressure, humor, rivalry, and the consequences of decisions involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

His productions also created a lasting visual record of some of the game’s most important players. For many fans, televised appearances on High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, and the WSOP became the defining images of players such as Brunson, Ivey, Negreanu, Greenstein, and Farha.

Eskandani’s Hall of Fame induction confirmed that expanding poker’s audience can be as important to the game’s history as winning its largest tournaments.

His career remains unusual even within the poker industry. He has been a high-stakes player, a successful tournament competitor, a production-company founder, a Hall of Fame contributor, and the president of poker’s leading dedicated streaming platform.

Few people have influenced both how poker is played and how it is presented to the public as extensively as Mori Eskandani.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Mori Eskandani?

Mori Eskandani is a poker player, television producer, Poker Hall of Fame member, and president of PokerGO. He is known for his work on programs including High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, and World Series of Poker broadcasts.

When was Mori Eskandani inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?

Eskandani was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018 alongside professional player John Hennigan.

How much has Mori Eskandani won in live poker tournaments?

The Hendon Mob listed Eskandani with $1,286,832 in live tournament earnings as of August 5, 2026. Tournament earnings totals can change whenever new results are added.

What is Mori Eskandani’s largest live tournament cash?

His largest recorded live cash is $201,600. He earned it by winning the $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2024 PGT Mixed Games festival.

Does Mori Eskandani have a WSOP bracelet?

No. Official WSOP records list Eskandani with zero bracelets and zero WSOP Circuit rings.

What poker television shows has Mori Eskandani produced?

His production credits include High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Poker Superstars, and World Series of Poker coverage.

Is Mori Eskandani still involved in poker?

Yes. He remains active in the industry and at the tables. Recent results include a runner-up finish in the 2025 Mori’s Mix event and a fifth-place finish in the 2025 WSOP Seven Card Stud Championship.

Sources

• World Series of Poker

• Poker Hall of Fame

• PokerGO

• PokerGO Tour

• The Hendon Mob

• PokerNews

• Card Player

• Sports Video Group