{"id":15592,"date":"2018-10-15T14:12:30","date_gmt":"2018-10-15T14:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/?p=15592"},"modified":"2018-10-17T14:39:27","modified_gmt":"2018-10-17T14:39:27","slug":"75-year-old-local-favorite-john-mokhtari-ships-a-platinum-pass-to-the-bahamas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pokerscout.com\/75-year-old-local-favorite-john-mokhtari-ships-a-platinum-pass-to-the-bahamas\/","title":{"rendered":"75-Year-Old Local Favorite John Mokhtari Ships A Platinum Pass To The Bahamas"},"content":{"rendered":"
It was a raucous night in late August in the Lucky Chances<\/strong> poker room in northern California. There were several players at the final table, but one received plenty of cheers from everyone in the room. Regulars, visitors, and staff members alike were all cheering on retiree John Mokhtari<\/strong> as he kept battling at the final table.<\/p>\n The 75-year-old from Manteca, Calif., was playing in the PokerStars Moneymaker Tour<\/strong> and not only was a nice cash prize on the line for a buy-in of $86. After reaching the final four, the players agreed to make a deal. Each took home just under $12,000, with Mokhtari taking home $11,100 \u2013 a nice payday for such a small buy-in.<\/p>\n But it was Mokhtari who took home the ultimate prize with a roomful of supporters cheering him on. For his win, he earned a $30,000 PokerStars Players NL Hold\u2019em Championship (PSPC) Platinum Pass<\/strong> for January\u2019s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure<\/strong>. The package includes a $25,000 buy-in to the tournament, six nights\u2019 accommodation at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, and travel expenses.<\/p>\n Getting to that point wasn\u2019t easy. The tournament at Lucky Chances featured 1,072 entries, and Mokhtari was among the shortest stacks on Day 2. His 19,000 chips equaled only six big blinds. However, he was able to double up a few times quickly and got on a big roll.<\/p>\n \u201cI was very excited,\u201d he says of winning the pass and the cash. \u201cThat was the biggest win I\u2019ve ever had. I had a lot of people behind me. It seems like everybody in Lucky Chances was cheering for me \u2013 from the management to the people who play there.\u201d<\/p>\n Mokhtari grew up in Iran and moved to the U.S. in 1965. His parents sent him to live with relatives and study business in America, but he soon decided he was more interested in just jumping into work life. He lived in Washington D.C. initially but moved to California a year later. Mokhtari spent his career running used car dealerships<\/strong> and still owns them today.<\/p>\n \u201cI was studying business management, and I became manager of a company,\u201d he says. \u201cSo I said, \u2018I\u2019m already manager of a company, why do I need to keep studying?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Even back in Iran, Mokhtari had always loved playing poker. He started playing the game at age 15 but learned some hard lessons<\/strong> about the game early. After amassing quite a few bucks for a teenager, a few poker players cheated him in a game and he lost much of his cash. He continued to play but learned to spot a crooked game. That loss still motivates him some today.<\/p>\n \u201cI had a few thousand dollars in the bank, and some neighbors found out about it,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd they cheated me playing poker.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve still been playing poker since then and always been trying to get my money back,\u201d he adds laughing. \u201cI love the action, I love the moments when you\u2019re up and down. I love talking with other people. It\u2019s a very enjoyable game.\u201d<\/p>\n Before his retirement, Mokhtari played once or twice a week. Now he hits the tables as many as five times a week playing cash games and tournaments.<\/p>\n New Players Get A Free Bonus At PokerStars NJ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 100% Bonus With Deposit<\/li>\nA lifetime of cards<\/span><\/h2>\n
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