Bio: I am currently in my second year of pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, researching antiferroelectric thin films. My first real experience with poker came during my time as a member of the Michigan Poker Club at the University of Michigan, where I mainly focused on tournament play. Besides poker and school, I am also working to get a start-up funded, which has given me a peak at how the decisions faced at the poker table can sometimes overlap with the decisions made in the boardroom.
Parsa Esfahani
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Major: Computer Engineering
Year: 2nd year Masters
Bio: 2nd year CompE and CS Master’s student with interest and passion in Computer Architecture, football (soccer), and of course Poker. My main success in Poker has been mostly through short tournaments!
Maxwell Guo
Hometown: Alpharetta, Georgia
Major: Chemistry
Year: Junior
Bio: I have enjoyed card games for as long as I can remember and am currently involved in the bridge and poker clubs at GT. My other hobbies include tennis, speedsolving, and amateur chemistry.
Christopher Jackson
Hometown: Suwanee, Georgia
Major: Computer Science
Year: Senior
Bio: Chris is a senior at Georgia Tech studying Computer Science and Math. He is an avid poker player and is hoping to enter the quantitative finance industry upon graduation.
Kevin Long
Hometown: Cumming, Georgia
Major: Civil Engineering
Year: Junior
Bio: Pursing a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering
Maanit Madan
Hometown: Alpharetta, Georgia
Major: Computer Science
Year: Sophomore
Bio: Student of science interested in robots, rockets, and poker.
Ben Peiken
Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
Major: Chemical Engineering
Year: Junior
Bio: I am Ben, a 3rd year chemical engineering student from Georgia Tech. I am also pursuing a minor in economics. Outside classes, I enjoy the outdoors, watching sports, playing/studying poker, and cooking.
Florian Pesce
Hometown: Epinal, France
Major: Computer Science
Year: 2nd year Masters
Bio: French Graduate Student in Computer Science. Lived in France and in Romania prior to the US. $20,000 in live tournament earnings. Live stream video
Matthew Pleskow
Hometown: Parkland, Florida
Major: Computer Engineering
Year: Senior
Bio: Hi, my name is Matthew Pleskow. I am a Computer Engineer from Florida that focuses on computer architecture and design and telecommunications. I also will get a certificate (similar to minor) in Finance. I have been learning poker since a little kid, where we would play for candy. I never have taken it too seriously, but I really started playing cash games around 19 where I would play online and go to my local casino when I was home on breaks.
Zachary Roberts
Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Major: Civil Engineering
Year: 1st year Masters
Bio: Master’s Student with focuses in Structural Engineering and Data Analytics. Former member of MIT Poker Club.
Mathew Seng
Hometown: East Windsor, New Jersey
Major: Computer Science
Year: Sophomore
Bio: I love composing music and coding various projects. Creation is my passion.
Justin Shiao
Hometown: Coral Springs, Florida
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Year: Senior
Bio: Hi, I’m Justin, a 5th year aerospace engineering major at Georgia Tech. I’ve always loved strategy games, including Hearthstone, TFT, MTG, bridge, and of course, poker. I’ve been playing this game for several years now and love studying the game and exploring new lines that most players might not know about.
