Erik Seidel

Erik Seidel is a professional poker player and member of the Poker Hall of Fame who made his first live event cash in 1988. In the first 24 years of his career, Erik cashed 196 times, made 133 final tables, won 27 events, cashed at the WSOP 70 times, won 8 gold bracelets, won a WPT title, and earned over $16.8 million.

Born on November 6, 1959 in New York City, Erik dropped out of college to play tournament backgammon. On a trip to Las Vegas to play in a backgammon tournament, he discovered poker. Upon returning home to NY, he formed a poker study group with fellow members of the famous Mayfair Club, which included future pros Dan Harrington and Howard Lederer. Although Erik’s love of competition helped him become a winning poker player, he continued working as a trader on Wall Street for a steady paycheck. When the stock market crash of 1987 hit, he went back to the poker tables.

It was just one year later, in 1988 that Erik cashed in his first major tournament when he was runner up to Johnny Chan for $280,000 in the WSOP Main Event. His final hand against Chan became legend when it was featured in the 1998 poker movie Rounders. Later the same year, Erik won the $1,000 NLHE event at the Diamond Jim Brady tournament for $144,000.  It was during this time that he moved his family from New York to Las Vegas so he could pursue his new career as a full-time poker player.

In 1991, Erik gained runner-up status again at the WSOP when he earned $105,000 in the $5,000 LHE. In 1992, almost 4 years after his first WSOP final table appearance, he won his first gold bracelet in the $2,500 LHE event to earn $168,000. The next year, he cashed 6 times at the 1993 WSOP and won his 2nd gold bracelet in the $2,500 Omaha-8 event which paid him $94,000.

By the year 2000, Erik had cashed in over 60 major tournaments with 22 cashes being at the WSOP, where he continued to add to his bracelet collection. In 1994, his 3rd gold bracelet came with $210,000 in the $5,000 LHE event. The $5,000 NL Deuce-to-Seven event in 1998 awarded him his 4th bracelet and $132,750. In 1999, he missed taking home another title when he finished 4th in the Main Event to earn $279,500.

In 2001, Erik cashed twice at the WSOP before he won bracelet number 5 in the $3,000 NLHE to collect $411,300. Between the beginning of 2001 and the end 2005, he would cash over 50 times including 18 times at the WSOP and eight times in WPT events.  At the 2003 WSOP, Erik took home $146,100 and his 6th bracelet when he won the $1,500 PLO event. Two years later, at the 2005 WSOP, he made 4 final tables, winning his 7th bracelet and $ 611,795 in the $2,000 NLHE.  A few months later, he took first in the $2,500 PLO at the Bellagio Five-Diamond World Poker Classic for $95,059.

The year 2006 would see Erik cash 10 times, including 3 cashes in WPT and WSOP events. In 2007, he cashed 11 times including triple cashes in WPT events. He cashed 5 times at the 2007 WSOP which included taking home his 8th bracelet along with $538,835 in the $5,000 World Championship NL Deuce-to-Seven event. The same year, he also made a score at the Aussie Millions when he finished runner-up in the $100,000 NLHE event to take home A$550,000.

In 2008, Erik was back at the Aussie Millions to finish runner-up again, this time in the $10,000 Main Event, where he earned A$1,000,000. After cashing at the WPT Reno, he won the $9,700 NLHE for his first EPT title and $992,890 at the EPT Foxwoods Poker Classic. At the WSOP, he cashed 5 times, which included a 5th place finish for $92,825 in the $10,000 World Championship Stud, and a 4th place finish in the $1,500 PLO-8 for $68,304. To finish his year, he cashed in the Main Event at the WSOP Europe in London, and took 10th for C$56,868 in the C$10,000 NLHE at the North American Poker Championship Ontario.

Erik’s first cashes in 2009 were at the WSOP where he cashed in 5 events, making 3 final tables. After cashing in the $5,000 NLHE, he finished 7th in the $1,500 PLHE for $24,919, and cashed in the $10,000 PLO. He then took 8th for $162,381 in the $50,000 HORSE, and finished 4th in the $5,000 Ante Up For Africa Charity Event to earn $51,601. The same month, he finished 6th for $164,640 in the $15,000 NLHE Championship Event at the Bellagio Cup. His last cash of the year was at the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, where he finished 4th in the $5,000 HORSE to collect $21,049.

Erik started 2010 by winning the A$10,000 PLO event at the Aussie Millions for A$120,000. His next big cash was for $250,000 when he finished runner-up to good friend Annie Duke in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. At the WSOP he cashed 4 times, including taking 6th for $41,270 in the $10,000 World Championship NL Deuce-to Seven, and finishing 5th in both the $5,000 PLO-8 and the $5,000 Ante Up For Africa Charity Event, to earn $85,800 and $29,926 respectively.

In 2011 Erik cashed 18 times, made 11 final tables, and won 4 events. He started the year by cashing twice at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, where he finished 3rd for $46,560 in the $5,000 NLHE 6-Max, and took 4th in the $25,000 NLHE High Roller Event to earn $295,960. Later the same month, he cashed twice at the Aussie Millions, earning A$625,000 for finishing 3rd in the A$100,000 NLHE, before winning the A$250,000 NLHE Super High Roller event to collect A$2,500,000. A month later, he cashed twice at the L.A. Poker Classic, where he won the $25,100 High Roller Event for $144,570.

At the 2011 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Erik won $750,000 when he defeated Chris Moneymaker, which moved him into 1st place on the all-time tournament money list.

He just missed his second WPT title when he finished runner-up to earn $155,103 in the Main Event at the Hollywood Open, but the next month, he won the $100,000 NLHE Super High Roller Event at the Annual Five Star World Poker Classic to take home $1,092,780.

The WSOP hadn’t even started and already Erik had earned over $5.4 million dollars in 2011. Once the WSOP got underway, he cashed 5 times but failed to make a big score or add to his bracelet collection. In August, he had a runner-up finish in the Inaugural Epic Poker League Main Event for $604,330. He followed up with a 4th place finish in the second Epic Poker League Main Event for $184,100 and his second consecutive final table appearance.

Erik finished 2011 by cashing twice at the WSOP Europe Cannes, where he finished 12th for €26,618 in the €10,000 NLHE Mixed event, and finished 21st in the Main Event for €37,000.

With 8 WSOP gold bracelets won in 5 different games, Erik stands in 5th place for all-time bracelet wins behind Phil Hellmuth, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Johnny Moss. As a testament to his enormous success and lifetime contribution to the game of poker, Erik was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010 beside his longtime friend Dan Harrington.

Although appearing quiet and reserved, Erik Seidel is one of the most successful players to ever play tournament poker. Not only is he highly respected by his peers, but Erik has proven that players don’t have to be boisterous or flashy to succeed, and stands as an excellent role model for young players. When he is away from the poker tables, Erik can be found enjoying time with his family, listening to music or playing tennis.