Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel
WPT:1
GPI:35
$45,661,019
Erik Seidel poker player profile. Get latest information, winnings and gallery.
Profile
- Name
- Erik Seidel
- Nationality
United States- GPI Rank
- 35
- WPT Wins
- 1
- Total Live Earnings
- $45,661,019
Biography
Erik Seidel is one of the winningest and best known players in poker history. He is the remaining member of poker's old generation, but is still able to compete in the modern field collecting poker's major titles and trophies.
Intro
Erik Seidel is one of the most recognized faces in poker. With more than $40 million in career winnings, nine World Series of Poker bracelets and one World Poker Tour title, numerous money finishes in all of the world's major poker tournaments and a place in the Poker Hall of Fame, Seidel is nothing but one of poker's living legends.
Read More: Before the Game: Erik Seidel the Trader (Part One)
Background
Born in New York City in 1959, Erik Seidel always had a gifted mind for games of all kinds. He took up backgammon while in college and soon dropped out to pursue a professional career playing the game. New Yorks famous Mayfair Club was like a second home to Seidel. There he was able to hone his skills against some of the best players around.
Seidel traveled around playing backgammon tournaments for about eight years before making some forays into the stock market. With more and more people indulging in poker at the Mayfair Club, Seidel decided to give it a shot. Poker wasnt his only source of income though, as Seidel took up a regular job as a stockbroker with much more of a secure income. The security of a regular paycheck went out the window though in 1987 when the stock market crashed and Seidel lost his job. Luckily, he still had poker.
World Series of Poker
The Mayfair Club was growing with players and Seidel soon became one of the best of them, along with the likes of Howard Lederer and Dan Harrington. It was around this time that Seidel took a shot in Vegas at the 1988 World Series of Poker where he ended up placing second in the Main Event to the world renowned Johnny Chan. A few years later in 1991, Seidel would return to place second in another WSOP event. It would only take one more year for his wrist to be wrapped in WSOP gold.
In 1992, Seidel captured his first bracelet followed by a second bracelet in 1993. Another year later saw Erik walk away from the WSOP with another bracelet. The 1998 was another good year at the Series for Seidel. He was able to cash four times and win his fourth bracelet. One more year later, Erik made a run at the WSOP Main Event again, this time placing fourth for almost $280,000
Taking the next logical step, Seidel moved out to Vegas with his wife and from there the winnings just seemed to pile up. The years 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2007 all saw Seidel walk away from WSOP with more gold wrapped around his wrist and then after 14 years without a WSOP win, he triumphed in Event #11: $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller of the 2021 WSOP Online on GGPoker for $977,842 to take his gold bracelet tally to nine, on par with three-time WSOP Main Event champion Johnny Moss
Read More: Before the Game: Erik Seidel the Trader (Part Two)
Erik Seidel's WSOP Bracelet Wins
| Year | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | $2,500 Limit Hold'em | $168,000 |
| 1993 | $2,500 Omaha 8 or Better | $94,000 |
| 1994 | $5,000 Limit Hold'em | $210,000 |
| 1998 | $5,000 No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw | $132,750 |
| 2001 | $3,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em | $411,300 |
| 2003 | $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha | $146,100 |
| 2005 | $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em | $611,795 |
| 2007 | $5,000 No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw | $538,835 |
| 2021 | GGPoker WSOP Online Event #11: $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller | $977,842 |
World Poker Tour
The WSOP isnt the only place Seidel shines. He had a deep, second-place run at the Jack Binion World Poker Open in 2002 along with wins at Festa Al Lago II and III, where he secured wins in both events. In 2008 Seidel took down the Foxwoods Poker Classic WPT Event for almost $1 million.
Erik Seidel's Top 5 WPT Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Foxwoods Poker Classic $9,700 Championship | 1st | $992,890 |
| 2013 | WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star $7,500 Main Event | 4th | $295,590 |
| 2004 | Festa al Lago III $10,000 Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship | 4th | $165,000 |
| 2009 | Bellagio Cup V $15,000 Championship Event | 6th | $164,640 |
| 2011 | Hollywood Poker Open $9,600 Main Event | 2nd | $155,103 |
European Poker Tour
Despite his success at the WSOP and WPT tables, it wasn't until 2011 that Seidel cashed in an EPT event. It all changed at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure when Seidel made two final tables finishing in 3rd and 4th place at the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em - 6 Max, and $25,000 High Roller events respectively for a total of $340,000.
Seidel completed the poker triple crown, wins at the WSOP, WPT and EPT, in 2015. His single EPT title came in the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final 100,000 Super High Roller for 2,015,000 ($2,222,222).
Erik Seidel's Top 5 EPT Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final 100,000 Super High Roller | 1st | 2,015,000 ($2,222,222) |
| 2013 | EPT Barcelona 50,000 Super High Roller | 2nd | 557,100 ($745,224) |
| 2011 | PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $25,000 High Roller | 4th | $295,960 |
| 2012 | Barcelona 50,000 Super High Roller | 6th | 153,600 ($188,721) |
| 2016 | EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final 10,000 Turbo 6-Max | 2nd | 138,435 ($158,479) |
Read More: Maria Konnikova on Erik Seidel: "He's the Best There Is"
Other Achievements
In 2008 Seidel came close to winning the biggest poker event in the southern hemisphere, the Aussie Millions. He finished the Main Event in second place just behind Russia's Alexander Kostritsyn and took home almost $900,000 in prize money. He then returned to Australia in 2011 for an even more impressive performance. At first Seidel finished in third place at the A$100,000 No-Limit Hold'em event and then a week later conquered the A$ 250,000 Super High Roller taking home a total of over $3 million in cash.
Two months later Seidel won the NBC National Heads-Up Championship for $750,000 and then in May, 2011 he scored another $1 million cash by winning the $100,000 Super High Roller Event at the Ninth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic.
Read More: Erik Seidel Defeats Phil Hellmuth to Win US Poker Open $25,000 NLH ($472,500)
Sponsorship
Seidel has been working at Full Tilt Poker as a member of the site's design team and was a Team Full Tilt member until the site lost its e-gaming license in 2011.
Did you know?
- Seidel's smallest tournament cash was the $555 he won after finishing in fifth place in the $300 Pot-Limit Omaha event at the Global Pot Limit No Limit Open in Los Angeles in 2000.
- Seidel became a professional poker player only because of the 1987 stock market crash.
- In addition to being one of the all-time poker greats, Seidel has a creative side that includes a deep passion for music.
Read More: The Endlessly Creative Side of Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel
PokerNews Covered Events
| Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 WSOP ParadiseEvent #7: $50,000 Super High Roller | 1st | $1,704,400 |
| 2023 WSOP ParadiseEvent #3: $25,000 GGMillion$ High Rollers Championship | 19th | $90,700 |
| 2023 PokerStars EPT Barcelona50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance | 4th | €113,800 |
| 2023 PokerStars EPT Barcelona10,200 Mystery Bounty | 6th | €22,700 |
| 2023 World Series of PokerEvent #78: $1,500 Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha | 153rd | $1,642 |
| 2023 World Series of PokerOnline Event #13: $5,300 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller Championship | 18th | $14,688 |
| 2023 World Series of PokerEvent #60: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw | 5th | $31,114 |
| 2023 World Series of PokerEvent #50: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship | 77th | $17,596 |
| 2023 World Series of PokerEvent #25: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | 4th | $150,445 |
| 2023 World Series of PokerEvent #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout | 132nd | $4,387 |
| 2023 PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo5,300 EPT Main Event | 49th | €17,250 |
| 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure$3,000 PCA Mystery Bounty | 24th | $7,050 |
| 2022 PokerStars EPT London5,300 EPT Main Event | 12th | £41,100 |
| 2022 PokerStars EPT London10,200 Mystery Bounty | 3rd | £38,160 |
| 2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona25,000 No-Limit Hold'em II | 7th | €65,550 |
| 2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona100,000 EPT Super High Roller | 2nd | €1,286,490 |
| 2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona25,000 No-Limit Hold'em I | 6th | €81,030 |
| 2022 World Series of PokerEvent #87: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em | 3rd | $238,321 |
| 2022 World Series of PokerEvent #77: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha | 156th | $2,400 |
| 2021 World Series of PokerEvent #78: $10,000 Razz Championship | 7th | $39,987 |
| 2021 World Series of PokerEvent #73: 10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | 7th | $46,140 |
| 2021 World Series of PokerEvent #64: $5,000 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha | 70th | $8,826 |
| 2021 World Series of PokerEvent #38: $50,000 High Roller | 4th | $358,665 |
| 2021 World Series of PokerEvent #25: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em | 88th | $8,040 |
| 2021 Super High Roller Bowl EuropeEvent #1: $25,000 Short Deck Holdem | 7th | $48,000 |
| 2021 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #11: $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller NLH, $5M GTD | 1st | $977,842 |
| 2021 WSOP.com Online Bracelet EventsEvent #24: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 42nd | $1,566 |
| 2021 US Poker OpenEvent #9: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 5th | $74,250 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #81: People's Choice Event Spin the Wheel | 168th | $1,251 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #76: $400 FORTY STACK No Limit Hold'em | 409th | $1,071 |
| 52nd | $1,314 | |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #63: $500 Mini Main Event, $5M GTD | 556th | $2,479 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #55: HK$8,000 No Limit Hold'em Asia Championship, HK$8M GTD | 326th | $2,855 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #53: $800 Double Stack Pot Limit Omaha | 38th | $2,222 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #52: $1,000 No Limit Hold'em | 145th | $2,770 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #50: $2,100 No Limit Hold'em Bounty Championship | 89th | $3,020 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #46: $500 Deepstack No Limit Hold'em | 99th | $1,639 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #40: $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha | 21st | $9,106 |
| 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet EventsEvent #36: $1,500 FIFTY STACK No Limit Hold'em | 112th | $3,819 |
| 2020 WSOP.com Online Bracelet EventsEvent #15: $1,000 PLO 8-Max HR | 60th | $2,016 |
| 2020 WSOP.com Online Bracelet EventsEvent #10: $600 No-Limit Hold'em MonsterStack | 321st | $895 |
| 2020 WSOP.com Online Bracelet EventsEvent #9: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Max | 99th | $1,851 |
| 2020 Aussie MillionsA$10,600 Main Event | 5th | 378,660 AUD |
| 2020 Aussie MillionsA$50,000 Challenge | 8th | 198,850 AUD |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #60: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better | 9th | $20,410 |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #45: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller | 6th | $264,186 |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #40: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha | 82nd | $2,991 |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #30: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 131st | $1,746 |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout | 27th | $5,279 |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #9: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack | 342nd | $1,739 |
| 2019 World Series of PokerEvent #2: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Super Turbo Bounty | 25th | $11,402 |
| 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT25,000 EPT High Roller | 18th | €43,870 |
| 2019 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPT10,300 No-Limit Hold'em | 5th | €54,320 |
| 2019 US Poker OpenUSPO #3 - $10,000 NLH | 11th | $27,300 |
| 2019 US Poker OpenUSPO #1 - $10,000 NLH | 13th | $18,000 |
| 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure$25,000 Single-Day High Roller I | 10th | $45,020 |
| 2018 World Series of PokerEvent #73: $1,000 DOUBLE STACK No-Limit Hold'em (30 minute levels) | 83rd | $1,997 |
| 2018 World Series of PokerEvent #42: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed High Roller | 26th | $41,049 |
| 2018 World Series of PokerEvent #35: $1,500 Mixed Omaha | 43rd | $3,741 |
| 2018 World Series of PokerEvent #28: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 29th | $13,132 |
| 2018 World Series of PokerEvent #20: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 64th | $7,860 |
| 2018 PokerStars and Monte-CarloCasino EPTMain Event | 111th | €9,400 |
| 2018 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Grand Final Barcelona100K Super High Roller | 6th | €240,000 |
| 2018 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure$50,000 High Roller | 4th | $260,260 |
| 2017 PokerStars Championship Prague25,500 Single-Day High Roller II | 7th | €67,000 |
| 2017 Poker MastersEvent #3 $50,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 2nd | $576,000 |
| 2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona25,500 Single-Day High Roller I | 11th | €56,250 |
| 2017 PokerStars Championship presented by Monte-Carlo Casino50,000 Single-Day High Roller | 3rd | €423,800 |
| 2017 Triton Super High Roller Series ManilaHK $250,000 6-Max Event | 2nd | 2,326,000 HKD |
| 2016 PokerStars.es EPT Season 13 Barcelona50,000 Super High Roller | 9th | €137,130 |
| 2016 Super High Roller Bowl$300,000 Super High Roller Bowl | 3rd | $2,400,000 |
| 2016 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final5,300 Main Event | 110th | €10,650 |
| 2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure$50,000 Single-Day High Roller | 5th | $301,080 |
| 2015 PokerStars.net APPT Season 9 Asia Championship of PokerSuper High Roller | 6th | 1,696,200 HKD |
| 2015 Super High Roller Series$500,000 Super High Roller Bowl | 7th | $860,000 |
| 2015 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final100,000 Super High Roller | 1st | €2,015,000 |
| 2015 Aussie Millions$250,000 Challenge | 5th | 551,000 AUD |
| 2015 Aussie Millions$100,000 Challenge | 6th | 500,000 AUD |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #47: $1,500 Ante-Only No-Limit Hold'em | 59th | $3,180 |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #40: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship | 13th | $26,584 |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #28: $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em Championship | 11th | $30,516 |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #25: $2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low | 6th | $41,230 |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #21: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 83rd | $2,941 |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #20: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout | 31st | $7,805 |
| 2014 World Series of PokerEvent #14: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low | 34th | $7,146 |
| 2014 Aussie Millions$10,600 Main Event | 10th | 100,000 AUD |
| 2014 Aussie Millions$100,000 Challenge | 3rd | 1,076,000 AUD |
| 2013 World Series of PokerEvent #62: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event | 560th | $21,495 |
| 2013 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona50,000 Super High Roller | 2nd | €557,100 |
| 2013 World Series of PokerEvent #56: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em | 170th | $4,462 |
| 2013 World Series of PokerEvent #54: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 174th | $2,283 |
| 2013 World Series of PokerEvent #36: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout | 14th | $5,555 |
| 2013 World Series of PokerEvent #21: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Six Handed) | 9th | $33,090 |
| 2013 Aussie Millions$25,000 Challenge | 3rd | 125,000 AUD |
| 2012 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona50,000 Super High Roller | 6th | €153,600 |
| 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 60: $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit) | 11th | $22,386 |
| 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 44: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 261st | $1,937 |
| 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 33: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em | 153rd | $2,767 |
| 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 30: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball | 13th | $4,682 |
| 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | 18th | $13,282 |
| 2012 World Series of PokerEvent 14: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout | 95th | $5,295 |
| The 2012 PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino EPT Grand FinalMain Event | 46th | €25,000 |
| 2011 World Series of Poker EuropeEvent #7: 10,400 Main Event Championship | 21st | €37,000 |
| 2011 World Series of Poker EuropeEvent #5: 10,400 No-Limit Hold'em (Split Format) | 12th | €26,618 |
| Epic Poker League Event #1Main Event | 2nd | $604,330 |
| 2011 World Series of PokerEvent #57: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better | 33rd | $10,091 |
| 2011 World Series of PokerEvent #51: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better | 58th | $4,188 |
| 2011 World Series of PokerEvent #33: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship | 13th | $32,057 |
| 2011 World Series of PokerEvent #24: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout | 17th | $13,368 |
| 2011 World Series of PokerEvent #3: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split 8 or Better | 32nd | $6,868 |
| 2011 NBC National HeadsUp Poker ChampionshipNBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship | 1st | $750,000 |
| 2011 Aussie MillionsEvent #21: $250,000 Super High Roller | 1st | 2,500,000 AUD |
| 2011 Aussie MillionsEvent #8: $100,000 Challenge | 3rd | 625,000 AUD |
| 2011 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure$25,000 High Roller | 4th | $295,950 |
| 2010 World Series of Poker$5,000 Ante Up For Africa Poker Tournament | 5th | $30,287 |
| 2010 World Series of PokerEvent #46: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-low Split-8 or Better | 5th | $85,800 |
| 2010 World Series of PokerEvent #19: $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship | 6th | $41,270 |
| 2010 World Series of PokerEvent #14: $1,500 2-7 Draw Lowball | 14th | $4,404 |
| 2010 NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship$20,000 Heads-up Championship | 2nd | $250,000 |
| 2010 Aussie MillionsEvent 15: $10,500 Pot Limit Omaha | 1st | 120,000 AUD |
| 2009 World Series of PokerEvent 49 - $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. | 8th | $162,382 |
| 2009 World Series of PokerEvent 45 - $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold'em | 19th | $24,066 |
| 2009 World Series of PokerEvent 20 - $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em | 7th | $24,919 |
| 2009 World Series of PokerEvent 15 - $5,000 No Limit Hold'em | 22nd | $21,026 |
| 2008 World Series of PokerEvent 43 - $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo | 4th | $68,304 |
| 2008 World Series of PokerEvent 34 - $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha w/Rebuys | 21st | $19,257 |
| 2008 World Series of PokerEvent 14 - $10,000 Seven-Card Stud World Championship | 5th | $92,825 |
| 2008 World Series of PokerEvent 11 - $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout | 25th | $16,920 |
| 2008 Aussie MillionsEvent 12 - $10,500 Aussie Millions Main Event | 2nd | 1,000,000 AUD |
| 2007 World Series of PokerEvent 54 - $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/ rebuys | 1st | $538,835 |
| 2007 World Series of PokerEvent 51 - $1,000 S.H.O.E | 66th | $1,528 |
| 2007 World Series of PokerEvent 30 - $2,500 No Limit Holdem 6 Handed | 40th | $6,429 |
| 2007 World Series of PokerEvent 21 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem Shootout | 34th | $6,757 |
| 2007 World Series of PokerEvent 12 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem 6 Handed | 40th | $5,844 |
| 2007 Aussie Millions Crown Casino Poker ChampionshipEvent 8 - $100,500 No Limit Holdem | 2nd | $550,000 |
