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Name: Erik Seidel
Current Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
DOB: November 6th, 1959
Birth Place: New York, USA
Sponsored by: Full Tilt Poker
WSOP Bracelets: 8
Total Winnings: $10,188,614 (March 2010)
Marital Status: Married
Children: Yes
Age Started Playing Poker: in his 20s
Who is Erik Seidel?
Erik Seidel was born in New York in 1959. As a kid he was a keen competitor but it wasn't until his late teen years that he discovered backgammon. He started making money playing the game so he dropped out of school and began his career as a gambler. Later on he took a job as a stockbroker, but when the market crashed in the 1980's he was out of a job so he started playing more often at the Mayfair Club where the main activity was poker. At the time, the Mayfair Club was a well known breeding ground for poker talent: players like Dan Harrington, Howard Lederer, Jay Heimowitz and Steve Zolotow (all bracelet winners) honed their skills at the club.
Erik is well-remembered for his heads-up match against Johnny Chan at the Main Event of the 1988 WSOP. Chan trapped Erik perfectly in the last hand and won his second Main Event title in row. This hand was even featured in the movie Rounders and no one seems to let Erik forget about that day. Erik has moved on and he now holds 8 WSOP bracelets and a WPT championship.
Erik dislikes how poker tournaments and TV shows make players show their hands to the cameras because he believes that by doing so he is giving his game away and others can learn how to beat him. He has even hidden his hands at some WSOP events.
Besides poker Erik is an avid tennis player and has a passion for music and books.
Public Perception and Reputation
Erik is definitely one of the best at Pot-Limit and No-Limit games; he thinks Limit games are dull compared to these. Some believe that he is one of the few who will be able to match and even beat players like Brunson and Hellmuth in the bracelets race.
He is well-liked by most players as he has a good temper and can take a bad beat.
Poker Techniques
Erik is masterful at adapting to the style of his opponents and changing gears as the situation dictates. He has sometimes been called "The Card Room Chameleon" thanks to this skill. Erik has laughingly told how some players see him as an incredibly tight player and others as a sick maniac - and that is exactly how he wants it!
However, he does not like to discuss poker strategies in public and he is very reserved on this topic. Hopefully one day he will come out of his closet and tell more about his magic.
