Erik Seidel
United States of America10
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Bio
Born on November 6, 1959, in New York City, Erik Seidel has become one of the most respected and successful players in the history of poker. With a career spanning several decades, he has amassed over $46 million in live tournament earnings, securing his place among the top all-time money earners.
Seidel’s impressive resume includes ten World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, a World Poker Tour (WPT) title, and numerous high-profile tournament victories. Known for his calm demeanor and strategic prowess, he was nicknamed Seiborg.
He is one of the few poker veterans who has withstood the test of time and consistently competes with the best on poker’s biggest stages, highlighting his adaptability in the ever-evolving world of high-stakes poker. Seidel was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010.
Early Life
Seidel’s journey to poker stardom started in the streets of New York City, where he found success in the world of backgammon. He played backgammon professionally during the early 1980s, laying the foundation for his future poker career.
Before transitioning to poker, Seidel worked as a trader on Wall Street, where he honed his risk management and decision-making abilities. After the crash of October ’87, as he lost a job, he found a new strategic game called poker that lured him in.
World Series of Poker
With ten WSOP bracelets to his name, Seidel sits in a joint second place in all-time bracelet wins, alongside poker legends Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson. His first major breakthrough came in the 1988 WSOP Main Event, where he finished as the runner-up to Johnny Chan, earning $280,000. The final hand of this event was famously featured in the movie Rounders, cementing Seidel’s place in poker lore.
Four years later, Seidel claimed his first WSOP bracelet in the $2,500 Limit Hold’em event, taking home $168,000. Since then, he has added nine more bracelets to his collection, most recently in the $52,000 Super High Roller event at the 2023 WSOP Paradise, where he pocketed $1,704,400, his biggest WSOP cash to date. In total, Seidel has amassed $8,398,948 in WSOP cashes.
Erik Seidel’s WSOP Bracelets
| 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 Deuce to Seven Draw | $132,700 |
| 2001 | $3,000 No Limit Hold’em | $411,300 |
| 2003 | $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha | $146,100 |
| 2005 | $2,000 No Limit Hold’em | $611,795 |
| 2007 | $5,000 World Championship No-Limit Deuce to Seven Draw Lowball | $538,835 |
| 2021 | $10,000 Super Million$ High Roller | $977,842 |
| 2023 | $50,000 Super High Roller | $1,704,400 |
World Poker Tour
Seidel also found success and made an impact on the World Poker Tour (WPT). He secured a WPT title during the 2007/2008 season at the Foxwoods Poker Classic, earning $992,890. Seidel has reached eight WPT final tables and has 31 cashes, ranking him among the top 15 players of all time in these categories. His total WPT earnings amount to $2,604,867.
Erik Seidel’s Top 5 WPT Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
| 2008 | $10,000 Foxwood Poker Classic | 1st | $992,890 |
| 2013 | $100,000 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic | 2nd | $650,100 |
| 2016 | $100,000 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic | 4th | $335,160 |
| 2013 | $7,500 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star | 4th | $295,590 |
| 2004 | $10,200 The Doyle Brunson North American Championship | 4th | $165,000 |
European Poker Tour
In 2016, Erik Seidel secured his only European Poker Tour (EPT) title in one of the most prestigious events: the €100,000 Super High Roller at the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final. He earned €2,015,000 for the win, one of his biggest career results.
Over the past two decades, he has also made several other notable finishes and numerous final table appearances in high-roller events on the EPT circuit. In 2013, Seidel finished second only to Vitaly Lunkin in the €50,000 Super High Roller at EPT Barcelona, pocketing €557,100. In 2022, at the same venue, he again finished as runner-up, this time to Mikita Bodyakovsky in another €100,000 Super High Roller, taking home €1,286,490.
Erik Seidel’s Top 5 EPT Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
| 2015 | €100,000 Super High Roller EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final | 1st | €2,015,000 |
| 2022 | €100,000 Super High Roller EPT Barcelona | 2nd | €1,286,490 |
| 2013 | €50,000 Super High Roller EPT Barcelona | 2nd | €557,100 |
| 2017 | €50,000 Eight Max Shot Clock PokerStars Championship Monte Carlo | 3rd | €423,800 |
| 2016 | €50,000 High Roller PokerStars Caribbean Adventure | 5th | $301,080 |
Aussie Millions
Seidel has achieved some of his biggest career results in the Aussie Millions events. In 2011, he won the A$250,000 Super High Roller event, the biggest buy-in event in poker history at the time. Seidel earned $2,472,555 for his victory, marking the largest cash of his illustrious poker career. At the same festival, he also placed third in the second-highest buy-in event, the A$100,500 tournament, taking home $618,139.
Proving that Melbourne holds a special place in his heart, Seidel continued his success at the Aussie Millions with several other big results. In 2014, he finished third in the A$100,000 Challenge event, winning $963,691. Additionally, he secured a second-place finish in the 2008 A$10,500 Main Event, earning $879,028 after being bested by Russian player Alexander Kostritsyn.
Overall, Seidel has eight more six-figure scores at the Aussie Millions and ranks second on the all-time Aussie Millions series list, only behind Phil Ivey, who has won the $250,000 Challenge three times.
Erik Seidel’s Top 5 Aussie Millions Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
| 2011 | A$250,000 Super High Roller | 1st | $2,472,555 |
| 2014 | A$100,000 Challenge | 3rd | $963,691 |
| 2008 | A$10,500 Main Event | 2nd | $879,028 |
| 2011 | A$100,500 | 3rd | $618,139 |
| 2007 | A$100,500 | 2nd | $437,404 |
Other Notable Results
In 2016, Seidel finished third in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl in Vegas, behind only two young German superstars, Rainer Kempe and Fedor Holz. This impressive performance earned him $2,400,000, making it his second-biggest career earning.
He also has two other seven-figure scores outside of the major tours. In 2019, Seidel finished fourth at partypoker MILLIONS World Bahamas in the $250,000 event for $1,275,000. In 2011, he also won the $100,000 Super High Roller Event at the Ninth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic for $1,092,780.
Cultural Impact and Media Appearances
Erik Seidel had influence beyond the poker felts, contributing to poker’s popular culture and media. The iconic poker movie Rounders featured the final hand between Johnny Chan and Seidel at the WSOP Main Event in 1988.
Seidel has also been featured in a music video, “Seiborg,” by SrslySirius & DRybes. The video humorously portrays Seidel as a robotic, unbeatable poker player.
Until 2011, Seidel was a sponsored pro for Full Tilt Poker, one of the leading online poker sites. After sites closer following poker’s Black Friday in April 2011, he hasn’t taken any other major sponsorship deals.
