Erik Seidel is one of the most well known high stakes poker players and a former trader.
Early in his life, he had dyslexia and initially excelled as a backgammon player early in his gaming career. This gave him his start in gaming and introduced him to the sport of professional poker. Something that many other poker players can attest to as well.
His playing style is unique and his calm demeanor is rare for such a high stakes poker player. It has allowed him to play poker at a very high level for a long time and wins many main events in different decades of the sport. Something that is rare for many of his contemporaries.
To many, the event that significantly increased his popularity was how he performed at the main table in the 1988 World Series of Poker. The play was extremely competitive and it featured over 160 of the best competitors in the world. And him placing second in the event earned him a large payout of $280,000.
Seidel’s Career Winnings are Among the Best in Professional Poker
At one point, he was ranked 1 on the Global Poker Index. An honor that few poker players have ever received. In fact, as of 2020, Seidel’s career earnings have exceeded $30 million dollars.
For his career, he has won 8 World Series of Poker bracelets and total earnings of $2,312,730. In the 1990s he dominated the World Series of Poker and won five bracelets. And between 2001 and 2007, he won 4 more bracelets. However, he has not won another bracelet from the World Series of Poker since 2007.
His biggest showing for any bracelet occurred in the 2005 World Series of Poker in the $2,000 No Limit Hold ‘Em event. For his first-place showing, he was able to win an impressive $611,795.
His most recent World Series of Poker Bracelet occurred in 2007. In the $5,000 World Championship 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Rebuys main event he was able to win $538,835. It featured 78 buy-ins and only 7 payouts. Players had to play the event for a grueling two consecutive days.
Unsurprisingly, his poise proved to help him win big again in 2007.
Siedel has some of the most records in the World Series of Poker
In his career, he has made the final table 35 times at the World Series of Poker. An impressive showing that few other players can claim. It is a testament to his ability to play in different time periods of the sport.
His accolades in the field of poker speak for themselves and he is one of the most decorated poker players of all-time. These are not limited to winning the World Poker Tour in 2008 and the European Poker Tour in 2015.
One of his largest showings includes winning the 2015 European Poker Tour Grand Final €100,000 Super High Roller. His first-place showing won him over €2.0 Million. This was one of the largest winnings at any event for any poker player in history.
Not surprisingly, he was selected to be in the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010. Only 57 other professional poker players have received such an honor and induction. The admiration he has received from his competitors has definitely helped his cause for receiving such an honor. Including his mentorship of younger players and helping spring the poker career of Maria Konnikova
There are also only 30 other living poker players that have been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Definitely, the longevity he has had in the sport of poker has been unmatched by a few of his fellow poker players. He has been one of the most consistent players since the 1980s.
He will likely still continue to be a high stakes player well into the future.