Erik Sagstrom, the Saga continues...

By Jennifer Young Jun 30, 2005 | 3 years ago

Erik Sagstrom in the 2005 WSOP, Event 32 $5,000 Omaha High-Low split - Jun 30 tournament.

At age 17, Erik Sagstrom was surfing the net and by coincidence found Paradise Poker. He tried it, and now, five years later, he has enjoyed several great international tournament finishes as well as unbelieveable success online. Maybe you know him as Erik123 or TheSalmon.

For how long have you been playing poker?

I have been playing poker for about six years.

Do you play online poker?

Yes. My income comes from online playing. I play mostly heads-up and shorthanded at Ladbrokes, Betfair and Prima. Sometimes I play at UltimateBet.com and PokerStars too, but that doesn't happen very often nowadays.

What is your favorite poker variety?

I play mostly No-Limit and Limit Hold'em, but sometimes I play Omaha Hi-Lo too.

How many WSOP tournaments will you play this year?

I will play maybe three or four this year. I played the No-Limit shorthanded tournament yesterday (event #31, $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em shorthanded) for ten minutes (laugh), and I am playing today (event #32, $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split) and then maybe one more before the main event.

Do you have any tips for beginners in poker?

Take it easy. Poker will always be there, there's no rush to get up in stakes. Start low and stay low until you feel secure enough to move up in stakes. Then you have to try to be objective enough to see if you have a talent, and if not, maybe don't take it so seriously.

How come you started playing poker?

It was just a coincidence. I was surfing the net and I obviously found the right place. I started playing at Paradise Poker. I decided to start playing poker and quit school after about one term in second grade of high school. After maybe a year, I started playing live games in clubs around Sweden and, in 2001, I played my first big tournament outside of Sweden.