Erik Seidel

Name: Erik Seidel
Nickname: Sly
Current Residence: Las Vegas, Nev.Las Vegas, Nevada
Birth Date: November 6, 1959
Birth Place: New York, N.Y.
Poker Room: Full Tilt Poker

No matter how many poker tournaments Erik Seidel has won - and he's won plenty - he just can't seem to shake that 1988 World Series of Poker Main Event loss to Johnny Chan.

Even though Seidel says he has all but blocked the game from his memory, the moment will live forever in footage used for the poker film Rounders and, nearly two decades and eight gold bracelets later, people are still bringing it up.

But if anyone deserves to... Read more >>

Trivia

Only World Series of Poker player to win titles in three consecutive years
Featured in the poker movie Rounders in footage of the 1988 WSOP Main Event
Worked on Wall Street
Former professional backgammon player

Recent Tournament Placings

Tournament	Place	Winnings
2008 WSOPE, Event 4, No-Limit Hold'em Main Event	19th	£28,960
2008 WSOP, Event 43, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Split 8-or-Better	4th	$68,305
2008 WSOP, Event 34, Pot-Limit Omaha w/re-buys	21st	$19,257
2008 WSOP, Event 14, World Championship 7-Card Stud	5th	$92,825
2008 WSOP, Event 11, No-Limit Hold'em Shootout	24th	$16,920
WPT Season 6, Foxwoods Poker Classic	1st	$967,390
WPT Season 6, World Poker Challenge	16th	$28,099
2008 Special, Aussie Millions	2nd	1,000,000 AUD
WPT Season 6, Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic	55th	$28,905
WPT Season 6, WPT Spanish Championship	8th	€50,300
2007 WSOP, Event 54, World Championship No-Limit 2-7 Draw...	1st	$538,835
2007 WSOP, Event 51, S.H.O.E.	66th	$1,528
2007 WSOP, Event 30, No-Limit Hold'em/Six Handed	40th	$6,429
2007 WSOP, Event 21, No-Limit Hold'em Shootout	34th	$6,757
2007 WSOP, Event 12, No-Limit Hold'em/Six Handed	40th	$5,844
WPT Season 5, Bay 101 Shooting Star	27th	$30,000
2006 WSOP, Event 32, Pot-Limit Hold'em	34th	$7,106
2006 WSOP, Event 22, No-Limit Hold'em	128th	$2,874
2006 WSOP, Event 2, No-Limit Hold'em	49th	$9,094
2005 WSOP, Event 43, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em	6th	$59,545
2005 WSOP, Event 35, $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha	8th	$46,530
2005 WSOP, Event 20, $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em	16th	$11,235
2005 WSOP, Event 12, $2,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/Re-buys	9th	$23,130
2005 WSOP, Event 9, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em	1st	$611,795
1993 WSOP, $2,500 Omaha Eight-or-Better	1st	$94,000
1992 WSOP, $2,500 Limit Hold'em	1st	$168,000
1994 WSOP, $5,000 Limit Hold'em	1st	$210,000
1998 WSOP, $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw	1st	$132,750
2001 WSOP, $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em	1st	$411,300
2003 WSOP, $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha	1st	$146,100
2004 WSOP, Event 15, $2,000 Limit Hold'em	18th	$4,220

View All >>

Player Statistics

Cashes	34
Total Winnings	$5,552,533
First Place Finishes	9
WSOP Bracelets	8

Player Analysis of Erik Seidel

Description

Erik was once a successful side game player, but he has dedicated himself to becoming a top tournament player. He is a great thinker who doesn’t like to share his insights. He is excellent at mixing speeds and at playing with a diverse set of opponents. He is also a very down-to-earth person, a trait that seems to work against him since buffoonery makes for better television. He is easily one of the top five No-Limit Hold’em tournament players in the world, but is often overlooked.

Best Game

No-Limit Hold'em tournaments

Weakness

Seven-Card Stud and its variations

Erik Seidel's Score

7/10

Agressiveness 7
Looseness 6
Limit 7
No-Limit 8
Side Games 6
Steam Control 7
Against Strong Players 7
Tournaments 8
Short-Handed 7
Against Weak Players 7

Amusing Anecdote

Erik is very protective of his hole cards. Even at a final table with hole card cameras, he has occasionally hidden his cards. Most people assume he doesn’t want to reveal his strategy. But maybe he doesn’t want to show what good cards he catches!

I remember back in 1994 when he won the $5,000 Limit Hold’em event at the World Series of Poker. I congratulated him on his win and with typical humility he said, “Actually, with the cards I held, it would have been embarrassing not to win.”

Analysis brought to you by Barry Greenstein