Erik Seidel is an American professional poker player who was born in New York City, but now resides in Las Vegas. Seidel has ten World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, and over $46.4 million in live tournament earnings.

Erik Seidel Background

Seidel was born on November 6, 1969, in New York City, New York. He was a professional backgammon player before becoming a trader on the New York Stock Exchange, and then eventually turning his attention to poker. Although initially a cash game player, Seidel is best known for his tournament prowess. He is still a force to be reckoned with despite being in his mid-60s.

Erik Seidel Twitter

Erik Seidel has more than 92,000 followers on Twitter/X. He posts regularly in a witty, sometimes sarcastic tone which many find entertaining.

Erik Seidel Instagram

Erik Seidel has an Instagram account, although he rarely posts poker-related content to it.

Erik Seidel YouTube

Erik Seidel does not own a YouTube channel.

Erik Seidel Poker History

Erik Seidel is one of the most accomplished poker players to have every played the game. He learned his trade playing in the famous Mayfair Club in New York alongside the likes of Stu Ungar, Howard Lederer,Steve Zolotow, and Dan Harrington.

His first recorded live score came in the 1988 WSOP Main Event, where he finished second to Johnny Chan, and won $280,000. Seidel and Chan's clash briefly appeared in the Hollywood movie Rounders.

Seidel had another second-place finish at the 1991 WSOP before capturing his first bracelet in 1992 in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em event. The New York native won his second bracelet in 1993 in the $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo event, and his third in 1994 after coming out on top in the $5,000 Limit Hold'em tournament.

He had a four-year wait for bracelet number four, which came in the 1998 $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw event. A year later, Seidel reached the 1999 WSOP Main Event final table, finishing fourth.

In 2001, Seidel won the $3,120 No-Limit Texas Hold'em event for his fifth bracelet and a then-career-best $411,300. Seidel helped himself to a sixth piece of WSOP hardware in 2003, winning the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament.

The 2005 WSOP saw Seidel win his seventh bracelet in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event. That result also came with $611,795 in prize money, a new career-high for him.

Two years later, at the 2007 WSOP, Seidel became an eight-time WSOP champion after clinching the $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw title.

A runner-up finish in the 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event earned Seidel A$1,000,000 ($879,028), which remained his largest tournament haul for less than three months because he collected $992,890 when he became the champion of the $10,000 Foxwoods Poker Classic Main Event, a World Poker Tour (WPT) tournament.

Seidel received his first seven-figure score in January 2011, when he won the A$250,000 buy-in Super High Roller at the Aussie Millions for A$2,500,000 ($2,472,555), which remains his largest score to date. In May of the same year, Seidel won $1,092,780 after taking down a $100,000 Super High Roller tournament in Las Vegas.

In 2015, Seidel claimed a €2,015,000 ($2,222,222) prize by winning a €100,000 Super High Roller at the PokerStars EPT Grand Final. A year later, a third-place finish in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl earned the legendary player another $2,400,000.

His ninth bracelet did not arrive until 2021, a gap of 14 years, although he'd reached more than a dozen WSOP final tables. Seidel won the $10,000 Super MILLION$ High Roller online event at GGPoker for $977,842.

At the inaugural WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas in December 2023, Seidel became a ten-time bracelet winner after triumphing in the $52,000 Super High Roller Event, a finish worth $1,704,400.

Is Erik Seidel Good at Poker

Erik Seidel is not only good at poker, but he is one of the best players to have ever picked up cards and chips. He has been a dominant force for almost four decades and is a true legend of poker.

Erik Seidel's Top 5 Poker Results

Wealth – What Is Erik Seidel's Net Worth

Only Erik Seidel knows his net worth; he is a private man who does not divulge such information. However, the fact Seidel has over $46.4 million in tournament cashes suggests he is a wealthy man. Even if he has only made a 10% profit, which is a figure likely to be far too conservative, Seidel will be up over $4.6 million.

How Did Erik Seidel Make His Money?

Erik Seidel is a self-made man. Before becoming a professional poker player, he played backgammon professionally and worked as a stock trader. Since 1988, Seidel has continually cashed in live poker tournaments around the world and has amassed over $46 million in earnings.

Erik Seidel Family, Wife, and Children

Erik Seidel is a man devoted to his family. He has a wife and two daughters.

Erik Seidel Wife – Is Erik Seidel Married?

Erik Seidel is married to Ruah. The couple moved from New York City to Las Vegas with their two daughters in the 1990s.

Does Erik Seidel Have Children?

Erik Seidel has two daughters, Jamesin and Elian. His daughters have said Seidel never missed any important events while they were growing up despite him being a dedicated poker player.

Erik Seidel Player Controversies

Erik Seidel was part of Team Full Tilt, the online poker site that closed with a massive hole in its accounts, resulting in thousands of poker players owed over $300 million combined. Seidel has previously stated he was disgusted at how the company was run. Seidel was not thought to be part of the management team but was more of a sponsored pro for the stricken site.

Erik Seidel FAQs