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Erik Seidel left college in the late 70's to pursue a career as a professional backgammon player. He spent much of his time in New York's legendary Mayfair club, which was the proving ground for most of the world's best backgammon players. Billy Horan, Jason Lester, Roger Low and Paul Magriel were among the world-class players who made the Mayfair their home.
After a trip to Las Vegas for a backgammon tournament, where he played some low-limit poker, Erik returned to the Mayfair eager for a local game. Before long, the Mayfair was spreading a poker game most every night, and the regulars included Dan Harrington, Mikey Appleman, Jay Heimowitz, Steve Zolotow, Noli Francisco, and Howard Lederer.
In 1985, feeling the need for a more stable income source, Erik took a Wall Street job as a trader. But the market crash in '87 left him without work, and Erik returned to poker and the Mayfair.
Months later, with backing from some of his New York friends, Erik made his first trip to the World Series of Poker. The trip started poorly. He played nine, one-table satellites for the Main Event and lost all of them. Undeterred, he bought into the Main Event, which would be his first major poker tournament. He finished second, outlasting everyone but Johnny Chan. The final hand of the tournament was made famous by the movie Rounders.
Despite this early success, Erik didn't immediately turn pro. He returned to New York to trade options. Later, he became an independent options market maker on the AMEX. He made frequent trips to Vegas and spent a good portion of his time playing tournaments and high-stakes cash games.
Erik didn't take on poker as a full-time profession until 1995, when he and his wife moved to Las Vegas. Since then, he has become regarded as one of the best and most consistent players in the world. With eight World Series of Poker titles, Erik is tied with Johnny Moss on the all-time bracelet winners list and is the only player in the last 25 years to win World Series titles in three consecutive years.
Erik has a passion for music and independent films, and is an avid tennis player. He continues to live in Las Vegas and spends much of the year on the tournament circuit.
Read more about Erik Seidel at Erikseidel.com.
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