Erik Seidel’s Incredible WSOP Legacy

Image courtesy of World Poker Tour

Over the many years of the World Series of Poker, only Phil Hellmuth and Phil Ivey have won more bracelet events than Erik Seidel.

From his historic runner-up performance on his debut in Las Vegas in 1988 to his most recent win, the 2023 Super High Roller victory in The Bahamas worth $1.7m, his record WSOP win to date, Seidel has seen it all.

We caught up with the poker Hall of Famer to discuss his World Series of Poker legacy.

The Express Train

Back in 1988, Erik Seidel was a young New Yorker with precocious skill at poker. Travelling to Las Vegas with other members of The Mayfair Club, Seidel, then 28 years old, played in the $10,000 Main Event.

Selling 70% of his action to his fellow club members, Seidel made it all the way to heads-up, where he took on the reigning champion, Johnny Chan. In the iconic final hand, Johnny Chan flopped the nuts and Erik pushed all-in on the river with top pair.

Erik’s first WSOP experience lives forever in legend in the hand now made famous by its appearance in the 1998 movie Rounders. Despite coming so close to the world championship, Erik returned to The Mayfair Club a hero.

⁠It was a big deal for me, even though I sold off 70% of myself, says Erik looking back. It was life changing money at the time and we had a kid on the way. It was also a huge confidence booster given how inexperienced I was.

It didn’t take long for Erik ⁠to book a bracelet win, winning in three consecutive years in limit poker events between 1992 and 1994.

Limit poker is a lot less popular these days but back in the early ninetie, players such as Erik would fearlessly take on new formats and that proved hugely successful for the New Yorker.

⁠I was so reluctant to play those events because I hadn’t played that much limit and had no idea how to play Omaha 8. I remember going between hands to ask Dan Harrington’s advice in the O8.

Huge thanks to Steve Zolotow who had the confidence to back me in so many of those early events despite my lack of experience.

Taking the Deuce

Erik’s fourth win, coming in 1998, featured a deep run from Doyle Brunson in the NL 2-7 Draw event, where ‘Texas Dolly’ came third. It meant a lot to Erik to outlast one of the icons of the game.

That was a huge win for me because 2-7 is such a cool game and I don’t know if I had even played it before. That’s not uncommon – No Limit Hold’em players have done well in that event on instincts.

⁠In the 2000s, Erik won two NLHE events as well as taking gold in PLO and the NL 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship.

To be so consistent some years after his breakthrough onto the poker scene was satisfying, and Erik beat Chan to gold in the first evet of that early 2000s run.

I was very excited about the Chan win, admits Erik. It was a bit of a reversal because this time he had the chip lead!

Crushing Online

Erik’s first online WSOP bracelet came after a 14-year gap between bracelet #8 and bracelet #9. During that time, did the feeling of not winning gold for over a decade wear on his conscience?

⁠⁠I have to say I didn’t feel pressure at all, because I had no expectations. I’m not an online guy, so the win was such a nice surprise.

⁠The online one was no ordinary tournament either, as Erik won a $10,000 buy-in online event. Those level of buy-in events are rare, and each table was packed with talent.

It was a huge challenge and looking back on the victory, Erik is immensely proud of his achievement.

⁠⁠It’s one of my favorite wins, because it was online versus so many elite players and only because I was able to play because I was in London for my daughter’s wedding. To go from such a beautiful occasion to winning close to $1m was just incredible.

Taking the Tenth in Paradise

Erik made it 10 bracelet wins in The Bahamas, winning the biggest top prize of his poker career, claiming the Super High Roller event at Atlantis Resort in WSOP Paradise for $1.7 million.

“⁠⁠You have to be so fortunate to get through so many great players in a high roller, that one really felt good.”

So many of Erik’s peers were not only there to congratulate him but at the table, playing the event itself. Erik is proud to have reached 10 WSOP titles.

It’s nice to get to double digits. Pretty exclusive company for sure but since now they are giving out hundreds of bracelets a year there will be tons of people getting past 10.

With 100 live bracelets every summer in Las Vegas, as well as 15 more each in Rozvadov for WSOP Europe and The Bahamas for WSOP Paradise, there’s every chance that Erik Seidel will win another very soon.

Playing a vast number of events every year, could poker’s greatest journeyman catch Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth? In poker, everyone who has faced him across the felt has learned never to doubt Erik Seidel.

Here are all 10 of Erik Seidel’s WSOP bracelet wins that span over three decades at the felt in Las Vegas, The Bahamas and online.