Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel is now a world famous poker player who has won a lot of prestigious awards and millions in cash prizes. It’s surprising to know that he started out with a passion for backgammon, his dream to be a professional player pushing him to drop out of college and join the Mayfair club of bridge and backgammon players in New York. He was doing pretty well in this track, even making it to Vegas for a backgammon tournament. This was where Erik was introduced to the game of poker. He grew into it instantly, joining several games that ran on low stakes and amateur players. Upon his return to New York, Erik played poker with his Mayfair buddies, among whom were current big names Howard Lederer and Dan Harrington.
The income that game with backgammon was erratic and uncertain. This prompted Erik to look for a more stable job that gave a steady income. In 1985, he decided to join the stock market and become a trader for the Wall Street. However, when the stock market collapsed two years later, his so called stable job disappeared into thin air. Erik went back to gambling on a largely professional level – this time playing poker instead of backgammon. He honed his poker skills by playing poker with the Mayfair members and analyzing the ins and outs of every game, from what went wrong to what techniques were used to play certain hands. He studied poker religiously and regularly, until he was competing in the World Series of Poker Tournament and other big events in Vegas. Despite several victories and acquiring 7 WSOP Bracelets, he still returned to New York for his Wall Street job when the stock market bounced back. Only when he moved to Vegas with his wife did he play poker full time.