Erik Seidel is among many poker players who fell in love with backgammon before discovering poker. He dropped out of school to play backgammon professionally in New York, where he grew up. After going to Las Vegas for a backgammon tournament, he tried some low-limit poker. He liked the game and decided to play at home at the famous Mayfair Club, where Jason Lester, Howard Lederer, and Dan Harrington were regulars.

He turned pro in 1995, when he and his family moved to Las Vegas, and he quickly excelled. He has eight World Series of Poker bracelets, and nearly won the main event in 1988 when he went heads up with Johnny Chan. His WSOP titles are in the 1992 limit hold’em, 1993 Omaha eight-or-better, 1994 limit hold’em, 1998 deuce-to-seven draw, 2001 $3,000 no-limit hold’em, 2003 pot-limit Omaha, 2005 $2,000 no-limit hold’em, and 2007 $5,000 World Championship no-limit deuce-to-seven draw lowball. At the 2008 Foxwoods Poker Classic, Seidel outlasted 346 players to win almost $993,000 and his first World Poker Tour title.

Along with many other top pros, Seidel is a member of Team Full Tilt.