Erik Seidel Wins 10th Career World Series of Poker Bracelet
Erik Seidel moved into rare company on Saturday at the World Series of Poker Paradise. He became just the fifth player in poker history to win 10 World Series of Poker bracelets. Seidel won the $50,000 Super High Roller event for his 10th career bracelet. He joins Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Phil Hellmuth, and Johnny Chan as the only players to win ten bracelets.
Erik Seidel Wins 10th Career Bracelet at WSOP Paradise
Erik Seidel entered rare company on Saturday when he won his 10th career bracelet at the 2023 World Series of Poker Paradise. He took down the $50,000 Super High Roller event for his 10th career bracelet victory. This put him into a three-way tie for second all-time with Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Ivey. Phil Hellmuth is #1 on the list with 17.
After winning his 10th bracelet, Seidel told PokerNews, “It really is nice to get to double digits. Any time you win a bracelet is just an incredibly special thing. To get to ten, I don’t know, it’s a beautiful feeling. It’s just so nice when things go well like this.”
Seidel topped a field of 137 entries on the way to victory. The final table was stacked with superstar talent, including Alex Foxen, Adrian Mateos, Jason Koon, Seth Gotlieb, and former “dolphin trainer” Jonathan Jaffe.
It Takes a Lot of Luck to Win High Rollers According to Seidel
Many newer players may not realize Seidel has been a fixture of high-roller tournaments since their rise to prominence. In fact, Seidel enjoyed a career resurgence due to high rollers, so much so that he was dubbed “Seiborg” due to his prowess.
However, the now 10-time bracelet winner admits that more than just skill is involved. He told PokerNews, “It takes a lot of luck, it takes everything going your way.” Speaking on the recent win, “You just hope that when you’re in a spot like this you run well and the cards cooperate, and they did today.”
Of course, staying competitive with people who play poker that are half his age or younger takes more than luck. He admits, “I’m still trying to keep up with these guys. I’m talking to people, working hard, and playing. Part of it is just that I love the game. I love to wake up and play, so hopefully, I can keep that enthusiasm.”
Still Best Known For Rounders?
Erik Seidel has over $45.56 million in live career earnings with ten WSOP bracelets, one World Poker Tour title, and one European Poker Tour title. Despite his laundry list of accomplishments, he is perhaps best known as “that guy that lost to Johnny Chan” in the cult classic poker movie Rounder.
In an iconic scene in the movie, Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon) was watching the heads-up battle between Johnny Chan and Erik Seidel in the 1988 World Series of Poker Main Event. Seidel’s portrayal in the scene would make one think that he was over his head against the two-time Main Event champion.
Of course, that was far from the truth. Seidel was an up-and-coming poker pro who had made his first WSOP final table. While he fell short against Chan, he would go on to be one of the most dominant and well-respected pros in history.
Now, Seidel and Chan are both members of the Poker Hall of Fame and have ten bracelets. Of course, one thing that Chan still has that Seidel doesn’t is two WSOP Main Event titles. However, few out there have proven themselves at the tables for as long as Seidel. In the end, maybe we shouldn’t be worried about “Johnny Chan” and more about Seiborg. Keep your eye on CasinoAus news for more poker news as it happens!
