'It's almost like he's capable of living these two completely full and fulfilling lives in parallel' Seidel mentored Konnikova as she prepared for the 2017 WSOP Main Event and the two developed a strong friendship. The New Yorker writer turned poker pro may know Seidel better than anyone else in the poker world. 'And I honestly don't know when he sleeps because it's kind of crazy how seriously he takes poker and how passionate he is about it, and yet how much time he finds for music, art, just living life, traveling, being with his family.'

'It's almost like he's capable of living these two completely full and fulfilling lives in parallel,' Maria Konnikova told PokerNews. Or that when he is focusing at the poker table, he is likely listening to a playlist packed with jazz and classical, as well as indie artists like Sparklehorse and Angus & Julius Stone. Few may know, for example, that when Seidel isn't in Las Vegas or Europe for the latest poker stop, he is probably at a Broadway musical or at a folk festival in Brooklyn. He appeared in Rounders at the beginning of the Poker Boom in a clip of his memorable runner-up finish to Johnny Chan in the 1988 WSOP Main Event.īut there is a lesser-known side to the poker legend. He sits fifth on the all-time money list with over $42 million in live earnings and is tied with Johnny Moss in fifth on the all-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet list. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

'He Might Be the Only Person I Follow on Spotify'Įrik Seidel is known for many things in the poker world.

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