One of the most fascinating aspects related to the broad array of champions who have made their bones at the World Series of Poker is the wide variety of personalities entailed therein. Some players are genuine characters in every sense the word: wild, demonstrative, brazen individuals who view poker playing as a form of showmanship. In contrast, others are quiet, reserved and mild mannered but no less lethal in their attack. Erik Seidel almost certainly falls into this latter category. His calm, focused approach has done more then win some monster pots over the years, it has won him a very serious group of fans around the country.

Erik Seidel actually began his professional gaming career as a backgammon player for eight years. He achieved a respectable low level of success in this endeavor, but ultimately did not find it satisfying. (Though, allegedly, he still plays the game simply for the fun of it.) After a stint as a stockbroker, which is obviously a whole different type of gambling, Erik finally settled on the game that would make him famous: poker.

As is so often the case when an individual rises to prominence, it is initially in the context of a group. So it was with Erik Seidel, who was one of the founding players of the "Mayfair Club" along with Howard "The Professor" Lederer and Dan Harrington. Though this support system was undoubtedly beneficial to Erik for his initial forays into professional poker, he soon found that he performed optimally on an individual basis, as well.

In his very first tournament, he came in second, falling to the great Johnny Chan. This was in the 1988 World Series of Poker and even then it was clear that Erik Seidel would be back at the final table. Since that maiden voyage to the WSOP, Erik has racked up a staggering total of seven bracelets. Appropriately enough, he has made his home in Las Vegas, where he can always keep a close eye on the action and monitor the progress of up-and-comers on the professional poker scene.

Furthermore, Seidel is proud to serve as part of the design team for one of the premium online poker sites. Many Internet players feel that Full Tilt Poker comes the closest to providing a truly comprehensive and realistic playing experience. And they have Erik Seidel's vast store of knowledge to thank for that.

Clearly, one does not need to shoot off his or her mouth incessantly in order to do great things in the world of poker and few players have ever embodied that basic truth to the extent that Erik Seidel has - and continues to do.