PokerNews Top Five: Seidel's Most Memorable Moments
Erik Seidel kicked off 2011 by not only winning the largest buy-in tournament in history, but also by cashing in three other major tournaments. His win in the $250,000 Super High-Roller event at the Aussie Millions was good for $2,472,555, and he banked $3,433,214 in total during January. Seidel is now third on the all-time money list with $13,788,227, and to celebrate his achievements, we’re going to take a look at his top five moments caught on video.
5. Seidel Sucks Out
In 2008, Seidel and Mike “The Mouth” Matusow played a $154,000 pot during an episode of the Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Cash Game. Seidel opened with A♦A♣ and Matusow called with 10♥8♥. The flop fell 8♣10♠2♠ and after a series of bets, the two got all of the money in the middle. Antanas “Tony G” Guoga asked Matusow if he wanted insurance, and The Mouth paused the action momentarily before telling the dealer to go ahead and deal. The turn was the 7♦ and, unbelievably, the river was the 7♥, giving Seidel a better two-pair and the entire pot. Matusow’s reaction was priceless — and his loss could have been avoided if he had just listened to the sage-like Tony G.
4. Rounders Revenge
During the 2009 Ante Up For Africa charity tournament at the World Series of Poker, Rounders star Matt Damon butted heads with Rounders goat Erik Seidel. The movie praises Johnny Chan for checking with the nuts while heads up with Seidel for the 1988 WSOP Main Event bracelet, because Seidel bluff shoves and Chan snaps it off. Well, Seidel got his revenge here when Damon bluff shoved with 10♥10♦ on a 2♣3♦A♠ board. Seidel called with A♥J♥ and held when the turn and river both bricked.
3. Seidel Wins the Largest Buy-in Tournament Ever
PokerNews’ own Lynn Gilmartin sat down with Seidel after he won the $250,000 Super High-Roller event at the Aussie Millions. Seidel wore an AUD$2,500,000 smile and told Gilmartin he was “Really happy. It’s just fantastic.” Seidel also praised Englishman Sam Trickett, whom he bested heads-up, for his solid play. Seidel played with him at both high-roller final tables down under and admitted, “He was really tough, I was lucky to get by him.” Seidel also added that he expects the $250,000 event to return at next year’s Aussie Millions, and that there should be more high stakes tournaments.
2. Seidel is Elected into the Poker Hall of Fame
Before Jonathan Duhamel and John Racener played heads-up for the 2010 WSOP Main Event bracelet, Seidel and Dan Harrington were officially inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. “This is very special,” Seidel told Kristy Arnett of PokerNews. “It really is a nice honor.” He also praised his fellow induction class member and friend Harrington saying, “He had a big impact on my game.”
1. Seidel’s Shove
This clip is momentous not just for Seidel but for poker history as a whole thanks to Rounders. It has been played and replayed millions of times and is arguably one of the greatest traps ever set on the felt. Seidel was heads-up with Chan for the 1998 WSOP Main Event bracelet with the board reading Q♠8♦10♥2♠6♦. Chan checked on the river with J♣9♣ (aka the nuts) and Seidel moved all-in with Q♣7♥. Chan snapped it off, and the rest was history.
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