Seat 3: Erik Seidel (2,170,000)
Where does one even start with Erik Seidel?
The elder statesman of this final table boasts nearly $22 million in live tournament earnings, 11 cashes in events with a buy-in of €50,000 or higher, eight World Series of Poker gold bracelets, and one World Poker Tour title. He's also ranked fifth on poker's all-time money list and already earned over $1 million this year.
Did we also mention he's a member of the Poker Hall of Fame, too?
Born in New York City in 1959, Seidel always had a gifted mind for games of all kinds. He took up backgammon while in college and soon dropped out to pursue a professional career playing the game. New York’s famous Mayfair Club was like a second home to Seidel, and there he was able to hone his skills against some of the best players around.
Seidel traveled around playing backgammon tournaments for about eight years before making some forays into the stock market. With more and more people indulging in poker at the Mayfair Club, Seidel decided to give it a shot. Poker wasn't his only source of income, though, as Seidel took up a regular job as a stockbroker with much more of a secure income. But, the security of a regular paycheck went out the window in 1987 when the stock market crashed and Seidel lost his job. Luckily, he still had poker, and in 1988 he took second place in the WSOP Main Event for $280,000 to ignite his spectacular career.
It's really of no surprise that Seidel has made his way to this marquee final table, but we can't take away from him just how impressive his accomplishments are time and time again. While many of poker's "older generation" seem to be falling by the wayside, Seidel continues to lock horns with the best young stars in the game and prove that age is certainly no factor for him.
A calm, cool demeanor, 2.17 million in chips, and a boat load of experience give Seidel just as much of a chance as anyone to win this event. We wouldn't bet against the "old timer."