Poker ace Erik Seidel, who holds 8 WSOP bracelets and is widely respected in the world of poker, earned himself a cool $967 390 and chalked up his first WPT first place this week when he defeated heads up opponent Robert Richard to win the 2008 WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic.
Seidel, who held the chip lead, started the final table against some impressive competition that included Ted Forrest and Internet hotshot Adam ‘AKat11’ Katz, but managed to keep control throughout the game in a masterly and disciplined display of experience and skill.
The final game was a long-running test of endurance, with the three handed play stage especially intense. Andrew Barta, Robert Richard and Seidel slugged it out for what seemed an interminable 6 hours, but in the end Seidel despatched Barta, after which it took only one more hand to win the title.
This is Seidel’s second big money win this year – he collected the runner up prize of $879 028 after a spirited heads up performance against eventual winner Alexander Kostritsin in the 2008 Aussie Millions, surviving an entry field of 778 players.