Seidel Becomes Second Best Poker Earner With Classic Win

Erik Seidel moves into second all-time on the tournament money list with his second title of 2011.

Erik Seidel has been chasing down Phil Ivey on the all-time tournament earnings money list for quite some time, and when he won the high roller event at the L.A. Poker Classic, he passed his fellow card player.

Seidel has always been considered to be among the best players in the game, and whether he was second or third on the money list, Seidel still was one of the most feared players in the game. This year, Seidel has been even more dangerous, as he is on one of the best runs from any player in the past few years.

Already in 2011, Seidel has won almost $4 million in tournament money. The poker pro has won twice this year, and has made five final tables. The win at the high roller event in L.A. earned Seidel $144,570.

The biggest tournament of the year is when Seidel has shined the brightest. In the Aussie Millions, Seidel finished third in the $100,000 Challenge, and won the top prize of $2,489,747 in the Super High Roller.

Passing Ivey was one thing, but he still has a ways to go before he catches the all-time money leader, Daniel Negreanu. The money list does not include cash games, where Ivey is considered to be the top player these days.

The winning hand for Seidel in the $25,000 event at the L.A. Classic was a king, nine, off suit. His opponent, Darren Elias had to push all-in with a seven, six, off suit, and Seidel took home the title when he paired his nine on the river. Even had the nine not come out, Seidel’s king would have been good enough to win the hand, with an ace, a pair of queens, and an eight on the board.