Erik Seidel Wins LA Poker Classic High Roller Event

 Erik Seidel notched another major tournament victory in his long and historic career, winning the $25,000 High Roller event at the LA Poker Classic. Seidel topped a field of 18 players to win $144,570.

The win also moved Seidel up one spot in the all-time poker money list. Seidel moved into 2^nd place, inching past Phil Ivey; he now only trailed Daniel Negreanu in lifetime live tournament winnings.

Seidel faced a strong – if very small – field in the High Roller event, with top professionals including Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren and Josh Arieh battling for the three places that would cash. Of that group, Arieh got the closest to the money, bubbling out in 4^th place.

Interestingly, Seidel actually won the least money of the three winners. During three-handed play and with all remaining players in the money, Seidel made a deal with competitors Darren Elias and Bertrand Grospellier that effectively split the money and left only the title to be played for.

Amazingly, the deal came just before the tournament would have likely been decided regardless of what was left to play for. A three-way all-in occurred just a few hands later, with all three players holding premium holdings in a shorthanded game. However, Seidel’s pocket aces were well ahead of Grospellier’s AQ and Elias’s pocket nines. That hand knocked Grospellier out in 3^rd place, and left Elias shortstacked; Seidel eliminated him shortly thereafter to win the title.

However, it was Elias who took home the most money at $153,975. Third place finisher Bertrand Grospellier took home $146,055 for his efforts.

Seidel’s win continues an excellent year for the long-time professional, who has done especially well in the High Roller events that have been in vogue lately. At the Aussie Millions series earlier this year, Seidel won a $250,000 “Super High Roller” event for nearly $2.5 million, and finished 3^rd in a $100,000 event, winning another $618,139. With nearly $3.6 million in winnings this year, Seidel leads the 2011 leaderboard by over $600,000 ahead of Sam Trickett, who finished 2^nd in the same $250,000 Aussie Millions event, and won the $100,000 tournament.