Erick Lindgren Poker Player Many athletes make a smooth transition from sports to poker. It’s their competitive edge that they take from the field and apply it at the table. They feel the strong urge to win and that drives them to excel at the game. Erick Lindgren is one of those guys.

Erick Lindgren Profile

Erick Lindgren was born in August, 1976 in Burney, California, a small town nestled up the mountains. His father owned a tire shop and Lindgren was one of three sons. The boys were all athletic and Lindgren played all the sports his school offered. In high school, he was All-League Quarterback in football and MVP in basketball. He had aspirations of becoming a pro athlete but like many young boys when they get older, he came to realize how unlikely it would be. So after he graduated from high school, he turned his attention to college.Erick Lindgren enrolled at Butte Junior College in Chico, California, where he would continue to play basketball.

Erick Lindgren Learns Texas Hold'em

While in college, he started frequenting the nearby Colusa Indian Casinos. He liked the life so much that he took a job as a blackjack dealer, the only full-time job he ever held. He had played poker growing up with his friends but this as a whole new level. Erick Lindgren quickly learned Texas Hold’Em and discovered he enjoyed the game. Working the casino proved to be a great learning atmosphere. Soon he was devoting more time to his game than he was his school work. He played in small-stakes games but did so well in them that he dropped out of college. He was afraid his parents would disapprove so he kept it a secret for awhile.

Erick Lindgren - Nicknamed 'E-Dog'

By 2000, Erick Lindgren was playing in small tournaments all over Northern California. He got a job as a prop player at a casino in San Pablo. He was hired by the casino to keep the action going at a table to draw in players. Along this time, he started playing online. He bought three computers and would compete in several online games simultaneously. He picked up the nickname ‘E-Dog’ after an opponent declared “You got me this time, you dog”. Since then Lindgren has used it as his moniker when playing online.

2002 saw Erick Lindgren’s first big success at tournaments. He moved to Las Vegas to be closer to the bigger games. At the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio, he took first place in the No Limit Hold’Em event and earned $228,192. At the final table he defeated Carlos Mortenson and Vinny Vinh.

Erick Lindgren Poker Tournaments

Lindgren saw more wins over the next year. At the Party Poker Million II in 2003, Lindgren came in seventh place in the No Limit Hold’Em event and earned $35,180. Then at the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Poker in July, he took a fifth place win and earned $70,000. Later that month at the Orleans Open, he took second place in No Limit Hold’Em and won $42,000. In October of 2003, he had a huge win. At the World Poker Tour Ultimate Poker Classic, he won first place in No Limit Hold’Em and won $500,000.

Erick Lindgren Win World Poker Tour

In March 2004, Lindgren made his first million dollar win. At the WPT Party Poker Million III cruise, he defeated Daniel Negreanu in heads-up play to take first place and the $1 million prize. That win earned him the 2004 Player of the Year Award.

Erick Lindgren and the WSOP

2005 was a great year for Lindgren on the circuit. At the Harrah’s Atlantic City Poker Tournament WSOP circuit, Lindgren took second place in the main event and won $430,521. Then at the L.A. Poker Classic he took fifth place at No Limit Hold’Em and earned $206,657. Three days later at the Professional Poker Tour No Limit Hold’Em $500,000 Freeroll, he won first place and $225,000. Not a bad year, at all.

At the beginning of 2006, Lindgren took third place at the Borgata Winter Open No Limit Hold’Em Championship. Three months later at the Five Star World Poker Clsassic, Lindgren beat out all contenders to win first place at No Limit Hold’Em and took home $261,555. Later at the Full Tilt Poker’s Pro Showdown, he won $600,000. Then in 2007, he took first at the Crown Aussie Millions tournament and won $759,340.

In 2008, at the World Series of Poker, Erick Lindgren won his first bracelet in the $5,000 Mixed Hold’Em event. He outlasted over 300 players to make it to the final table. There he defeated Justin Bonomo and took first place and the $374,000 prize.

Erick Lindgren's "World Poker Tour: Making the Final Table"

Erick Lindgren’s career has been a hugely successful one. Besides earning big at tournaments, he has had other achievements. He has authored a book titled World Poker Tour: Making the Final Table. The book talks about strategy and has tips for aspiring players. Erick Lindgren is also sponsored by the online site Full Tilt Poker where he is a member of Team Full Tilt. In 2008, he was named WSOP Player of the Year.

Lindgren, like many gamblers, is also fond of prop bets. In June of 2007, Lindgren made a bet with fellow players Phil Ivey, Gavin Smith, and a few others to play four consecutive rounds of golf between sun-up and sundown at the Las Vegas Bear’s best golf course. He was required to carry his own bags and shoot under 100 in each round. During the day, the temperature reached 106 degrees F and at one point he began to show signs of heat exhaustion. But Lindgren won the bet, earning the $350,000 that had been wagered.

Erick Lindgren Today

Erick Lindgren’s playing style has been described as loose and aggressive. Despite his demeanor at the table when the game is one, his peers state that he is good-natured and generous. He currently lives in Las Vegas in a nice bachelor pad full of plasma televisions and several computers. He still likes sports and is known to make $50,000 bets on slam-dunks. As of 2008, his estimated tournament winnings are over $7 million.