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Some of the most successful poker players of the last few years have been
under the age of 30, and among the top of that group is Erick Lindgren. At
only 27 years of age, this California native has total tournament winnings
over $2 million, including appearances at 4 World Poker Tour final tables.
This popular, down-to-earth player has quickly earned a reputation as one of
the best tournament poker players around.
Erick Lindgren grew up in the small mountain town of Burney, CA, where he was
known for gambling with his friends on such feats as hitting a shot from
halfway down the basketball court. He was also known for being a star athlete
in high school - he was an MVP in basketball as a shooting guard, and was an
all-league quarterback in football. His athletic skills earned him the chance
to play college basketball in Chico, CA, but he turned his attention toward
gambling after he began playing at a local Indian casino. He got a job as a
blackjack dealer at the age of 19, and while working at the casino he began
learning to play poker. One thing is for sure about Lindgren - he's a quick
study. By the age of 20 he was playing poker full time, and by the age of 21
he was working as a prop player in a casino in San Pablo, CA.
At the same time he was working as a prop, Lindgren began playing poker
online. Through multi-tabling high stakes games, he kept learning and
progressing. Around this time Lindgren also ventured into tournament poker. In
the first half of 2000 he made the final tables of two tournaments in the Bay
Area. He continued to play in tournaments over the next two years, both online
and in casinos, gaining experience while he built up his bankroll. In 2002 he
began to build his reputation at the Bellagio. In April he placed 11th in the
casino's inaugural no-limit
hold'em tournament. Then, in December, he won the
$3,000 No-limit Hold'em Main Event at the Bellagio Five Diamond World Classic.
Lindgren's breakout year came in 2003. He began the year with a 7th place
finish in the
Party Poker Million II, missing his first TV final table by one
spot. Then he took 6th place in the $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em event at the
World Series of Poker - his first final table at the WSOP. The month of July
saw him win over $100,000 when he placed 15th at the Bellagio's Festa al Lago,
5th at the Grand Prix de Paris WPT event, and 2nd at the Orleans Open main
event in Las Vegas. The Paris event was his first televised final table, and
the feeling must have been one he couldn't resist - in October he won the
UltimateBet Poker Classic II in sunny Aruba, taking home over $500,000. The
success of 2003 carried over into 2004, when Lindgren won his 2nd WPT event.
This time it was on the Party Poker Million III cruise, making up for bubbling
out of the TV table the previous year by taking home a cool million dollars.
He also placed in the money in 3 events at the World Series for over $50,000,
including events in
Omaha Hi-Lo and Pot Limit Omaha.
In 2005, Lindgren added to his tournament resume by continuing to cash at WPT
events, including those in the Bahamas, Los Angeles, Atlantic City, and the
Party Poker Million cruise. He also won one Professional Poker Tour event for
$225,000 in Los Angeles, and made the final table of another PPT tournament at
the Bellagio. The World Series wasn't quite as good to him - he cashed in only
one event, and did not make the final table in that tournament - but he did
take second in the first WSOP Circuit event in Atlantic City. Strong finishes
at the Mirage Poker Showdown and the Ultimate Poker Challenge continued to
show that Lindgren was a force to be reckoned with.
Success in big live tournaments hasn't spoiled Lindgren on online poker one
bit. His association with
Full Tilt Poker is obviously a business
relationship, but it also reflects his love of playing online. He frequently
plays in satellite tournaments to win entry into casino tournaments and can be
found playing cash games at Full Tilt on a regular basis. Erick Lindgren knows
a good bet when he sees one, and online poker is as good a bet as there is for
him. Expect to see this young gun continue his success in the coming years.
Erick Lindgren's Official Site
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