|
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
|
