Eric Hershler

Eric Hershler was born in South Africa, later moved to the United States and settled in Los Angeles. He primarily played Seven-Card Stud in his youth and came to Texas Hold'em relatively late. In 2007, he entered the WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic ($10,000 buy-in) — his first live tournament ever. In that event with 791 players, he fought his way through the field, ultimately defeating JC Tran to win the championship, earning $2,429,970 and a $25,000 ticket to the WPT Championship. This victory made him an overnight sensation, and the final heads-up match became the shortest in WPT history — decided in a single hand.

WPT (World Poker Tour)

Eric Hershler has accumulated 38 cashes in WPT events, with total earnings of approximately $2,837,358. His most brilliant achievement is winning the 2007 WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic Main Event. Additionally, he has made multiple final tables in WPT events, including:

• 2009-2010 WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic: 8th place ($107,133)
• 2009-2010 WPT Legends of Poker: 10th place ($32,700)
• 2013-2014 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star: 10th place ($49,740)
• 2013-2014 WPT Los Angeles Poker Classic: 25th place ($36,400)
• 2024/2025 WPT Prime Championship (Wynn Las Vegas): 362nd place ($3,500) and 494th place ($2,920)

WSOP (World Series of Poker)

Hershler has 43 WSOP cashes, with total earnings of approximately $3,094,350 (including WPT and other events). He has not yet won a WSOP bracelet but has made multiple deep runs, for example:

• 2023 WSOP Main Event: 1,084th place ($17,500)
• 2024 WSOP Super Seniors Event (#59): 24th place ($14,576)
• 2025 WSOP Seniors Event (#48): 1,114th place ($2,000)
• 2025 WSOP Super Seniors Event (#64): 454th place ($2,002)

Other Events

He has also had success in regional events such as the MSPT, but his main achievements remain concentrated in the WPT and WSOP.

Eric Hershler is known for his "conservative and disciplined" style. In interviews, he emphasizes that he prefers cautious decision-making and avoids impulsive risks. He typically uses patience and chip management to survive in tournaments, waiting for opponents to make mistakes. In the key hand of his 2007 championship win, he held J♦6♦ and flopped two pair, using excellent deception and aggressive betting to induce a call from his opponent. He believes: "Many players are more gamblers than me, but when you lose patience and run bad, you're out. I rely on attrition." This steady strategy has allowed him to come back from short stacks multiple times.

• Sensational Debut: Hershler won a WPT title in his very first live tournament — a rare feat in the poker world.
• Defeated JC Tran: He eliminated the experienced JC Tran at the final table, who later called him his "nemesis."
• Low-Key and Pragmatic: Apart from tournaments, Hershler rarely appears on social media, focusing on live events.
• Love for Travel: He often explores local culture and food during tournament breaks.

As of 2025, Eric Hershler's world ranking is 770th (according to available profiles), with career tournament earnings of $3,228,527 (authoritative database data). He has accumulated 1,650 points on the WPT leaderboard and over $2.84 million in WPT prize money.