Erick Lindgren

Erick Lindgren was born on August 11, 1976, in Burney, California. He has Swedish ancestry, reflected in both his first and last name. While attending college, he worked as a blackjack dealer at an Indian casino, where he learned Texas Hold'em. Captivated by the competition, he dropped out of college to pursue poker full-time. He later worked as a proposition player at a casino in California while also multi-tabling online. In 2002, he moved to Las Vegas to further his poker career.

Lindgren burst onto the poker scene by winning his first major tournament at the Bellagio in December 2002, the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic, for a $1,000,000 prize. This was a World Poker Tour (WPT) event. Less than a year later, he won his second WPT title at the Ultimate Poker Classic. Six months after that, he captured the WPT PartyPoker Million III cruise, again earning a million-dollar top prize. These victories established him as one of the most successful players on the WPT circuit.

Lindgren continued to perform well on the WPT, making additional final tables. In January 2006, he finished third at the Borgata Winter Poker Open for nearly $300,000. In 2013, he finished second to Chino Rheem in the World Poker Tour Championship, earning $650,275. Over his career, he has made five WPT final tables and accumulated 16 money finishes.

Lindgren first cashed at the World Series of Poker in 2003. He came close to a bracelet in 2006, finishing second in a short-handed event for over $350,000. His breakthrough came in 2008 when he won his first bracelet in Event #4: $5,000 Mixed Limit/No-Limit Hold'em, earning $374,505. That same year, he also placed third in the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. With five cashes totaling $1,358,528 in 2008, Lindgren was named WSOP Player of the Year.

Lindgren cashed 12 times at the WSOP between 2009 and 2012 before winning his second bracelet in 2013. He took down Event #32: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed for $606,317. His total WSOP cashes exceed 40, with lifetime winnings from the series of over $4 million. His highest WSOP Main Event finish came in 2011, placing 43rd.

Beyond the WPT and WSOP, Lindgren achieved success in other high-profile events. In June 2006, he won the $600,000 first prize in the FullTiltPoker.net Poker Pro Showdown, outlasting a star-studded field including Mike Matusow, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, and Erik Seidel. In the head-to-head showdown, his A♣ K♣ defeated Matusow's A♥ J♣ on a board of 6♠ 6♣ 9♦ A♠ 3♠.

In January 2007, Lindgren won the A$1 million first prize in the $100,000 buy-in Hold'em event at the Aussie Millions, defeating 17 other players. He also won the second Professional Poker Tour event in Los Angeles in 2005.

On Full Tilt Poker, Lindgren hosted FTOPS Event #9 in February 2008. With over 5,600 entrants and a $1.65 million prize pool, he won the tournament, becoming the first Full Tilt pro to win an FTOPS event they hosted. He took home over $291,000.

Lindgren is known for a balanced and aggressive style, excelling in both no-limit hold'em and mixed games. He leverages position effectively and is skilled at hand reading, making precise post-flop decisions. His versatility in limit and no-limit variants has made him a formidable opponent. He has contributed to poker education by authoring the book World Poker Tour: Making the Final Table, which covers tournament strategy.

Lindgren married fellow poker player Erica Schoenberg on May 29, 2011. The couple had one child but divorced in 2014.

Lindgren earned the nickname "E-Dog" and also "The Iceman" for his calm demeanor under pressure. One notable anecdote involves a prop bet in June 2007, where he accepted a $350,000 challenge from Gavin Smith, Phil Ivey, and others. He had to play four consecutive rounds of golf at Las Vegas' Bear's Best course between sunrise and sunset, carrying his own bags and shooting under 100 each round. Despite 106-degree heat and heat exhaustion symptoms, he succeeded, losing 12 pounds during the ordeal.

Lindgren faced financial difficulties, including gambling debts, which have been reported in the poker media.

As of 2024, Erick Lindgren's total live tournament winnings exceed $11 million, placing him among the top earners in poker history. He has 54 WSOP cashes accounting for over $4 million. His two WSOP bracelets, two WPT titles, and WSOP Player of the Year award in 2008 cement his legacy as one of the most accomplished players of his era. Though less active in recent years, his influence on poker strategy and his early dominance on the WPT remain notable.