Erik Sagstrom

Erik Sagström was born in Linköping, Sweden, in 1983. He discovered poker almost by accident while surfing the web and began playing at ParadisePoker at the age of 17. This early start laid the foundation for a career that would see him become one of Sweden's most respected online poker players.

Sagström's primary arena has always been online poker, where he plays under several screen names, including The Salmon, Erik123, and DIN_FRU. His biggest online tournament victory came in 2003 when he won Event #4 of the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) on PokerStars. He outlasted 1,357 other entrants to take the title and a prize of $101,850. This win established him as a force in the online tournament scene.

In addition to his playing career, Sagström was involved in the business side of online poker. He helped set up the online cardroom PokerChamps.com alongside Gus Hansen and Tony Guoga. In February 2007, he launched his own poker site on the Boss Media network, naming it after his nickname: Erik123.com.

While Sagström is best known for his online exploits, he has also competed successfully in live events. He has participated in the World Series of Poker (WSOP), the World Poker Tour (WPT), and the European Poker Tour (EPT). His most notable live result came at the 2009 WSOP, where he finished third in the prestigious $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship, a tournament that attracts many of the game's top mixed-game specialists. As of 2012, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $700,000.

In May 2006, Sagström played a highly publicized series of three $200,000 limit Texas hold 'em heads-up matches against Liz Lieu at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The series was closely followed by the poker community, and Sagström ultimately lost 2-1.

Sagström was also chosen by Ken Lennaárd to represent Sweden in both the Poker Nations Cup and the PartyPoker.com Football & Poker Legends Cup, showcasing his standing among Swedish poker players.

Sagström is known for a disciplined and patient approach to the game. He excels at leveraging positional advantage, particularly in deep-stack phases of tournaments. Post-flop, he tends to play aggressively but remains focused on reading opponents and controlling the size of the pot. His low-key demeanor and consistent results have earned him respect among peers, even though he rarely seeks media attention.

Erik Sagström's career bridges the early days of online poker and the modern tournament era. His WCOOP victory in 2003 was one of the first major online tournament wins, and his third-place finish in the WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event proved his skill in live mixed games. He remains a notable figure in Swedish poker history, both as a player and as an entrepreneur who helped shape the online poker landscape.