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Dog Daze

Players who wander into Erick “E-Dog” Lindgren’s yard quickly find out he’s all bite

Erick Lindgren is a blond-haired, blue-eyed, California native with movie star looks and one of the most devastating poker games in the world - but is he happy? Well, with over $4 million in winnings since 2003, what do you think?

Erick likes to play on the edge, sticking his neck out when most players would toss in their cards. As he likes to say, "Play to win. Not to survive." Lucky for him, most of his risks have paid off. Of course, sometimes they don't - either way, when he hits the felt, he's one of the most exciting players to watch.

Erick's no-nonsense attitude has always served him well. In high school, he was a stand-out shooting guard and quarterback. Back then, he learned first-hand that taking his eyes off the competition meant getting hurt. When he started playing cards, he took a job as a dealer specifically to pick up on the "tells" players brought to the table. He studied all their tics and habits and put them in his play book.

Early in his career, Erick was known as a "tough out" in Internet poker tournaments and games. His online skill became so honed that he routinely played at up to eight tables at once. Erick is an equally talented player in the casinos. Among his numerous final table appearances, he has won two World Poker Tour Championships, and was named the WPT's Player of the Year in 2004.

Despite Erick's good nature and easy smile, at a poker table he's definitely no pussy cat.