Eric Froehlich
Encyclopedia
Eric Froehlich is an American
professional poker
player, based in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. As of 2009, Froehlich's total live tournament winnings exceed $1,300,000. His 16 cashes at the WSOP account for $867,783 of those winnings.
at the age of 18. He dropped out of the University of Virginia
around April 2005 to become a professional poker player.
In the first year he was eligible to enter a World Series of Poker
(WSOP) event (2005
), Froehlich won a bracelet in the $1,500 limit
Texas hold 'em
event, winning $303,908. This made him the youngest player ever to win a bracelet up to that time.
Froehlich won a second bracelet at the 2006 WSOP
in the $1,500 pot limit
Omaha w/rebuys
event, winning $299,675. In the final hand, his defeated Sherkhan Farnood's on a board of .
Shortly after Froehlich's status as the youngest bracelet winner of all time he was overtaken by Jeff Madsen
during the 2006 World Series of Poker
then Steve Billirakis
at the 2007 World Series of Poker
, and then in September 2007 at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe
, Norwegian
poker player Annette Obrestad
won the £10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship at the age of 18 to become the youngest World Series of Poker bracelet
winner ever.
trading card game. Froehlich was a keen sports player when younger, involved in baseball
, basketball
and football
, but suffered an injury and got involved in Magic: The Gathering
, like his later friend David Williams
. He has made the Top 8 of two Pro Tours and five Grand Prix
events. The majority of Froehlich's Grand Prix Top 8s have come in team events, in which he has teamed with such prominent professional players as Kamiel Cornelissen
, Jon Finkel
and Brian Kibler
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player, based in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. As of 2009, Froehlich's total live tournament winnings exceed $1,300,000. His 16 cashes at the WSOP account for $867,783 of those winnings.
World Series of Poker bracelets
Froehlich began playing poker in high school, and got involved in online pokerOnline poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
at the age of 18. He dropped out of the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
around April 2005 to become a professional poker player.
In the first year he was eligible to enter a World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) event (2005
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
), Froehlich won a bracelet in the $1,500 limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
event, winning $303,908. This made him the youngest player ever to win a bracelet up to that time.
Froehlich won a second bracelet at the 2006 WSOP
2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...
in the $1,500 pot limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
Omaha w/rebuys
Omaha hold 'em
Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards...
event, winning $299,675. In the final hand, his defeated Sherkhan Farnood's on a board of .
Shortly after Froehlich's status as the youngest bracelet winner of all time he was overtaken by Jeff Madsen
Jeff Madsen
Jeff Madsen is the third-youngest winner of a World Series of Poker event and the 2006 World Series of Poker Player of the Year....
during the 2006 World Series of Poker
2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...
then Steve Billirakis
Steve Billirakis
Steve Billirakis is an American professional poker player.Billirakis won the first tournament of the 2007 World Series of Poker winning the $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold'em Limit/No-Limit event after beating Canadian poker player and former professional hockey player Greg Mueller heads-up...
at the 2007 World Series of Poker
2007 World Series of Poker
The 2007 World Series of Poker began on June 1, 2007. The $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em Main Event began on July 6 and was completed on the morning of July 18...
, and then in September 2007 at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe
World Series of Poker Europe
The World Series of Poker Europe is the first expansion effort of World Series of Poker-branded poker tournaments outside the United States. Since 1970, participants had to travel to Las Vegas if they wanted to compete in the World Series of Poker...
, Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
poker player Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad
Annette Obrestad is a Norwegian poker player. Obrestad is the youngest person to ever win a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet...
won the £10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship at the age of 18 to become the youngest World Series of Poker bracelet
World Series of Poker bracelet
The World Series of Poker bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". ...
winner ever.
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 World Series of Poker The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the... |
$1,500 Limit Hold'em | $303,908 |
| 2006 2006 World Series of Poker The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29... |
$1,500 Pot Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys | $299,675 |
Magic: The Gathering TCG
In addition to playing poker, Froehlich is also a prominent player of the Magic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
trading card game. Froehlich was a keen sports player when younger, involved in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, but suffered an injury and got involved in Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
, like his later friend David Williams
David Williams (card player)
David Anthony Williams is a professional poker player and popular Magic: The Gathering player.-Personal life:Williams was born in Arlington, Texas. He briefly attended Princeton University before switching to study economics at Southern Methodist University...
. He has made the Top 8 of two Pro Tours and five Grand Prix
Grand Prix (Magic: The Gathering)
Grands Prix are professional Magic: The Gathering tournaments, awarding cash prizes, Pro Points and invitations to Pro Tours. They are open to all players and are usually the biggest Magic tournaments. The first Grand Prix was held on 22–23 March 1997 in Amsterdam...
events. The majority of Froehlich's Grand Prix Top 8s have come in team events, in which he has teamed with such prominent professional players as Kamiel Cornelissen
Kamiel Cornelissen
Kamiel Cornelissen is a Dutch Magic: The Gathering player. Once a Pro Tour mainstay, he is now considered retired, despite playing the odd event. He is one of eighteen players with five or more Pro Tour top eights, including back to back second place finishes, and a win with teammates Jelger...
, Jon Finkel
Jon Finkel
Jon Finkel is an American Magic: The Gathering and poker player. In the year 2000, he became the world champion of Magic, as well as being on the team that became the team world champion.-Career:...
and Brian Kibler
Brian Kibler
Brian M. Kibler is an American game designer currently working with Gamer Entertainment, a gaming consultancy. In 2010 Kibler designed Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer with Justin Gary, Rob Dougherty, and John Fiorillo. Previously he worked on Chaotic and was the lead designer of the World of...
.