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Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel recently stepped back onto the backgammon scene for the first time in more than 40 years, entering the $2,500 Super Jackpot at the 2026 Las Vegas Open. The ten-time WSOP bracelet winner, now 66, had not played in a tournament since decades earlier, long before his poker career took off.

Before the event, Seidel posted on X that he expected the tournament to be a one-off, joking that a poor showing might send him back into a 40-year retirement. Despite the low expectations, he advanced deep into the field against some of the world’s top backgammon players.

Seidel reached the final, where the match was tied 16-16 in a race to 17 points before his opponent edged him out for the title. Though he fell just short of winning, reaching the final against elite competition marked an impressive comeback.

Seidel’s backgammon roots trace back to New York’s Mayfair Club, where he played professionally before transitioning to poker. He has previously described the club as a hub for both backgammon and bridge players, where he began earning money from the game.

He went on to build one of the most decorated careers in poker history, finishing runner-up to Johnny Chan in the 1988 WSOP Main Event — a moment later depicted in the film Rounders — and later earning induction into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2010.

Seidel joins other poker professionals with strong backgammon pedigrees, including Gus Hansen and Zdenek Zizka, the latter having won both a WSOP bracelet and the Ultimate Backgammon Championship in 2025.