Amidst concerns about minimum electable age and player nomination, one thing is certain — Erik Seidel has earned his seat amongst the best names ever to shuffle up and deal.

An eight-time bracelet winner in the WSOP, Seidel spent his pre-poker days as a professional stock trader and backgammon player. Years later, he’s responsible for an impressive 60 WSOP cashes, which places him in a tie for fourth on the all-time list.

Ironically, one of the lower points of the now-Hall of Famer is arguably his most well known. At the close of his very first World Series, Seidel was eliminated in second place. The man who bested him was Johnny Chan, as millions of viewers of the movie “Rounders” have seen. That was in 1988. His first WSOP bracelet would follow a few years later in 1992’s $2,000 No Limit Hold’em event. With a prize of $170K in his pocket, the young pro would go on to win his second bracelet only a year later, in a $2.5K Omaha 8 or Better match.

Since then, Seidel has run his bracelet total to eight. But even this accomplishment arguably pales in comparison to another of his ventures. As one of the founding members of Full Tilt Poker, he is responsible for one of the largest online gaming sites in the world. And at only 50 years of age, the Las Vegas resident has plenty of time to add to his resume. He’s also made an impact in many of the industry’s other big tournaments, such as the WPT and the Aussie Millions.

Joining Seidel in the 2010 class will be fellow pro Dan Harrington.