Introduction
Eric Froehlich (born February 9, 1984 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American professional poker player and member of the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife, Magic: The Gathering streamer Athena. As of 2009, Froehlich's total live poker 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 poker 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 $299,675. In the final hand, his defeated Sherkhan Farnood's on a board of .
Shortly after Froehlich's status as the youngest bracelet winner of all time he was overtaken by Jeff Madsen during the 2006 World Series of Poker then Steve Billirakis at the 2007 World Series of Poker, and then in September 2007 at the inaugural World Series of Poker Europe, Norwegian poker player Annette Obrestad won the £10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship at the age of 18 to become the youngest World Series of Poker bracelet winner ever.
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $1,500 Limit Hold'em | $303,908 |
| 2006 | $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 Gathering 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 four Pro Tours and fourteen Grand Prix events. Several 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, Brian Kibler and Luis Scott-Vargas.
In 2015, Froehlich was voted into the Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame.
Accomplishments
| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Pro Tour | San Diego | Rochester Draft | January 10–13, 2002 | 8 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Team Limited | June 29–30, 2002 | 4 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Amsterdam | Team Limited | June 7–8, 2003 | 2 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Washington DC | Team Limited | April 17–18, 2004 | 4 |
| 2006 | Grand Prix | Madison, Wisconsin | Team Constructed | March 25–26, 2006 | 3 |
| 2010 | Nationals | Minneapolis | Special | August 20–23, 2010 | 5 |
| 2010 | Grand Prix | Toronto | Sealed and Booster Draft | October 23–24, 2010 | 5 |
| 2010 | Worlds | Chiba | Special | December 9–12, 2010 | 5 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Anaheim | Block Constructed | May 26–27, 2012 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | San Jose | Team Limited | October 13–14, 2012 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Pro Tour | Montreal | Standard and Booster Draft | February 15–17, 2013 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | San Diego | Modern | March 16–17, 2013 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Pittsburgh | Sealed and Booster Draft | March 23–24, 2013 | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Grand Prix | Phoenix | Standard | April 5–6, 2014 | 6 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Portland | Team Limited | August 8–10, 2014 | 4 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | Salt Lake City | Limited | September 6–7, 2014 | 4 |
| 2014–15 | Grand Prix | San Jose | Team Limited | January 31–February 1, 2015 | 1 |
| 2014–15 | Pro Tour | Washington DC | Modern and Booster Draft | February 6–8, 2015 | 5 |
| 2015–16 | Grand Prix | Detroit | Team Limited | 15–16 August 2015 | 2 |
Last updated: August 17, 2015
Source: Event Coverage at Wizards.com
Other accomplishments
- Magic: The Gathering Hall of Fame class of 2015
- "Grand Prix Top 8 Lists". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- "INTRODUCING THE 2015 CLASS OF THE PRO TOUR HALL OF FAME". Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved August 17, 2015.