After a grueling battle that saw our players fighting it out until the sun was nearly up, Reitta 'Deedee' Seidel finally took down the trophy. Players worked out a partial chop six ways and played it out for the trophy and a little over $4,000 split between the top two places. 

“DeeDee” Seidel has been immersed in the world of poker for more than two decades, ever since she watched the World Series of Poker on television and soon found a local bar game to join. Over the years her favorite format has become no-limit Hold em, the game she loves most and the one she plays when the lights are on and the stakes are real.

When she was starting out, poker led her to meet her husband Steve — a fitting beginning, since he’s been rooting her on ever since and keeps tabs on her cash-game updates while she’s on the tournament trail. At home, her grandkids Brooke, Addie and Dean send their own cheering section (and yes in-order they spell “BAD”). Beyond the felt, DeeDee’s joy comes from family time out in nature: camping, fishing, reading a good book and floating around the pool with all the gang.

She and Steve first met over a bar poker game nearly 20 years ago and they bonded over their love of the game. Now, with a long background at the tables and countless battles, she wants to win a WSOP ring or bracelet, clinch a WPT title, and become a professional player. 

Winning our kickoff event should give Deedee's bankroll a nice boost and get her that much closer to her goal of playing for a living.