No one can deny that tournament pro Erick Lindgren (pictured) has had a stellar career at the poker tables. But, a penchant for betting on sports and playing table games has left him near penniless, with creditors demanding the repayment of millions. Unable to cope with his financial burdens, the two-time bracelet winner recently filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in just three years.

Facing a $2.5 million debt to Full Tilt Poker and a $3.8 million bill from the IRS, Lindgren first filed for bankruptcy in 2012. His hefty online poker deficit was the result of previous loans of $531,807 coupled with a $2 million transfer accidentally paid to his account in 2011.

After noticing the multimillion dollar mistake, Full Tiltfounder Howard Lederer contacted Lindgren requesting he transfer the money back. “I called him maybe a dozen times,” Lederer told PokerNews. “I shipped him off the wire information and he never paid it back… Ever.”

PokerStars would later go on to acquire Full Tilt and, at the same time, the $2.5 million IOU from Lindgren. The gaming giant sued in 2012, but a judge suspended the proceedings due to Lindgren’s bankruptcy case.

In the end, the poker pro’s move did not have the intended effect and the $2.5 million was kept on the books. Once the bankruptcy trial concluded, PokerStars was once again free to renew efforts to collect the payment, which it did in January.

Things have not been all bad for the former Full Tilt pro as of late. In this year’s WSOP, Lindgren cashed for $4,000 in the Colossus and made a deep run in the Millionaire Maker, taking seventh place for a $193,675 payday.

But between backers, creditors, and the IRS, he could see little of that prize. In fact, court documents reveal that Lindgren’s debt has grown even larger, now totaling more than $8 million. The two-time bracelet winner, who has banked over $10 million in live tournament earnings, now lists his assets at just under $50,000.

Before his second bankruptcy filing, Lindgren spoke to Bluff Magazine, stating that before Black Friday, he had whittled down his debts to under $2 million. After a stint in rehab, the poker pro claimed he had made a deal with his creditors to repay the funds over a period of time.

Problem gambling aside, Lindgren is recognized as one of poker’s brightest stars. He consistently makes his way to final tables and can even boast of being the only WSOP bracelet winner to win $1 million in tournaments for five consecutive years.

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