World Poker Tour

Mark Seif “The Shark“

Birthplace
Egypt

Hometown
Las Vegas

Birthday
October 4

Total Winnings
$664,116

Born in Egypt, Mark Seif moved to the United States with his family when he was a young boy. He learned the game of poker before he was six years old and participated in many a family game, complete with bluffing and other intricacies of poker. However, during a pot in which he bluffed his father at the age of six, he was banished from family poker games for the remainder of his childhood. While he still played often in his youth with friends, it was an intense study ethic that helped him through school where he received a degree in economics, then went on to law school. As a practicing attorney who worked for the District Attorney in Los Angeles, as well as other legal endeavors, Mark found that he the skills needed for the job also helped his poker game immensely. He took those analytical tools and began to win often in cash games, then took to the tournament scene in the late 1990's. The low buy-in tournament cashes and wins began to accumulate, and his enjoyment for the game was taken to a new level. Soon, he quit his job at a large law firm and pursued poker on a full-time basis, though he continues to practice law on an individual case basis. Mark's poker career exploded when he made it to the 2002 WPT Legends of Poker final table and finished in fourth place. His name was suddenly more well-known, and his table image benefited. Many tournament successes followed, but it was in 2005 that his life truly changed. He took down two bracelets during that year's World Series of Poker " one in the $1,500 limit hold'em shootout, and the other in the $1,500 no-limit hold'em event. Taking home more than $750,000 and a reputation as "Mark the Shark" led to other opportunities, such as a WPT Boot Camp instructor and Professional Poker Tour commentator. After taking some time away from the tables to get married and welcome a child into the world, he came back with strength at the 2007 WPT World Poker Challenge in Reno to take fourth in that tournament. Mark is as excited as ever about the opportunities that poker holds for him, and the poker world has definitely taken note.