Eric Bialek is a lifelong horse racing fan and horseplayer who was introduced to the game by his grandparents as a child.

As a handicapping contest player, he has qualified for the NHC three times in his first four years of eligibility.

Bialek is a contest ambassador for Hawthorne Park in Cicero, Ill. He has been to more than 20 racetracks across four continents. Eric graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a degree in mechanical engineering; his day job is as as a sound and vibration engineer.