Lee Watkinson
Name: Lee Watkinson
Residence: Cheney,
Washington
Tournament Winnings: ~3,000,000$
WSOP
Bracelets: 1
The US-American poker pro Lee Watkinson, born on October 18, 1966
in Newport, WA, grew up in Washington and studied economics at
Eastern Washington University. During a summer job in Reno, the 17
year-old decided to blow a $600 bankroll on poker before going back
to high school. He actually only wanted to play poker for a little
while, but he stuck with it...
Watkinson arrived on the poker scene in 1994 at the Los Angeles
Poker Classic. He finished in 10th place, afterward
leaving the public sphere again.
He returned in 2003 after having played cashgames for 12 years.
His strongest year followed in 2004 in which he won over 1.5 million
dollars and was chosen as Cardplayer Magazine's "Player of the
year" award. In the 2004 WSOP he came in 2nd at $5000
Pot Limit Omaha. He came in 2nd twice more on the WPT,
beaten by Eli Elezra (Miarage Poker Showdown) and Doyle Brunson
(Legends of Poker).
In 2005 he came in 45th at the main event of the WSOP
($235,390). In the following year, he placed 113th and won
his first bracelet at $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha ($655,746).
"Nobody remembers second place", said Watkinson of his
2004 placement. After his first bracelet win he confessed: "I
was starting to think that I'm never going to win a tournament, but
it's nice to know I can do it."
He left the final table of the main event of the WSOP 2007 as 8th
place ($585,699).
His main interests are wrestling and surfing. Watkison wrestled
himself during college. He is also an animal lover. He has a dog and
he and his fiance Timmi deRosa (also a poker player) both invest in
the Cortland Brandenberg Foundation. This organization, which gets a
portion of his poker winnings, concerns itself with rescuing old
chimpanzees from animal experiments and Hollywood productions.
In addition to his activities in animal rights, Watkinson is an
entrepeneur. Together with David Kershenbaum, he founded Rebel Yell
Records and has a clothing line "Criminal Minds Clothing".
Lee Watkinson is one of the calmer players on the poker tour. He
seems to shy from the cameras rather than to seek the limelight. This
could be one reason why he always wears a cap and glasses to the
poker table, or hides under a hoodie. In accordance, he lives a
withdrawn life and does not talk much about his private life.
His calm, laid back style do not predict his aggressive,
calculating style at the poker table. For years he honed his
competitive edge as a wrestler, building up his will to win and
self-confidence. He is known as one of the best Pot-Limit Omaha
player. He has an extraordinary reputation in poker circles and is on
of the Full Tilt Poker Pros.
Author: Nina Stein
Picture source: Full Tilt Poker