Lee Watkinson

Lee Watkinson was born on October 18, 1966, in Longbranch, Washington. He attended Eastern Washington University, earning a degree in economics. Before poker, Watkinson was a competitive wrestler; he wrestled at 142 pounds in college and at 187 pounds as recently as 2001. Surfing was another longtime interest. Watkinson is based in Tacoma, Washington.

At the 2004 World Series of Poker, Watkinson finished second in the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event. He also cashed in that year's $10,000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Main Event, finishing 113th. After that Main Event cash, he recorded another one in 2005, placing 45th out of 5,619 entrants for $235,390. In November 2005, he made a WSOP Circuit final table and finished third.

The defining victory of Watkinson's career came at the 2006 World Series of Poker in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha event. He won the bracelet and the $655,746 first prize. In the final hand, his A♣ Q♠ 6♣ 5♣ defeated Mike Guttman's J♠ J♣ 10♦ 8♦ on a board of 5♠ 4♠ 3♥ 7♦ K♥. That $655,746 payout remains his best live cash. Over the years, Watkinson was cited as the top all-time money winner in Pot Limit Omaha.

At the 2007 WSOP Main Event, Watkinson made the final table, finishing eighth for $585,699. In 2008, he final-tabled two consecutive tournaments, taking fifth in the WPT Borgata Winter Open and seventh in the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Harrah's Rincon in San Diego, California. In 2009, he cashed twice at the WSOP: 36th in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event and second in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha High/Low event for $141,873, missing a second bracelet by one spot.

Watkinson made back-to-back World Poker Tour final tables during WPT Season 3. First, he finished second to Eli Elezra in the 2004 Mirage Poker Showdown No Limit Hold'em Final Day. Then, at the 2004 Legends of Poker at the Parkwest Bicycle Casino in Los Angeles (Bell Gardens), held August 28-31, he finished second to Doyle Brunson in the $5,000 + 150 No-Limit Hold'em Championship Final Day; Peter Lawson joined them on the podium. That event drew 667 entries for a $3,335,000 total prize pool. Watkinson's WPT record: no title, three final tables, six money finishes.

• 2004 WSOP $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha: 2nd
• 2004 WSOP Main Event: 113th
• WPT Season 3 Mirage Poker Showdown: 2nd (Eli Elezra)
• 2004 WPT Legends of Poker: 2nd (Doyle Brunson)
• 2005 WSOP Main Event: 45th of 5,619 ($235,390)
• 2005 WSOP Circuit Las Vegas: 3rd
• 2006 WSOP $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha: 1st ($655,746)
• 2007 WSOP Main Event: 8th ($585,699)
• 2008 WPT Borgata Winter Open: 5th
• 2008 WSOP Circuit Main Event, Harrah's Rincon: 7th
• 2009 WSOP $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em: 36th
• 2009 WSOP $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha High/Low: 2nd ($141,873)

Watkinson's live tournament earnings have reached $4,308,972, with a best live cash of $655,746. As of 2010, his live winnings already exceeded $4,100,000, and his 16 WSOP cashes accounted for $2,306,264 of that sum. At that time, his WSOP totals included one bracelet, six final tables, and 18 money finishes. He sits 540th on the all-time money list, 277th among United States players, and fifth among players from Washington state. He has crossed the $4,000,000 milestone. The combination of a WSOP bracelet, a WSOP Main Event final table, and multiple WPT final tables made him one of the more consistent American tournament players of the 2000s.

Watkinson is a humanitarian who works with the Cortland Brandenburg Foundation to rescue retired chimpanzee test subjects. Away from the tables, his main interests include wrestling and surfing, reflecting his athletic background. He has long been based in Washington state, with Tacoma as his residence.