Lee Watkinson hails from a small town in Washington State, one that holds good memories, and Washington remains a place to call home despite his having recently moved to Las Vegas. His early years remain somewhat private, and though it is known that he completed his education, attended college where he participated in various sports like wrestling and graduated with a degree in economics, he rarely discusses his forays into the gaming life.

But what has become of Lee in the world of professional poker is no secret. He has tournament cashes on his record dating back to 1994, and when poker’s popularity increased with events all over the country, he was usually there. He is one of the pros that seems to always turn up on the tournament circuit, no matter the city or country. Major cashes began stacking up in 2003 and 2004, with respectable finishes in World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker events.

By July of 2004, Lee’s face would be known to the world when he made it to the WPT final table at the Mirage Poker Showdown and finished as the runner-up for a payday of over $500,000. One month later, he performed an incredible feat as he repeated his finish – this time taking second place at the WPT Legends of Poker tournament. And in 2006, he accomplished another poker goal by winning his first WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 pot-limit Omaha championship, and in 2007, he made the WSOP main event final table and finished eighth. Most recently, he appeared at another WPT final table, this time at the Borgata Winter Open in early 2008 where he finished fifth. Even with the celebrity status that comes with being a poker champion and seasoned pro, Lee remains low-key and focused on his other great love – humanitarian efforts that focus on the rescuing of chimpanzees from medical testing.