Originally from the US but now based in New Zealand, Lee Nelson is a trained MD and worked as a doctor for many years. He had long played poker in his spare time and retired from medicine to concentrate on his passion for the game. It certainly seems to have been a wise decision.
Every good poker player needs a nickname, but not all of them live up to the one they are given. Lee’s is ‘Final table’, and with over fifty final table appearances under his belt, it’s one he truly deserves. His list of tournament achievements is a long one, with most success coming at big buy-in events at the famed Crown Casino in Melbourne. In fact, many of Lee’s major victories have been at tournaments held in Australia, proving that Las Vegas isn’t the only place where poker players can earn massive cash prizes. His biggest win so far came at the Aussie Millions in 2006. Lee beat a star-studded field of 418 players to take home prize money of $949,694. He even cashed again the following year, this time earning $21,870 for a 36th place finish. In December 2007, Lee traveled to Sydney to play in the Grand Final of the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour Season 1. He finished 18th, adding another $16,124 to his already healthy bankroll. Lee also triumphed at a major event in the UK, when he won the World Open in 2005 for an incredible $400,000. In all, his total live earnings stand at well over $2,000,000.
Lee has written three critically acclaimed poker strategy books and also co-hosts Joker Poker, an Australian TV show that sees famous comedians face each other in high stakes poker games to raise money for charity. Outside of poker, Lee enjoys meditation, walking, swimming, weight training and yoga.
With a record that speaks for itself, Lee Nelson has proved to be one of the world’s finest tournament Hold’em players. Expect to see him at many more final tables in the biggest events across the globe. He is a member of Team PokerStars Pro and plays online using the screen name ‘LeeNelsonP’
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