It took a few years, but he finally pulled it off. Bernard Lee, poker player and host of the Bernard Lee Poker Show on PokerNews, has earned his second gold ring at a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) tournament. His latest win came at the WSOP Circuit Harvey’s Lake Tahoe series in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Lee had busted the first two events of the tournament series and decided to adjourn for some fresh air. He took a ride around the lake and then returned to the casino to sit down at the $400 NLHE event. He got off to a strong start, doubling up when he scored a set of 5s against two pair, and was in second-place in chips when the final table was set.
Having made it this far in a field of 124 entries, Lee was now more than determined than ever to get the ring. He said after the tournament was over, “This was the goal. The goal was to get a ring. I came here, and I said, I feel like I’m playing really well right now. Let’s go get this second ring. It happened.”
Lee played smartly and patiently, letting his opponents fall. He ultimately found victory when he faced off against Paul Miller in the final heads-up battle, picking up $11,456. Miller was awarded $7,082 as the tournament runner-up.
Lee’s first ring came in 2014. He took down the WSOPC Casino $365 NLHE Turbo event in Black Hawk, Colorado, earning the jewelry and a top prize of $14,500. He also has two close calls to his credit, finishing as the runner-up in two WSOPC events since 2008.
After the latest victory sunk in completely, Lee stated, “The first two days [of the series], I don’t feel like I played badly at all. To take a step back, when I was in Coconut Creek, which was my last WSOP event, I played four events. And I felt like I played well, but it just wasn’t going my way. I actually left early, and I rarely leave early. Went to RunGood in Council Bluffs and I played really well and actually chopped an event, so I was really looking forward to coming here.”
Lee had dedicated his first ring to his daughter, Maya, and dedicated his latest to his son, Noah.
