Poker finalist had a quiet, steady hand

LAS VEGAS -- As a boy, Bernard Lee would go to sleep some nights hearing the laughter and chatter of his father and uncles playing poker into the late hours of the night.

Young Bernie wished then that he could be there, but none of those men could have imagined being where Lee found himself this week: in Las Vegas as one of the last survivors in the championship No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em contest at the 2005 World Series of Poker.

The mild-mannered 35-year-old from Wayland was finally eliminated late Thursday by an improbable and bad spot of luck in a hand that seemed to be going his way, halting an equally improbable run at the $7.5 million prize that was to be awarded late yesterday or early today.

Lee, 35, had to settle for a $400,000 prize and the knowledge that he outlasted 5,606 other players in a record turnout for poker's richest event. His previous best win was a $1,570 prize for a tournament in Atlantic City in January.

Not bad for a Harvard-educated biologist and marketing manager for Boston Scientific who had his $10,000 entry fee paid for by Pokerstars.Com because he won one of their free online poker tournaments. He even stayed in longer than professional player Greg ''Fossilman" Raymer, of Stonington, Conn., who won last year's tournament and its $5 million purse.

''This was just such a dream week," gushed Lee, who grew up in Eastchester, N.Y. ''Who am I? I came here unknown, but I always knew I could compete with these guys."

Along the way, Lee developed a crowd of fans who admired his low-key approach and his habit of kissing wallet-size photos of his wife, Katie, who is a physician, and 2-year-old son Noah and 2-month-old daughter Maya.

Lee played quiet, cautious poker -- ''tight aggressive," he called his approach -- that offered little flash for the ubiquitous ESPN cameras recording the event for broadcast later this summer. He was interviewed by their crews, but he was largely a stealth contender who remained near the middle or bottom of the chip counts throughout the week.

''This wasn't about getting famous," said Lee, who nonetheless acknowledged that he got a kick out of some of his poker idols recognizing him. ''It was about letting my poker speak for itself."

The week was grueling -- he played 10 hours or more per day -- in a way that reminded him of the Boston Marathon, which he has run twice. It also got lonely, so he summoned his college roommate, a couple of the pals from his Wednesday night game back home, his brother, and his father, all of whom popped in and out of town to keep him company.

Everyone around him caught poker fever, including his wife, who began the week listening to his updates on the phone and eventually watching the Internet for live updates on poker websites. Lee said Katie is ''cautiously supportive" and concerned about him only if he allows his poker games to take too much time away from the family.

Lee vowed that will not happen. He has no interest, he said, in going pro the way Raymer, a lawyer at Pfizer, did after the 2004 Series. The vagabond life of the professional poker circuit would not be good for his family, he said, although Lee added he will play a few more tournaments now and will return for the 2006 Series.

The money will go to home improvements, a new car, and his children's college funds, plus something nice for his wife, Lee said.

His friends doubt this success will change Lee. In fact, poker pal Dave Brisson of Wayland, is excited about having Lee back again soon.

Lee's run ''has been one of the most euphoric, exciting, phenomenal things for all of us," said Brisson, 53.

''But I don't think we'll be intimidated now. We might pause and watch him a little bit more closely. He's got a little bit of wonder about him.

''But he's still Bernie."

By Steve Friess

News Added: 16 July, 2005

Number of views : 489