In July, poker pro Bernard Lee, who finished 13th in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, announced that he would be releasing his first book, “The Final Table.” It has since become an instant classic and can be found on the bookshelves of poker enthusiasts from around the world. Poker News Daily has learned that Lee is planning to release a follow up to the popular book before Christmas.
Lee’s original book begins with a foreword by 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem, who played with him during that infamous event. In a press release distributed by Lee’s publicist in July, ESPN Poker Club Editor Andrew Feldman noted that the book is “a must read for poker players of all levels, as it gives you an unusual opportunity to get into the mind of a great poker player and columnist. You will learn something new to better your game with every column you read.”
Readers of the Boston Herald newspaper can catch Lee’s column every Sunday. The 400 word piece describes a hand played out either by Lee or someone else on the poker circuit and provides commentary. He is also a regular poker contributor to ESPN.com and has written for several industry magazines. He hosts “The Bernard Lee Poker Show” on The Zone in Boston (WWZN), one of the only poker-related radio programs to air on a regular basis in the United States. Past guests on his show have included Hachem, Chris Moneymaker, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Norman Chad, Sam Farha, Mike Sexton, Linda Johnson, Kirk Morrison, JC Tran, and Bill Edler. The show has since become a staple of Rounders Radio.
In May, Lee and Howard David called the action from the World Series of Poker Circuit Event in Atlantic City. He also provided commentary for the Eastern Poker Tour Championship Tournament, which aired on Comcast Sports Net. Lee is an instructor for the World Poker Tour’s Boot Camp and has been playing poker for the last 20 years. He’s one of the most recognizable faces in the industry, especially by the regular readers of his poker column and fans of his radio show.
On the World Poker Tour, Lee has three total cashes to his name for a combined $67,000. His largest cash came by virtue of finishing 58th in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Season VI; it was worth $28,905. His 13th place finish in the 2005 Main Event was worth $400,000. He’s made the final tables of three WSOP Circuit Events, including a second place finish in a $1,060 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event at Caesars Indiana in April for $40,000. Dale Robinson was the eventual winner of that tournament. He had one cash during the 2008 WSOP, a $6,279 payday for finishing 75th in a $1,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament. Finally, he finished 11th in the 2007 Gulf Coast Poker Championship.
“The Final Table” was a compilation of hands from Lee’s popular Boston Herald newspaper column. The book contains the original printed columns as well as additional notes and commentary from Lee. The first book covered hands from 2005 to 2006. The follow up book will cover hands from 2007 and 2008. It is expected to be in bookstores in time for the 2008 holiday season, which is one of the top times of the year for gift giving worldwide.