Lee Salem “"Laith"“

Birthplace
Baghdad, Irag

Hometown
Las Vegas, NV

Birthday
August 19

Total Winnings
$252,716

Lee Salem was born a world away from the high stakes poker world in Las Vegas. A native of Baghdad, Iraq, Salem moved to the United States and went to school at San Diego, State. After receiving a degree in civil engineering, Salem moved into the business world and turned himself into a success story. He entered into several business ventures and ended up making good money on most of them. While business was the first chapter of his success, Salem found a new love in America: poker. By 1994, Salem had decided to turn himself into a poker professional. Like everything else he touched, Salem's foray into the poker world turned to gold. Before too long, Salem became a regular in Las Vegas' high stakes cash games. By 1998, Salem landed at the final table of the World Series of Poker main event and placed fifth for nearly $200,000. His big finish at the World Series would prove to only be a beginning. Over the next decade, Salem amassed nearly $700,000 in tournament winnings. He made it into the money in several WPT events, including a final table finish at the World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris in Season 2 of the WPT. In 2004, Salem came tantalizingly close to making the final table of the WPT Championship. He placed ninth for $116,000.