# From Bull Riding to Bellagio: How Lee Markholt Survived It All

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/table-1-podcast-6689197/from-bull-riding-to-bellagio-how-lee-markholt-survived-it-all
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/table-1-podcast-6689197/from-bull-riding-to-bellagio-how-lee-markholt-survived-it-all.md
Podcast: [Table 1 Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/table-1-podcast-6689197)
Published: 2026-01-23T18:45:06+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/table-1-podcast/episodes/From-Bull-Riding-to-Bellagio-How-Lee-Markholt-Survived-It-All-e3e346i
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/APO6040455803.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/table-1-podcast-6689197/episodes/from-bull-riding-to-bellagio-how-lee-markholt-survived-it-all
Duration seconds: 5783

## Resource

Lee Markholt: Bull Riding, Old-School Poker, and the Wild West Era of Vegas Games | Table 1 Podcast Some poker careers start with solvers and staking deals. Lee Markholt’s started with bulls, butcher shops, and a $10 “please just get on this thing” rodeo spot… and somehow turned into a decades-long poker run that included early WSOP final tables (hello, Daniel Negreanu), WPT cash-game glory, and a whole lot of “I never went broke” discipline. In this episode, Art and Justin sit down with Lee for one of those conversations that feels like you’re getting a peek behind the curtain of two disappearing worlds: rodeo and pre-boom poker. What we talk about Growing up in Tacoma + a family story that sends him to the farm at 12 The bull riding dream (and the injuries that came with it) Dropping out before high school… then out-working everyone anyway The moment poker “clicked” during shoulder surgery Early card rooms: dealer’s choice, stud games, wild stuff, and “IOU poker” Tournaments in the early days (including the legendary Seymour Flop story) Working as a floor / running rooms… and the twist that pushed him into full-time play WSOP memories + the final table where Negreanu won his first bracelet (and the brutal hand) The boom years, shot-taking, bankroll rules, and why Lee never borrowed to stay alive Bellagio’s golden era, private-game politics, and why phones changed the feel of poker Why Lee game-selects more than ever now (and what he’s chasing these days) Quick shoutouts / links Card Player stories from our episodes: https://table1.vegas/cardplayer Want a seat in our game at Aria? Go to https://table1.vegas → click “Get a seat in the game” and fill out the form. Minimum buy-in $5,000. Art or Justin will text you. Sponsors Phenom Poker — now running daily MTTs (10–12 t…

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