When Joe Sebok came onto the professional poker scene in 2005, his presence came with an addendum - Barry Greenstein's son. But these days, Sebok's name stands on its own. After more than a year's worth of tournament wins and two final table appearances at the World Series of Poker, Sebok has carved out his own identity as a professional poker player.

He was born March 25, 1977 and, though raised from the age of six by Greenstein - Sebok's stepfather and a man he affectionately refers to as Bear - Sebok didn't have much to do with cards growing up. Greenstein was frequently away playing in poker tournaments, and when he was home he avoided talking about the game to his six children.

Instead, Sebok's competitive nature drove him to sign up for nearly every sport at his high school in Palo Alto, Calif. When he graduated in 1995, Sebok headed to San Francisco, where he attended the University of California - Berkeley. Four years later, he graduated with a major in psychology and a minor in Native American studies.

From there, Sebok found a natural fit in the dot-com world where he thrived in the entrepreneurial and fast-paced environment. Unfortunately for Sebok, the businesses didn't prosper. By 2003, he had been laid off from four floundering companies.

Instead of looking for work, Sebok decided to take a break from business and headed out on a road trip across the U.S. When he returned to California, the game that had kept him fed and clothed his entire life was booming. Though he had never played poker before, Sebok thought there was no time like the present to start learning.

It was 2003 and Sebok turned to his father for advice - could he make it as a professional poker player? Greenstein said that with practice and study, he could. Sebok read poker books, printed off a poker hand-ranking chart and started playing free Texas Hold'em games online. Later, he graduated to playing cheap games in local casinos; soon he was winning tournaments.

But it was at the 2005 World Series of Poker where Sebok really made his mark. There, the rookie with only a year of play under his belt made two final tables in the $5,000 Limit Hold'em and the $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em. Over the next year, Sebok continued to have consistent tournament finishes.

By 2006, Sebok's practice really began to show. In April and May, he took first place in three tournament events - the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em super satellite at the Five Star World Classic, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em at the Mirage Poker Showdown and the $2,425 No-Limit Hold'em at the Heavenly Hold'em - which boosted his tournament winnings by $385,000.

Though he failed to land any final table seats at the 2006 WSOP, Sebok continued to make substantial wins. He capped off his second year of tournament play in October with his biggest career win, a $267,295 pot in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the Festa Al Lago V Poker Tournament in Las Vegas.

True to his competitive nature, Sebok has a career goal of a World Series of Poker win. But in his spare time, he likes to hang out with poker pals Tuan Le, Nam Le, Liz Lieu, Gavin Smith and Mimi Tran. He also enjoys sports, playing the drums, reading and writing.