Lee Childs went into the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event as a relative unknown. His Hendon Mob file was blank and as far as anybody knew, he had very little live tournament experience.

That didn't stop him from making it all the way to the final table though, where he picked up just over $700,000 in prize money and a seventh-place finish.

The poker pro's placing surprised none who knew him. His competitive streak had shown itself in the early days of his Virginian childhood, when he played sports and eventually joined the high-school wrestling team.

In fact, one of his greatest accomplishments is that he'd never wrestled before joining the team in the ninth grade, and by his senior year had only lost two matches during the regular season. Both of which he avenged in the state playoffs on his way to a second place finish in his weight class.

Childs later went on to a career as a software engineer, and was working on "The JASON Project," an educational foundation for students that is affiliated with the National Geographic Society. Dedicated to scientific expeditions and research, it was founded by the person who first located the Titanic.

He gave up that job just months before the 2007 WSOP to pursue a full-time poker career. His specialty is online multi-table tournaments and 2007 marked his first appearance at the World Series. During his run, the 35-year-old busted Jennifer Tilly and landed a final table finish.