WSOP Profile Jamie Gold

01-18-07, LearnTexasHoldem:

Born on August 25, 1969, in New York City, Jamie Gold was raised in nearby Paramus, NJ. At the age of 16, while still a high school student, Gold began exploring his interest in the world of entertainment by serving as an intern for the J. Michael Bloom & Associates Talent Agency.

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Active in the Entertainment Industry

Enjoying a positive experience in the world of entertainment representation, Gold graduated high school and moved forward in his educational career by attending The State University of New York at Albany. He received a bachelor's degree, and simultaneously began his career as a talent agent. By the age of 21 he was beginning to build a solid client roster that would prove to be a sign of things to come.

Gold transitioned to the action on the west coast, choosing to study entertainment law at UCLA. He moved quickly into the realm of management and production, enabling him to represent and be involved with a much broader client base. He has worked with and represented some of the acting industry's biggest stars, and presently serves as the production president of Buzznation: A reality TV production company presently in development of new shows for network and cable broadcast. Being active in the entertainment industry since the age of 16, how exactly did an entertainment guru find himself in the final seat at the 2006 WSOP?

Gold Meets Johnny Chan

Without a doubt, Gold's introduction to Johnny Chan through his company JMG Management helped water the seeds of a casual poker player. Jamie's mother was an avid poker player, and his grandfather a champion gin-rummy player; Jamie was definitely no stranger to holding a hand of cards. After meeting Chan he began to approach the game of poker with a refined focus, reading books to develop strategy and pulling from his life experience to further develop skill. And of course, the tips, tutorials and time he shared with 10 WSOP champion Chan didn't hurt his growth as a player either. This would set the stage for his venture into tournament play.

In 2002, Gold began trying his hand an any number of poker varieties, bringing home a few hundred bucks here and there. His family served to be a support system in regards to his poker play, when he could have easily dropped his new hobby and continued to focus on a successful career in entertainment. Instead, he continued to make steady progress, and in 2005 began to experience some real poker success. In 2006 he was one of the many celebrities entered into the WSOP main event; however he was the only celebrity that continued to advance day after day, and eventually found himself sitting at the final table. His play was steady and calm throughout the tournament, and he didn't abandon his good play once the pressure was on. Mixing things up appropriately, he continued to snack on his brain food of choice (blueberries), and took the championship prize of 12 million dollars.

$12 Million Lawsuit

Unfortunately, his win didn't come without some form of controversy. Looking to recruit players for the popular poker site Bodog, Gold entered into a business relationship with Crispin Leyser. Gold apparently agreed to offer Leyser half of his tournament winnings for his help with the Bodog campaign. After the tournament, Gold decided the 12 million should be his alone. A lawsuit drawn by Leyser found that Gold did in fact offer to share his winnings; the two settled in February of 2007 on an undisclosed amount.

Gold's future in the poker world will be an interesting one to follow. Living in Malibu, CA, he works his skill at local Los Angeles casinos, but claims that his career interests still lie in the world of entertainment. Fans will simply have to wait to see if he can make another run at a multimillion dollar WSOP win.