Jamie Gold

infobox poker player
firstname=Jamie
lastname=Gold
nickname=


caption=Jamie Gold at the 2006 World Series of Poker
hometown=Malibu, California
wsop bracelet count=1
wsop money finishes=4
wsop main event best finish rank=Winner
wsop main event best finish year=2006
multi-year wsop winner=
wpt titles=
wpt final tables=
wpt money finishes=
ept titles=
ept final tables=
ept money finishes=

Jamie M. Gold (born August 25 1969)cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkzJmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTcyNzM1|title=Looking golden in Vegas|author=Schwarz, Mark|publisher=The Record|accessdate=2006-08-06] is an American television producer, a talent agent, and poker player, based in Malibu, California. He is known for winning the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event and currently divides his time between his activities as president of production for the entertainment company, Buzznation [cite web|url=http://buzznation.com/|title=Buzznation] cite web|url=http://www.jamiegold.com/bio.php|title=Jamie M. Gold|author=Gold, Jamie|publisher=JamieGold.com|accessdate=2006-08-10] and poker competition, primarily major tournaments.

Early years

Gold was born in Kansas City, Missouri as Jamie M. Usher and moved to Manhattan as a young child [ [http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/wsoptv/index.asp?vd=1489&fid=11&aff=1&v=JamieGold.wmv Worldseriesofpoker.com Jamie Gold video] ] with his mother. His name was changed by court order to Jamie M. Gold following his mother's divorce and remarriage to Dr. Robert Gold. The family moved to Paramus, New Jersey where Gold was raised by his mother and her second husband. He graduated from Paramus High School in 1987.cite news|url=http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0NyZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Njk3NDMxOCZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTM=| author=Nakashima, Ryan|publisher=northjersey.com|title=$12M payday was one big bluff |accessdate=2006-08-12] He later earned a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Albany in 1991, and studied entertainment law at UCLA.cite web|url=http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-player_jamie-gold?show=bio#bio|title=Jamie Gold - Poker Player Profile|author=Anonymous|publisher=PokerListings.com|accessdate=2006-08-12]

Entertainment business

Gold began his career in the entertainment business at 16 as an intern at the J. Michael Bloom & Associates Talent Agency. He became a talent agent before he was 21, but soon moved into management/production. Gold's clients have included Jimmy Fallon and Lucy Liu.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/poker/news/story?id=2546574|title=Gold rush: Bluff nets Gold $12 million WSOP win|accessdate=2007-09-01]

There is some speculation as to whether Jamie Gold was at least part of the inspiration for fictional Hollywood agent Ari Gold, a character on HBO's "Entourage". This character is most likely based on real life super agent Ari Emanuel, who represents actor Mark Wahlberg, the show's executive producer.cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/01/blogophile/main1853420.shtml|title="Aquaman" Makes A Splash Online|author=McNamara, Melissa|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=2006-08-02] However, Gold did go to the same college as "Entourage" creator Doug Ellin, but they never attended SUNY at the same time and never knew each other. Gold believes Ari Emanuel is the basis of the character. In the "Entourage" pilot, the character's name was actually Jamie Gold, but HBO executives changed it to Ari Gold because of Jamie Gold.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2542782&type=blogEntry|title="Good as Gold"|author=Feldman, Andrew|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=2006-08-15]

Poker

Gold's interest in poker began as a youngster. His mother, Jane, was a keen poker player, and his grandfather was a champion gin rummy player. Gold's most serious efforts to improve his recreational poker exploits came about when he began working with former WSOP main event winners Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker on an upcoming television show, and Chan began to mentor Gold in poker.cite web|url=http://www.blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/3547|title=Gold For Gold|author="Snoopy"|publisher=BlondePoker.com|accessdate=2006-08-12] cite web|url=http://www.bodognation.com/poker-news/wsop-history-jamie-gold-wins-record-pot.html|title=Jamie Gold Wins 2006 WSOP With Record Pot|author=Gosselin, Jake|publisher=Bodog|accessdate=2006-08-12]

In 2005, Gold began regularly playing in poker tournaments. In April 2005 at the Bicycle Casino, he won his first major no limit Texas hold 'em tournament, earning $54,225. Over the next twelve months, Gold had seven more in the money finishes in California tournaments.

A neighbor of 2000 WSOP main event winner Chris Ferguson, Gold has said in numerous interviews that Ferguson was one of the few pros to endorse his poker style during the 2006 main event tournament, which he eventually won. While many pros criticized Gold's play in the later stages of the tournament, Ferguson urged him to stick with his own perfected style as he progressed deep into the money. Gold favored pressuring all of the players at the table especially when playing position, (last to act in a betting round). Bluff magazine, a major poker trade publication has analyzed Gold’s winning poker strategies as follows: “He forced his tablemates to risk their entire stack time after time. If they reraised him, he either knew they were holding the nuts and folded, or he sniffed out a bluff and forced them all in,” thus "he transformed this strategy into an art form." Bluff Magazine, September, 2007]

2006 World Series of Poker

At the 2006 WSOP, Gold maintained a significant chip lead from Day 4 onwards to win the World Series of Poker Main Event (No Limit Texas hold 'em, $10,000 buy-in), outlasting 8,772 other players. Excluding 4th place finisher Allen Cunningham, Gold had more casino tournament final table finishes than the rest of his final table opponents combined.cite web|url= http://www.poker-babes.com/bio/jamie-gold/|title=Jamie Gold Profile|author=Rosario, Shirley|authorlink=Shirley Rosario|publisher=PokerBabes.com|accessdate=2006-08-10] Gold eliminated 7 of his 8 opponents at the final table.

Gold defeated Paul Wasicka heads-up, earning a record $12,000,000 when in the final hand his cards|Q♠|9♣ made a pair with the board of cards|Q♣|8♥|5♥. Wasicka held cards|10♥|10♠ and did not improve with the cards|A♦ on the turn and cards|4♣ on the river.

Gold ate blueberries during the play of the 2006 WSOP main event final table and joked in a post-tournament interview that the blueberries were "brain food" and the reason he won.

Gold's WSOP win was marked by an uncanny ability to goad his opponents into either calling his bets when he had an unbeatable hand or folding to him when he was weak. He consistently told his opponents that he was weak or strong, telling the truth sometimes, and sometimes lying, with the net result of successfully deceiving his opponents most of the time. Prior to the 2006 WSOP Main Event, Gold had compiled a solid record in tournament competition, using lessons learned from poker legend and previous two time WSOP main event winner and owner of 10 WSOP bracelets, Johnny Chan.

Gold's "table talk", was both an asset and a source of criticism for his tendency to tell opponents his actual hand during play, contrary to WSOP rules. [After Jack Straus's famous bluff, the WSOP instituted several rules to discourage this type of play. Rule 39 "Verbally disclosing the contents of your hand or advising a player how to play a hand may result in a penalty" and Rule 37 "A player who exposes his cards during the play may incur a penalty, but will not have his hand killed" and Rule 8 "A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending." [http://www.checknraisepoker.com/about/games_and_rules/wsop_rules.php WSOP Rules] ] In one case at the final table, Gold actually flashed one of his hole cards to an opponent (a face card), creating enough uncertainty that his opponent folded the better hand. However, Gold was never penalized for any rules infraction. Prior to his elimination in the 2007 WSOP, Gold was issued a warning for his tactics. [ [http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/mediacenter/video.asp?v=WSOPTP710UPDATE10PM.wmv&m=7&d=11&y=2007 WSOP 10PM July 10th video update] Accessed 7/11/07] ]

As of 2008, Gold's total live tournament winnings exceed a record $12,100,000, and he was the first person to eclipse the $10,000,000 mark in tournament poker.cite web|url= http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=42814|title=Jamie Gold Tournament Results|author=Butt, Robert|publisher=The Hendon Mob|accessdate=2006-08-10]

Immediately after his WSOP win, Gold called his step father, Dr. Robert I. Gold, DDS, who could not attend as he had suffered from Lou Gehrig's disease. Gold pledged to use his winnings to make his step father more comfortable.cite web|url=http://www.bodognation.com/poker-news/wsop-history-jamie-gold-wins-record-pot.html|title=Jamie Gold Wins 2006 WSOP With Record Pot|author=Gosselin, Jake|publisher=Bodog|accessdate=2006-08-12] His step father died four months later on December 13 2006.cite web|url=http://poker.bodogbeat.com/jamie-golds-father-passes-away.html|title=Jamie Gold’s Father Passes Away|author=|publisher=Bodog|accessdate=2006-12-18]

Winnings controversy

Just prior to the 2006 WSOP, Bodog.com Entertainment and Gold entered into a business relationship when Gold agreed to find celebrities willing to play in the main event under the Bodog banner in exchange for a paid entry into the main event. Gold partnered with Crispin Leyser to help with this task in exchange for half of Gold's winnings, according to Leyser. After Gold won, Leyser says that Gold reneged on the deal and had decided to keep the entire $12 million prize.

Leyser sued Gold and on August 22, 2006, Chief District Court Judge Kathy Hardcastle froze the payment of the funds as part of the ongoing legal dispute between Gold and Leyser.Fact|date=May 2008 At a December court hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Roger L. Hunt rejected a motion by Gold's lawyers to lift an injunction set in September on the $6 million still at the tournament host, the Rio casino-hotel [http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Dec-22-Fri-2006/news/11579059.html] , and ordered the frozen funds be moved into an interest-bearing account. Hunt also indicated Leyser likely would win his claim to the $6 million. Gold did a radio interview on Rounders the Poker Show [http://bigpoker.ca/resources/rounders/interviews/jamie_gold_interview.mp3] following his Main Event win where he mentioned his deal with Leyser. It was later entered into evidence for the lawsuit.On February 7 2007, it was reported that the parties had settled for an undisclosed amount.Fact|date=May 2008

On January 25, 2007, Bodog ended their business relationship with Gold, citing their decision to cease all offline marketing initiatives in the U.S., and instead refocus their efforts on growing their entertainment brand in Europe and Asia. Despite that reason for ending their business relationship, Bodog still retained David Williams, Josh Arieh, and Evelyn Ng as Team Bodog members.

Post 2006 Win: a dual career

Following his success at the 2006 WSOP, Gold said he would bifurcate his time between business and poker pursuits. cite web|url=http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-player-interviews/jamie-gold-the-2006-wsop-champion|title=2006 WSOP - Jamie Gold crowned Main Event champion|author=Showell, Matthew|publisher=PokerListings.com|accessdate=2006-08-12] cite web|url=http://www.pokerpages.com/players/profiles/61389/jamie-gold.htm|title=Jamie Gold:Player Profile|publisher=Pokerpages.com|accessdate=2007-09-01]

In addition to television production deals in the hopper and Gold's frequent appearances on televised poker shows including episodes of NBC's Poker After Dark cite web|url=http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=42814|title=Jamie Gold: Player Profile|publisher=The Hendon Mob|accessdate=2007-09-01] and in season 3 and 4 of GSN’s High Stakes Poker cite web|url=http://www.gsn.com/hsp/players_gold.php|title=Players: Jamie Gold: |publisher=GSN.com|accessdate=2007-09-01] , Gold returned to defend his title at the 2007 WSOP, but was eliminated on the first day.

Gold has also participated in numerous poker tournaments that have been designed primarily to benefit charitable causes. Allowing himself to be auctioned off, making special appearances, or by purchasing buy-ins, Gold has been involved with a wide variety of causes, including WSOP “Ante Up For Africa”, cite web|url=http://www.internet-poker.co.uk/Poker-News/WSOP/WSOP-Charity-Event-Raises-500000-For-Darfur-Refugees%7E174.html|title=WSOP Charity Event Raises $500,000 For Darfur Refugees|publisher=Internet-Poker.co.uk|accessdate=2007-09-01] Andy Roddick's charity poker tournament, cite web|url=http://www.pokermagazin.eu/en/news.asp?newsID=198|title=Roddick wins own charity tournament|publisher=European Poker Magazine|accessdate=2007-09-01] and a few others. cite web|url=http://www.wallstreetactivist.com/william_ackman/jamie_gold_all_in_for_2008_hedge_fund_charity_poker_20070713_237_119.html|title=Jamie Gold All In for 2008 Hedge Fund Charity Poker|publisher=Wall Street Activist|accessdate=2007-09-01] cite web|url=http://www.snmag.com/content/view/193/|title=Jamie Gold All In for 2008 Hedge Fund Charity Poker|author=Lane, Laura|publisher=Saturday Night Magazine|accessdate=2007-09-01] cite web|url=http://www.winatpokernow.com/news/news-032007-1.html|title=WSOP Playboy Charity Poker Tourney|publisher=Win at Poker NOW|accessdate=2007-09-01]

He has also mentioned in several recent interviews his plans to create a charity poker tournament to benefit people affected with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.jamiegold.com/ Official site]

Persondata
NAME=Gold, Jamie M.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Poker player
DATE OF BIRTH=August 25, 1969
PLACE OF BIRTH=Kansas City, Missouri, United States
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=