Jamie Gold is well-known for his dominance at the 2006 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em Championship, where he won his first and only WSOP gold bracelet, which he will always keep as a reminder of that day’s triumph.
In addition to his success at the WSOP, Gold is a well-established television producer who has helped initiate the careers of numerous famous performers and actresses, including Jimmy Fallon and Lucy Lui.
Initial Years
Jamie Usher was born in Kansas City, Missouri on August 25, 1969. As a result of his parents’ divorce when he was quite young, he moved out of state with his mother. After his mother’s remarriage, Jamie adopted his stepfather’s surname, Gold.
His mother was a skilled poker player, and his ancestor was a professional gin rummy player, indicating that a passion for the game runs in the family.
Gold earned degrees in entertainment law from New York State University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He first became interested in the entertainment industry as a sixteen-year-old intern at the J. Michael Bloom & Associates Talent Agency. While he was still in college, he accepted a position with the company as a talent agent and was quickly promoted to the management/production department. By the time he completed his Bachelor’s degree, he had built up quite a respectable clientele.
The World Series of Poker in 2006
Gold was first introduced to the exceptionally talented Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker when they expressed interest in creating the WSOP television special “Grudge Matches.” Chan, winner of ten bracelets at the World Series of Poker, volunteered to offer Gold advice and hints on how to improve as a poker player. Before long, Gold was routinely participating in poker tournaments.
In April 2005, he won $54,000 in his first significant No Limit Texas Hold ’em tournament at the Bicycle Casino. In the subsequent twelve months, Gold won six tournaments at the Hustler Casino and placed in the money at a number of other California casinos. His ultimate objective was to participate in the WSOP.
Gold participated in the 2006 World Series of Poker main event, outlasting more than 8,000 competitors and gaining a staggering $12,000,000 for his victory. He claimed humorously that the “brain food” improved his performance.
Bluff magazine, made a few comments on Gold’s playing technique during the WSOP saying, “He forced his tablemates to jeopardize their entire stack time after time. If they re-raised him, he either knew they were holding the aces and folded, or he smelled a bluff and forced everyone to call. Gold managed to come out on top regardless of the opinions of those involved.
We later learn that Gold agreed to locate professional poker players to endorse Bodog if they paid for his entry into the main event. Gold chose to keep the $12 million profit and leave Bodog in the dust, despite the fact that Bodog fulfilled their obligations. Gold’s account was suspended and half of his winnings were retracted after Bodog filed charges against him. Later, they reached an agreement outside of court, but they did not disclose the terms of their settlement to the public.
Due to his triumphant victory and the controversy surrounding it, Gold’s name was the second most searched on Google in 2006, just behind Paris Hilton.