![\"Jamie](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Jamie-Gold-Today.jpg\")
Jamie Gold\u2019s 2006 Main Event Win And The Aftermath<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGold discovered poker fairly early in his life, growing up in a family of card players. Prior to his ME appearance, he had a few decent results, but he wasn’t a professional player<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nJamie was in the entertainment business, and he\nwas quite good at his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through his connections in the industry, Gold got to know a few well-known poker players like Chris Moneymaker<\/a> and Johnny Chan while working on an idea for a new poker show.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis opened the doors of the professional poker world to him, and in 2006, a casino operator offered to pay for his Main Event entry if he could get some celebrities to enter the tournament and wear their patch while playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gold held up his end of the bargain, and so did the operator – and the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jamie wasn\u2019t a very experienced player, so he\nhad no big expectations for the Main Event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019d probably be more than happy to make it\npast the bubble and make some money for his efforts. Even in his wildest\ndreams, he couldn\u2019t have anticipated to take down the whole thing and walk away\nwith millions in cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is probably one of the reasons why he\nagreed to give half of his Main Event winnings to Bruce Crispin Leyser, a TV\nproducer from LA who helped Gold find celebrities willing to join the\ntournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wasn\u2019t the best player in the field by a\nlong shot, but the way he used his words to confuse opponents was stunning, and\nhe had an amazing run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, he was annoying at times, but he wasn’t\nbreaking any rules. And whatever the hell he was doing was working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gold\u2019s routine confused even some of the best pros with countless hours of live poker<\/a> under their belts. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThey just couldn\u2019t tell if he were lying or telling the truth, and, somehow, he\u2019d get them to make the wrong call often enough to get deep in the tournament with a huge stack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Would it work today? Who knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Poker has changed and evolved so much over the 15 years since Jamie’s victory. But at that point in time, he was able to find his way out of the toughest spots, so it wasn’t all about luck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Jamie](\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Jamie-Gold-WSOP-2006.jpg\")
Jamie Gold in 2006. [Image: pokernews]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nJamie Gold Sued For\nHalf Of His ME Winnings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIt wasn\u2019t long after the historic victory that\nthe first controversy hit the poker media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leyser sued Jamie Gold for half of his Main\nEvent winnings, asking the new WSOP champ to honor the deal they made leading\nup to the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leyser used a voice mail sent to him by Gold to\nsupport his claim, and while the matter was ongoing, $6,000,000 of Gold’s\nwinnings were frozen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, the two reached an out-of-court\nsettlement, and Jamie’s lawyers explained that it was all a misunderstanding as\ntheir client always intended to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The exact details of the settlement were never\npublished, so it remains unknown how much money Leyser got in the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although this episode was concluded without too\nmuch drama, it wasn\u2019t the best thing for Gold\u2019s public image \u2013 or that of poker\nin general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in 2006, the game was just becoming mainstream,\nand it was very important to “keep it clean” as much as possible. To\nhave the most recent ME winner accused of trying to get out of a deal worth\nmillions was the exact opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Poker Celebrity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDespite some controversy, Jamie Gold was the\nnewborn star of the poker world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On top of his epic victory, many players and\nfans were impressed (or confused) by the strategies he used to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gold would often talk about his holdings during\nbig pots, trying to confuse his opponents and steer them in the wrong\ndirection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, it was because of Jamie Gold that the WSOP<\/a> adopted the rule that players weren\u2019t allowed to discuss their hole cards while actively involved in a pot. <\/p>\n\n\n\nGold continued to be sponsored for a while, and being an ME winner, he was invited to all the major poker shows, including Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, and NBC Heads Up Poker Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jamie was in the entertainment business, and he\nwas quite good at his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Through his connections in the industry, Gold got to know a few well-known poker players like Chris Moneymaker<\/a> and Johnny Chan while working on an idea for a new poker show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This opened the doors of the professional poker world to him, and in 2006, a casino operator offered to pay for his Main Event entry if he could get some celebrities to enter the tournament and wear their patch while playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gold held up his end of the bargain, and so did the operator – and the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jamie wasn\u2019t a very experienced player, so he\nhad no big expectations for the Main Event. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He\u2019d probably be more than happy to make it\npast the bubble and make some money for his efforts. Even in his wildest\ndreams, he couldn\u2019t have anticipated to take down the whole thing and walk away\nwith millions in cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is probably one of the reasons why he\nagreed to give half of his Main Event winnings to Bruce Crispin Leyser, a TV\nproducer from LA who helped Gold find celebrities willing to join the\ntournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He wasn\u2019t the best player in the field by a\nlong shot, but the way he used his words to confuse opponents was stunning, and\nhe had an amazing run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, he was annoying at times, but he wasn’t\nbreaking any rules. And whatever the hell he was doing was working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gold\u2019s routine confused even some of the best pros with countless hours of live poker<\/a> under their belts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They just couldn\u2019t tell if he were lying or telling the truth, and, somehow, he\u2019d get them to make the wrong call often enough to get deep in the tournament with a huge stack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Would it work today? Who knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poker has changed and evolved so much over the 15 years since Jamie’s victory. But at that point in time, he was able to find his way out of the toughest spots, so it wasn’t all about luck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t long after the historic victory that\nthe first controversy hit the poker media. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Leyser sued Jamie Gold for half of his Main\nEvent winnings, asking the new WSOP champ to honor the deal they made leading\nup to the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leyser used a voice mail sent to him by Gold to\nsupport his claim, and while the matter was ongoing, $6,000,000 of Gold’s\nwinnings were frozen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, the two reached an out-of-court\nsettlement, and Jamie’s lawyers explained that it was all a misunderstanding as\ntheir client always intended to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exact details of the settlement were never\npublished, so it remains unknown how much money Leyser got in the end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although this episode was concluded without too\nmuch drama, it wasn\u2019t the best thing for Gold\u2019s public image \u2013 or that of poker\nin general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in 2006, the game was just becoming mainstream,\nand it was very important to “keep it clean” as much as possible. To\nhave the most recent ME winner accused of trying to get out of a deal worth\nmillions was the exact opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite some controversy, Jamie Gold was the\nnewborn star of the poker world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On top of his epic victory, many players and\nfans were impressed (or confused) by the strategies he used to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gold would often talk about his holdings during\nbig pots, trying to confuse his opponents and steer them in the wrong\ndirection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, it was because of Jamie Gold that the WSOP<\/a> adopted the rule that players weren\u2019t allowed to discuss their hole cards while actively involved in a pot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gold continued to be sponsored for a while, and being an ME winner, he was invited to all the major poker shows, including Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, and NBC Heads Up Poker Championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJamie Gold Sued For\nHalf Of His ME Winnings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A Poker Celebrity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n