Of all the champions of the World Series of poker, Jamie Gold may be the one who has taken the most heat in the Tournament‘s entire history of 38 years.
Jamie Gold is a television producer based in Los Angeles who got his start in cards in a competitive household with a poker-playing mother and grandfather who was a champion at gin rummy.
After getting his bachelor’s degree from the University of New York at Albany, where he graduated with honors, Jamie moved to California in 1991 to study entertainment law at UCLA. Having obtained valuable work experience in the business when he interned at the J. Michael Bloom & Associates Talent Agency in New York City at the age of 16, Jamie immediately found work in L.A. as a talent agent, and over the years was an employee of a few high-profile agencies.
He soon became known as the youngest franchised agent in the business – a feat he achieved at the age of 21 – and eventually co-founded an agency in 1994. In 1996 he started his own firm, JMG Management.
Gold has worked with such successful actors as James Gandolfini (The Sopranos), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live), Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels) and Kristin Davis (Sex and the City).
Recently Gold quit his career as a talent manager and began working as a full-time television producer. JMG, a small and personal company, has a slew of projects in development, including an untitled poker show featuring 2003 WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker and 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan, a constant fixture at the 2006 Main Event final table as a friend and tutor to Gold.
Jamie entered the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event as a member of the Bodog.com celebrity team alongside actors Mekhi Phifer (ER) and Dean Cain (Lois and Clark). A formidable force throughout the event, Gold left his fellow celebrities in the dust as he passed player after player to make it to the final table.
Gold dominated the last four days of play, constantly increasing his stack at the expense of several more seasoned players, and throwing the weight of the big stack around like it was second nature.
In the wake of the win, Jamie signed a two-year endorsement and production contract with his WSOP 2006 sponsor, Bodog.com. The agreement included the standard tournament buy-ins and promotional appearances as well as a $1 million television production deal.
Recently Jamie has fessed up to a couple of etiquette breaches during the WSOP that may have contributed to the vitriol directed at him by some of his fellow pros: He flashed a card to a competitor during a hand; he told a friend what he was holding so he wouldn’t bust him out. He has apologized, and asked for people to forgive him.
