Jamie Gold
The Poker Philanthropist
Biography
ESPN called it one of the most dominant
performances in sports history. He played for a solid ten days, 15 hours a day, and
beat 8,772 other players, leading the field from beginning to end. His $12 million was the
largest in the history of all sporting events, more than winning the Indy 500, Wimbledon,
PGA Masters and the Kentucky Derby combined.
For Jamie Gold, becoming the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion was a dream
come true for a guy who has been playing poker my whole life, ever since first
learning the difference between a straight and a flush from his grandfather at the tender
age of three. Having won smaller tournaments, in 2004 Gold met two-time WSOP Main Event
champ Johnny Chan, who inspired him to refine his skill in No-Limit Texas Holdem,
the most popular form of poker today.
Gold won his first major holdem tournament in April 2005, earning $54,225, and
during the next year had seven other top finishes. His streak culminated on August 10,
2006, when, at his first WSOP Main Event, he outlasted and outsmarted thousands of other
players, many of them far more experienced, to earn the biggest cash prize ever for a
sports or television event. Since his WSOP win Gold has graced the cover of numerous
worldwide publications. Gold is well represented in over 100 hours of original network and
cable programming including; NBCs Poker After Dark and National
Heads Up Championship, ABCs Celebrity Pro-Am, GSNs
High Stakes Poker and ESPNs World Series of Poker, making
him easily one of pokers most recognizable faces by mainstream audience standards.
Perhaps the most accurate nickname for him is The Poker Philanthropist as he has
been dubbed by several pros and members of the media, described Bluff Magazine in
May 2008, thanks to his charitable endeavors. Having attended and/or co-hosted
more than 40 charity events since his WSOP victory, Gold has set the standard for giving
back as a champion of his field. Among many charitable causes, Gold remains actively
involved in the fight against ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease. His beloved
Father, Robert, died in December, 2006, after fighting a lengthy battle against the
disease.
Jamie started his career in the entertainment industry at the age of 16 as an intern with
J. Michael Bloom, graduated with honors from State University of New York at Albany, and
moved to Los Angeles to become the youngest franchised talent agent at the age of 21. He
then went on to co-found Gold Bouchard management company with a client list including;
James Gandolfini, Felicity Huffman, Jimmy Fallon and Donnie Wahlberg. He currently serves
as the head of production for Buzznation.
Representation:
- Management: Sean Fredericks fredersp@gmail.com
- Legal counsel: Myman,Abell,Fineman,Greenspan (Les
Abell)
|