2006 World Series of Poker Winner Jamie Gold Pockets $12 Million

Jamie Gold, a big name in Hollywood, recently made his name bigger in the professional poker world.

Early August 11, Jamie Gold took home more than $12 million in the World Series of Poker main event. He knocked out Paul Wasicka with a pair of queens. Wasicka held a pair of tens.

"I knew that he was weak, but he had a hand. And then I knew it was my chance," Gold told the Associated Press. "I went all in, and then I just went into my act. I actually talked him into calling with the worst of it, and that won the whole tournament."

In second place, Wasicka took home $6.1 million.

Early in the game, Gold knocked out tournament favorite Allen Cunningham, who had won his forth World Series of Poker circuit event in July.

As a former talent agent, Jamie Gold worked with the likes of Kristin Davis from Sex and the City, Felicity Huffman from Desperate Housewives, and Jimmy Fallon from Saturday Night Live. After graduating from the University of New York in Albany, the young Gold took of to the Los Angeles area and became the youngest franchised talent agent in the business.

After founding JMG Management in 1996, Gold recently walked away from the talent industry to pursue his poker career. Poker-great Johnny Chen mentored Gold, and the lessons paid off Friday morning.

Gold, 36, entered the World Series of Poker with Bodog.com, a gambling website which features poker games. Bodog.com also sponsored actors Mekhi Phifer and Dean Cain. Previous to his win, Gold had already signed a two-year contract with Bodog.com in which the company will cover all his buy-ins, manage his promotional image, and back a $1 million television production. Gold will also host his own table on Bodog.com.

Gold, born in New Jersey, comes from a long line of gamblers. His grandfather was a gin rummy champion, and his mother was a regular poker player. Jamie Gold later pursued an undergraduate degree from the University of New York at Albany and later studied entertainment law at UCLA.

Gold is a self-admitted poker-book addict and, upon pursuing his professional poker dreams, played 40 hours a week at LA-area casinos.

The final table at the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event included four professionals, an insurance broker, and ad salesman, a recent college graduate, and a retired businessman. Gold knocked six of them out himself.

Gold outplayed 8,773 entrants for the win.