Start Here For PokerPoker Tips and Tools BlogBy Lynda Collins
Just call him Goldfinger, the man with the Midas touch.
Just about everything Jamie Gold touched the past week turned to, well, gold -- $12 million worth.
The 37-year-old Hollywood talent agent ran roughshod over a field of 8,773 players, including some of poker's brightest stars, in winning the 37th World Series of Poker's $10,000 buy-in Texas No-Limit Hold'em event at Harrah's Rio Hotel and Casino.
Gold, who won the day's first pot as well as its last, claimed his title in the wee hours of Friday morning after busting out seven of his eight opponents at the Final Table and 16 of the last 27 survivors.
En route to the championship, he methodically built the largest chip stack in WSOP history, at times more than doubling the stack of his closest opponent.
By the time he and runnerup Paul Wasicka of Westminster, Colo., who collected $6.1 million, entered their abbreviated heads-up session, Gold had 85 percent of the chips spread out in front of him.
"Phenomenal," "incredible" and "stupendous" were just a few of the adjectives observers showered on Gold.
"Unbelievable," was Gold's choice of words.
The first thing an exhuberant Gold did after hugging friends, family and fans was call his father, who suffers from Lou Gerhig's Disease and couldn't be present.
That caused obvious emotional stress as Gold lowered his head into his hands, his mood suddenly becoming reflective.
"He'd gladly give back the $12 million if it would cure his father," confided one of Gold's friends
"What I want to do in life is make great entertainment," said Gold, whose client list reads like a Who's Who in Hollywood.
"Otherwise, all I want to do is play poker.
"I'm supposed to be in charge of a major production right now, but I got two weeks off because they (his associates) knew how much this meant to me and they believed in me."
It took more than 12 hours for the first five finalists to bust out, but less than 90 minutes for elimination of the other three, including two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner Allen Cunningham of Las Vegas, the player many felt would face Gold in heads-up play.
Cunningham, to his utter dismay, finished fourth, earning $3.628 million.
A large crowd of fellow pros had turned out to lend their support, including Daniel Negreanu, Mike "The Mouth" Matusow, Robert Williamson III, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi and Jennifer Harman.
"I want Allen to win because a lot of people don't realize what a great player he is," Harman said.
Three-time WSOP champ Johnny Chan, on the other hand, served as Gold's main advisor, huddling with him often to offer pointers.
The only professional at the Final Table, Cunningham was so distraught at losing what may be his only real shot at the championship, he declined to be interviewed by ESPN, which was taping the tournament, and stiffed a large assemblage of reporters from throughout the world who had gathered in the media center.
In eliminating Cunningham, third-place finisher Michael Binger of Atherton, Calif., raised to $1,100,000 from the cutoff.
Gold called from the button and Cunningham moved all-in for $6.5 million from the big blind.
Binger folded and Gold made the call.
Cunningham showed the 10 of clubs and 10 of hearts, while Gold turned over the jack and king of diamonds.
The board came ace of spades, king of spades, eight of hearts, 7 of clubs and 3 of spades.
Binger, winner of $4.1 million, followed Cunningham out the door 45 minutes later.
Gold limped in from the button and Wasicka from the small blind.
Binger raised to $1.5 million from the big blind.
Gold and Wasicka both called and the flop came 10 of clubs, 6 of spades and and 5 of spades.
Wasicka checked, Binger bet $3.5 million and Gold moved all-in.
Wasicka folded and Binger called, displaying the 10 and ace of hearts.
Gold turned over the 4 of spades and 3 of clubs for an open-ended straight draw.
The turn was the 7 of clubs and Gold made his straight.
The river was the queen of spades and it was revealed that had Wasicka not folded, he would've won the hand with a flush.
The consensus opinion was the Coloradan simply was eyeing a runnerup finish at that point and wanted to get Binger out of the way., something which Wasicka denied during his press conference.
The 2006 WSOP became history about 40 minutes later.
Gold raised to $1.7 million and Wasicka called.
The flop came queen of clubs, 8 of hearts and 5 of hearts.
Wasicka bet $1.5 million and Gold went all-in.
Wasicka called and turned over a pair of 10s, while Gold showed the queen of spades and 9 of clubs for a pair of queens.
Fourth Street was the ace of diamonds and the river was the four of clubs as Gold's ladies held up.
Despite his record-shattering performace, there was widespread murmuring that Gold, whose previous earnings totaled just $92,000, had failed to win the respect of most professionals.
"In poker, you have to earn respect," media relations director Nolan Dalla said.
"Money is not respect.
"There are many flashes in the pan who come and go.
"I'd never heard of Mr. Gold before.
"He was an unknown in the poker world.
"It's sort of like the Kentucky Derby.
"You have a new champion every year.
"But how many Triple Crown winners have we had?
"They're the great ones.
"What Jamie Gold has done is truly remarkable and the winner deserves respect.
"He may be one of the best, but in poker you have to pay your dues and that means winning more than one tournament."
Gold's Final Table rivals weren't into dissing the champ.
"I've never seen anything like it," said Rhett Butler of Rockville, Md., who fell victim to the high price of blinds and antes.
"He forces people to make plays."
"He's a very good player who plays the big stack well," Binger added.
"He's like a vacuum cleaner and he can catch the bluffs."
Daniel Nassif was the first to bust out at the Final Table.
He was followed, in order, by Erik Friburg, Doug Kim, Richard Lee, Butler, Cunningham, Binger and Wasicka.
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