Jamie Gold's Story After the 2006 World Series of Poker
In 2006, Jamie Gold walked away from the World Series of Poker with $12 million and the biggest first-place prize in Main Event history.
Almost immediately, he delivered a masterclass in how quickly things can unravel. Lawsuits, lost sponsorships, a failed poker room, and a casino ship project that sank (only financially).
This is the story of Jamie Gold, after winning poker's most prestigious event.
The $12M WSOP Main Event Win & Troubles
The 2006 WSOP Main Event was one of the largest we’ve ever seen. It attracted 8,773 entries and generously paid $12 million for first.
Gold dominated it, running like a god, and holding the chip lead from Day 3 without ever being all-in for his tournament life.
It was one of the most incredible runs the Main Event has ever seen. Some years, it almost feels like the winner was destined for victory. 2006 was one of those years.
The tournament was magical, but the celebration was short-lived. Within weeks, Jamie Gold was in a courtroom.
The Crispin Leyser Lawsuit for Half of $12 Million
Los Angeles TV producer Bruce Crispin Leyser sued Gold just weeks after the win, his lawyers handing over a 28-page legal document to the judge. Inside the many pages was an application for a temporary restraint on the $12 million Gold had won.
It took the judge 34 minutes to approve it.
Bruce Crispin Leyser claimed Gold had agreed to split his winnings 50/50.
The arrangement stemmed from Gold’s deal with Bodog. Gold would get celebrities to wear the Bodog patch, and his $10,000 Main Event ticket would be paid for.
At some point, Gold and Leyser verbally agreed that whichever one of them played the Main Event would secure 50% of the winnings.
On the morning of the final table, Gold left a voicemail for Leyser. He spoke about how he would use a corporation to pay Leyser his share, likely to avoid taxes.
He also firmly reassured Leyser that his share was safe.
“I promise you, you can keep this recording on my word. There's no possible way you're not going to get your half after taxes. So please just be with me. I can't imagine you're going to have a problem with it."
Gold then mentioned that he didn’t want to stress about the money on such an important day, but that Leyser also shouldn’t stress.
“You've trusted me the whole way. You can trust me a little bit more. I promise you there's no way anybody will go anywhere with your money. It's your money. All right, I send you love. Thank you for your support."
The court froze $6 million of Gold's prize, which seems appropriate. The two eventually settled for an undisclosed amount, widely believed to be around half of the Main Event score.
Jamie disputed this, even as recently as 2026.
The sponsorship deal Gold had with Bodog was also terminated in late 2006 for reasons that were never made public.
Jamie Tries His Hand at High Stakes Televised Poker
Even after the legal troubles, Gold was still a poker celebrity. Many fans probably weren’t watching the case with Leyser unfold, or didn’t care about it.
Jamie created some of the most memorable moments on High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark. His big smile and bigger personality are what we recall, not the results. He was out of his depth against seasoned cash game pros and even behind some of the more amateur players.
In hindsight, it was a terrible financial decision. Cash games were not his strength, and the games were set at the highest stakes, against players in their prime, like Patrick Antonius, Phil Ivey, and Daniel Negreanu.
He largely broke even across his High Stakes Poker appearances, but the content stands the test of time. The clips below are some of the best.
It's safe to say that if Jamie Gold was at your online table, you'd tear him apart.
But, what about players who are better than Jamie? Are you ready for them?
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The Tropicana Creates The Jamie Gold Poker Room
Now, we have to skip forward several years, because Jamie disappeared from the limelight. Perhaps his accountant forbade him to play in televised cash games, or he’d gotten weary of the attention.
When he returned, Gold slapped his name onto a new venture, the "Jamie Gold Poker Room." This cardroom in the Tropicana Las Vegas had signed Gold on as spokesperson and ambassador, and he’d promised monthly appearances. Gold called it, “the most fun you can possibly have in Vegas with your clothes on.”
“I’m going to be here just about every night, playing every game in the room,” Jamie said in a promotional video.
The Jamie Gold Poker Room allowed players to run it twice, straddle, and encouraged table talk when heads up.
It seemed to be a good pairing, especially at the time. But for whatever reason, Gold’s room was closed after a couple of years.
The Main Event Bracelet Gets Sold for $65K
A World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet is extremely special within the poker world. No other poker series has ever created a trophy like it.
In mid-2013, Gold's 2006 WSOP Main Event bracelet (259 stones, seven carats of diamonds, 120 grams of gold) was listed at Heritage Auctions.
Gold publicly denied selling the bracelet:
“It’s a legal issue that I can’t talk about, but what I can say is that I am not selling it, I would never do that. It’s really unfortunate what has been happening. It is out of my hands, but it’s not something I wish was happening. I’m not purposefully selling; I’m not involved in the auction and will not be making $1 if it does end up being sold.”
However, even though Gold wasn’t selling it this time, he'd probably sold it before.
Noah Fleisher, the Director of Public Relations for Heritage Auctions, stated:
"It is not Mr. Gold auctioning it, but he obviously sold it to someone, for some reason, at an earlier point, but I do not know any details beyond that."
The bracelet sold for $65,725 in a live auction to an anonymous bidder.
Island Breeze: A Casino Ship Business That Couldn’t Get Afloat
By 2013, Gold described himself as a partner with Island Breeze International, a company developing gambling facilities across Florida.
Just off the coast of Palm Beach, their flagship property was moored. It was a full Las Vegas-style casino on water, holding up to 20 tables for different games, along with slot machines and a full bar. The company spent $3 million upgrading the ship and said they “didn’t cut a single corner” to do it.
Up to 550 passengers could come on board for a $10 ticket price, and each one of them could have a chance to rub shoulders with Jamie, if he were there.
“Jamie is an attraction, and he does have a following,” he said. “He’s a great addition to our team.”
It didn't last. Within roughly two years of launching, Island Breeze ceased operations entirely due to a combination of financial and technical problems. The owners eventually filed for bankruptcy.
The ship was moored in 2025 and abandoned, and may still be rotting away as we speak.
Interestingly, it was recently visited by a famous YouTube channel, Exploring with Josh.
In his video, you can catch the Jamie Gold Poker Room at the 23:35 mark.
The Later Years: Poker, Philanthropy & Entertainment Work
Jamie Gold will probably never make waves in the poker world as he did in 2006, but he’s still playing. He even confirmed his attendance in the 2025 WSOP Paradise, but couldn’t cash.
Since his $12 million win in 2006, he’s cashed for about $600,000. He’s had plenty of smaller scores, but only two above $100,000. But that’s the nature of a once-in-a-lifetime score. It doesn’t tend to repeat itself.
Gold was still busy away from the table.
Over roughly a decade, he became a fixture on the celebrity charity circuit, hosting and emceeing close to 360 events. He’s apparently involved in raising over $600 million for causes, including the ALS Association, a cause personal to him. His stepfather died from the disease just months after Gold's 2006 win.
He's also stayed active in entertainment through Buzznation, his production company, and took on a strategic advisor role with sports betting analytics startup Rithmm in 2025.
In 2024, Commerce Casino named him team captain and coach for their WSOP circuit roster.
He told reporters:
“Stepping into the role of team captain for The Commerce Casino’s professional poker team fills me with a profound sense of honor and excitement. It’s not merely a duty, but a privilege to guide and mentor such a talented group of players. Together, we’ll fuse our strategic prowess, refined skills, and unwavering passion for the game to make an impact at the tables.”
Never mind that Jamie once said, "I don't think I'm the best poker player. I just had a great run and made the most of it."
Despite all the failed ventures and flash-in-the-pan poker success, he’s still around, in one way or another.
It seems like he’ll be there for this year’s World Series of Poker, maybe to recreate his 2006 victory.
Nobody has ever won the Main Event twice in the modern era.
Doyle Brunson won back-to-back Main Events in 1976 and 1977. Johnny Chan also won back-to-back Main Events in 1987 and 1988. But this was a different time, and fields were incredibly small compared to today.
But, there’s always a chance.
Speaking of chances, you've got lots of chances to enter the World Series this year, for super low cost.
GGPoker is sending 1,000 players, Winamax is giving out WSOP packages, and a few other sites are running satellite pathways.
Play online, and visit the world's most prestigious poker tournament this year.
