Winner of the 2006 Main Event; number one on poker's all time money list
Jamie Gold, the 2006 Main Event Champion Champion, began his poker odyssey when he was a young boy. His mother, who is also a keen poker player, first taught him to play while he was still a small child. At the same time, he also learned a great deal about card strategy from his grandfather, who was a champion gin rummy player.
Jamie didn't do much with his card-playing skills until much later in life when he met two-time WSOP Main Event Winner Johnny Chan. Jamie idolized Chan after seeing the poker film Rounders; in fact, he believed that Chan was the best player who ever lived. Whenever possible, Jamie would pick Chan's brain for whatever poker advice he could get. And, although Jamie didn't get the chance to talk to Chan very often, he says that merely having the chance to talk with his idol provided a huge inspiration for his poker career.
It was shortly after this, in 2005, that Jamie began playing poker tournaments regularly. His first major win at the Bicycle Casino earned him a staggering $54,225 - not bad for someone who was just starting out. In the next 12 months, Jamie won prizes in seven more California tournaments, all of which turned out to be small potatoes compared to what was in store.
Entering the 2006 WSOP Main Event as a complete unknown, Jamie ended up at the final table and eliminated seven of his eight opponents - a truly amazing feat. He took home a record $12 million - the largest Main Event prize in history. As a result, his total career tournament earnings are higher than any other poker player in history.
Jamie Gold, the man with the Midas touch, is definitely going to be one to watch on Poker After Dark.
