Jamie Gold, a film producer and former Hollywood talent agent, won the gold bracelet and $12 million in prize money at the Main Event of the 2006 WSOP. Paul Wasicka came in at second place.

Just a little over an hour before midnight Friday, August 18, casino executives and guards escorted 14 briefcases from a vault at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and deposited the contents at the gaming area where the Main Event of the World Series of Poker was being concluded.

The money was placed on a large, reinforced poker table an arms reach from the final table of the $10,000 buy-in Texas Hold’em tournament.

More than half a ton of $100 bills stared the final five players in the face. Out of an original 8,773, the five survived the cut since beginning play July 28. The prize money unloaded totaled $12 million.

Jamie Gold was the lucky grand champion in the event, a 36-year old television producer and former Hollywood talent agent. Gold won the $12 million first place prize, taken from the record $85 million in total prize money.

“This was the best poker I’ve played in my life,” Gold said. “I was lucky sometimes, but I outplayed others on a lot of other occasions. I think I played well for the last week. I protected myself well, I protected my big chips leads, and I was on a good roll.”

“(Gold) played awesome,” second placer Paul Wasicka said. “His play got better every day. I thought I had a good read on him, but he was tough.”

Wednesday, November 14 , 2007