JAMIE GOLD WINS 2006 WSOP CHAMPIONSHIP

Final Table Results: 1: Jamie Gold $12,000,000 2: Paul Wasicka $6,102,499 3: Michael Binger $4,123,310 4: Allen Cunningham $3,628,513 5: Rhett Butler $3,216,182 6: Richard Lee 2,803,851 7: Doug Kim $2,391,520 8: Erik Friberg $1,979,189 9: Dan Nassif $1,566,858Final Table Starting Chip Counts:
1 Jamie Gold (Malibu, CA) 26.5M
2 Allen Cunningham (Las Vegas, NV)17.7M
3 Erik Friberg (Stockholm, Sweden) 11.82M
4 Richard Lee (San Antonio, TX) 9.725M
5 Paul Wasicka (Westiminster, CO) 7.97M
6 Doug Kim (Hartsdale, NY) 6.77M
7 Rhett Butler (Rockville, MD) 4.815M
8 Michael Binger (Atherton, CA) 3.14M
9 Dan Nassif (St. Louis, MO) 2.84M

The final table was comprised of one of the most underrated poker players on the tournament circuit, a retired businessman from Texas, a Swedish internet pro, a former bartender from Colorado, an ad exec from St. Louis, a Stanford grad with a PhD in physics, a 22 year-old recent Duke University grad, a former Hollywood agent, and an insurance agent.

Joe Hachem started play when he announced, “Shuffle up and deal!”

On the fifth hand of the final table, Dan Nassif is out in 9th place when his A-K lost to Jamie Gold’s 2-2. Gold flopped a set. Nassif won $1,566,858.

Allen Cunningham took a huge hit when he got outkicked by Jamie Gold. Cunningham had 9-7, while Gold had 10-9 on a board of 8-9-9-5-A. Cunningham slipped to 3rd in chips with 12M, as Richard Lee jumped up into second place. Lee added to his stack when Jamie Gold lost a $6M plus pot to Richard Lee’s Ac-Jx. Lee turned a pair of Jacks and missed a nut flush draw. But his pair held up.

Sweden’s Erik Friberg busted out on the 57th hand of the final table. Jamie Gold had Q-Q and Erik Friberg flipped over J-J. Gold’s hand held up as Friberg busted out in 8th place. Gold’s stack jumped up to over $40M. Friberg won $1,979,189.

Michael Binger doubled through Allen Cuningham when he turned a straight. But Binger got crippled by Paul Wasicka’s A-J when he pushed all in with A-9. Wasicka made a run and jumped up to 4th in chips.

Doug Kim busted out in 7th place when his 9-9 ran into Paul Wasicka’s Q-Q. On a flop of 4-3-4, Wasicka bet $1M and Kim pushed all in. Wasicka called with Hiltons, which held up. Doug Kim won $2,391,520 for 7th place. Paul Wasicka jumped up to 3rd in chips with $14 million.

Allen Cunningham took a hit when Michael Binger won a race with him. He was still in third place, trailing both Lee and Gold. Cunningham sniffed out a bluff against Gold and won a pot with just ace high. But Cunningham doubled up Binger once again when his Q-J lost to Binger’s A-Q.

On Hand 122, Richard Lee busted out in 6th place when his J-J lost to Jamie Gold’s Q-Q. Lee won $2,803,851 for 6th place as Gold’s stack peaked over $52M in chips. At the dinner break, Paul Wasicka was in second place with $14M with Cunningham sitting in 3rd.

After dinner, Rhett Butler moved all in and Allen Cunningham and Jamie Gold both called. Gold bet out on the flop of J-6-5 and Cunningham folded. Gold showed K-J and Butler had 4-4. Butler’s hand did not improve and he took 5th place. Butler won $3,216,182. Gold still held the lead with close to $50M. He had more chips than the remaining players combined.

Allen Cunningham busted out in 4th place when his 10-10 lost a race to Jamie Gold’s K-J when Gold flopped a King. Cunningham won $3,628,513 for 4th place. That’s an impressive finish for a pro in a field of several thousand fish and donkeys.

Michael Binger busted out in 3rd place from a suckout by Jamie Gold. Binger flopped top pair on a board of 10-6-5, but Gold pushed all in with an OESD with 3-4. He caught a 7 on the turn and sent Binger to the rail. Binger won $4,123,310.

Jamie Gold held a 74M to 11M lead over Paul Wasicka when they began heads up play. On the 7th hand of heads up play, Jamie Gold became the 2006 WSOP Champion.

On the final hand, Gold limped and Paul Wasicka checked his big blind option. On a flop of Qc-8h-5h, Wasicka bet 1.5 million and Gold moved all in. Wasicka called with 10-10. Gold showed Q-9. The turn was an ace and a 4. Gold’s Q-9 held up and he became the 2006 WSOP Champion winning $12 million. Paul Wasicka finished in second place and won $6,102,499.

“I couldn’t have done this without the support of the people in my life,” Gold said as he was nearly in tears. “I’m a very needy person. And they helped me out a lot over the last few days getting me water and massages and blueberries.”

Congrats to Jamie Gold on a job well done.