Who is Jamie Gold

Gold is known for discovering, nurturing, and launching the careers of some of the most respected and successful artists in the entertainment business. His impressive list of current and former clients include many famous actors including James Gandolfini from the Sopranos as well as Poker legend Johnny Chan.

Jamie Gold started his career in the entertainment business at the age of 16 as an intern at the J. Michael Bloom & Associates Talent Agency in NYC. He attended the University of New York at Albany, graduating with honors. Moving to Los Angeles in the summer of 1991 to study Entertainment Law at UCLA, he made the move to the boutique Harter Manning Woo Talent Agency to find his niche discovering new talent and developing the careers of artists. After being honored as the youngest franchised agent in the industry before his 21st birthday, in two years he became the head of HMW's Motion Picture/TV Department. In 1993, he worked nights/weekends without pay at Universal to learn the production system of studios. In 1994, Gold then co-founded the management/production entity Gold/Bouchard. With 5 managers representing actors, writers, directors, producers and musicians, they packaged projects with high profile entities such as Silver Pictures and Phoenix Pictures. In 1996, Gold embarked on a solo venture, JMG Management, a significantly smaller and more personalized company.

In the world of Poker, Gold won the largest prize in history making him #1 in all time winnings of any poker player. And according to ESPN, "this was one of the most dominant performances in all of sports history"

Through his charismatic, calm, composed attitude and a willingness to bet big, Jamie Gold was able to become the biggest winner in WSOP history. He reached the top of the heap in one week-long leap, utterly destroying his competition and winning the game with a masterful bluff. He claims that he has a deep love for poker and will continue playing...

Jamie's charismatic and carefree approach to the game is highlighted by his behavior in the 2006 WSOP tournament. Every day that he played, he was seen snacking on a bowl of blue berries. According to the Jamie, the berries were one of the key factors that helped him win. Why? Not because of great flavor or high protein, but because he had feasted on some of the tasty berries during his first day of play and didn't want to change a thing for fear of lifting Lady Luck's vote of favor!

Like many other great poker players, Jamie Gold began his life as something entirely different - a talent agent. Through his work, he brought some of today's big stars into the spotlight; big names such as Lucy Liu, Jimmy Fallon, and Kristin Davis once worked closely with the now-famous Gold. He began his move into the professional world by obtaining his bachelor's degree from the University of New York, and continued on to begin his study of entertainment law. At the age of 21 he had acquired a good reputation in the world of entertainment, and continued in his life of success by founding an entirely new talent agency, JMG Management. Through this organization's involvement with the world of poker, Gold became acquainted with renowned poker star Johnny Chan, who gave the young businessman a few tips about the business of professional poker.

Gold began his foray into the 2006 World Series of Poker as a celebrity player, but quickly outstripped his competition and calmly moved up the ladder, leaving his celebrity companions in the dust. After seven days of play, in which Gold stayed entirely calm and composed and won with precision and skill, he was offered a contract to join the world of truly professional poker. A few hours later, he won his first WSOP title. His skill, which his opponents realized was far beyond that of his fellow celebrities, was honed by constant play at a Los Angeles casino near his home. He learned strategy by reading a myriad of poker books, and he apparently "caught the bug" for poker from his mother, who was an avid player during Jamie's youth. His grandfather was a gambler as well - an actual champion of gin rummy. Support from his mother and grandfather was incredibly important as Jamie began his first movement into the professional poker world, and family affirmation kept him going even at points when he believed he couldn't. Gold is a classic example of family ties holding him up and bringing victory closer to his grasp.

Gold also owes part of his success as a poker player to the acting talent that he is constantly surrounded by; he knows people, and has an uncanny knack for knowing their hands as well. He is talkative during the game, smooth and calm, calculating all the time inside that Hollywood head of his. Yet the moment that he won his first WSOP title, he was up from his chair with the biggest grin imaginable spread across his face.

Part of his fame in the sport comes from the incredibly small percentage of players who started the way he did; at the final table of the tournament, he single-handedly knocked out seven of the eight professional-grade players he was up against, and won the game with a brilliant bluff. As video cameras took in every move, Jamie Gold finished at the winners' table and then, after his first ecstatic reaction had worn off, flipped open his cell phone. "Hi Dad," he said, as cameras picked up every word, "It's Jamie. Are you there? I just won!"

Jamie's charismatic and carefree approach to the game is highlighted by his behavior in the 2006 WSOP tournament. Every day that he played, he was seen snacking on a bowl of blue berries. According to the Jamie, the berries were one of the key factors that helped him win. Why? Not because of great flavor or high protein, but because he had feasted on some of the tasty berries during his first day of play and didn't want to change a thing for fear of lifting Lady Luck's vote of favor!