WSOP Main Event Final Table *Spoilers*

[YANKS]

Dan Nassif Eliminated 9th ($1,566,858)
Jamie Gold calls from early position and Dan Nassif raises to $700,000 from the button. Jamie Gold makes the call and checks in the dark. The flop comes 5s3s2 and Nassif moves all in. Gold immediately makes the call and shows 2h2s for a set. Nassif turns over AcKd and is behind. The turn is the Ah and Nassif needs a four for a chopped pot. However, the river is the 10s and Dan Nassif has been eliminated in 9th place.

[FPN]

Good....

.I want Gold to go far.

[YANKS]

Jamie Gold Takes A Huge Pot
22. Jamie Gold calls from under the gun, Erik Friberg calls from late position, Allen Cunningham limps from the button and Doug Kim checks his big blind. The flop comes 9d9h8hand Kim checks. Gold bets $1,000,000 and Friberg makes the call. Cunningham also calls the bet and Kim folds. The turn is the 5s and Gold checks. Friberg checks and Cunningham bets $2,000,000. Gold makes the call and Friberg checks. The river is the As and Gold checks. Cunningham bets $2,000,000 and Gold makes the call. Gold shows 10-9 and Cunningham shows a nine as he mucks his hand. Gold rakes a huge pot.

Note: the # before each of these is the hand #.

Gold is almost double 2nd place right now with $32M in chips..

[YANKS]

Erik Friberg Eliminated 8th ($1,979,189)
57. Erik Friberg calls from under the gun and Jamie Gold raises to $1,000,000 from the button. Friberg moves all in and Gold immediately calls. Friberg shows JcJs but Gold turns over QdQh. The board comes 7c3s2h10cQc and Erik Friberg has been eliminated in 8th place.

[TheGreenHornet]

looks like gold is having one heck of a run. catching big hands at the oppurtune time.

[YANKS]

Doug Kim Eliminated 7th ($2,391,520)
84. Paul Wasicka raises to $700,000 from middle position and Doug Kim calls from the button. The flop comes 4d4s3s and Wasicka bets $1,000,000. Kim moves all in and Wasicka calls immediately. Kim shows 9d9h but Wasicka turns over QcQh. Kim is all in and will need to improve. The turn is the Js and the river is the 7s. Doug Kim has been eliminated in 7th place.

[sportznutt]

sports.espn.go.com/espn/poker/news/story?id=2546574

Former Hollywood talent agent Jamie Gold pulled off his best acting job ever early Friday, bluffing his way to victory at the World Series of Poker and taking home the grand prize of $12 million.

Final results and payout
Name Prize
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 $1,566,858

Gold, of Malibu, Calif., somehow convinced Paul Wasicka he had a weaker hand, getting him to push all his chips in the pot. The 36-year-old Gold screamed for joy to see Wasicka pocket 10s to his pair of queens.

[YANKS]

Richard Lee Eliminated 6th ($2,803,851)
122. Jamie Gold calls from the cutoff and Richard Lee raises from the small blind to $1,200,000. Gold reraises to $4,000,000 and Lee moves all in. Gold immediately calls and shows QdQs. Lee turns over JhJs and will need to improve. The board comes KdKs3d6h10c and Richard Lee has been eliminated from the tournament in 6th place.

Money Presentation
The $12,000,000 first place prize has just been brought in and and placed to the side of the final table.

Rhett Butler Eliminated 5th ($3,216,182)
170. Allen Cunningham raises to $900,000 from the cutoff, Jamie Gold calls from the small blind and Rhett Butler moves all in from the big blind for $2,075,000. Cunningham and Gold both make the call and the flop comes Jd6h5d. Cunningham and Gold both check. The turn is the 2c and Gold bets $2,000,000. Cunningham folds and Gold shows KcJh for a pair of jacks. Butler turns over 4h4s and the river is the 10c. Rhett Butler has been eliminated in 5th place.

Allen Cunningham Eliminated 4th ($3,628,513)
208. Michael Binger raises to $1,100,000 from the cutoff, Jamie Gold calls from the button and Allen Cunningham moves all in for $6,500,000 from the big blind. Binger folds an Gold makes the call. Cunningham shows 10c10d and Gold turns over KdJd. The board comes AsKs8h7c3s and Allen Cunningham has been eliminated in 4th place.

The updated chip counts are:
Jamie Gold............$64,000,000
Paul Wasicka........$14,000,000
Michael Binger......$11,000,000

Michael Binger Eliminated 3rd ($4,123,310)
229. Gold limps from the button and Wasicka limps from the small blind. Michael Binger raises to $1,500,000 from the big blind. Both Gold and Wasicka call and the flop comes 10c6s5s. Wasicka checks, Binger bets $3,500,000 and Gold moves all in. Wasicka folds and Binger calls. Binger shows Ah10h and Gold turns over 4s3c for an open ended straight draw. The turn is the 7c and Gold makes a straight. The river is the Qs and Michael Binger is eliminated in 3rd place.

The updated chip counts are:
Jamie Gold................$78,975,000
Paul Wasicka............$11,225,000

Jamie Gold Wins The Main Event ($12,000,000)
236. Jamie Gold raises to $1,700,000 and Paul Wasicka makes the call. The flop comes Qc8h5h. Paul Wasicka bets $1,500,000 and Jamie Gold moves all in. Wasicka calls and shows 10h10s. However, Gold turns over Qs9c for a pair of queens. The turn is the Ad and the river is the 4c.

Paul Wasicka is eliminated from the tournament in 2nd place and earns $6,102,499.

Jamie Gold wins the $10,000 Main Event, the bracelet and $12,000,000.

[YANKS]

Jaime Gold Wins The 2006 WSOP Main Event
As Good As Gold - Jaime Gold Takes Home $12,000,000 Cash Prize and WSOP Bracelet

Eight flat screen TV’s, over 150 seats, an elaborate lighting system and television set, 300 fans lined up two hours before start time, all at the Rio’s Amazon Room, all brought together for the crowning of the 2006 World Series of Poker champ - aka The $12,000,000 Man.

The nine remaining players, survivors of a 8,773 starting field, received a full opening ceremony at the start of the day. Former Aerosmith guitarist Jimmy Crespo performed the National Anthem and sponsor Corum presented each participant with diamond-encrusted “Royal Flush” watches.

Joe Hachem, in his last duties as poker’s reigning champion, wished the soon-to-be title holder well, then kicked off action with an emotional “shuffle up and deal.”

At 2:10 p.m. PDT the last day of the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event began in Level 31 with $80,000 - $160,000 blinds and $20,000 antes.

In a tournament that moved so fast players received an unscheduled day off, fans and media expected eliminations to come quick - they were not disappointed.

Harrahs followed up Binger’s elimination by pouring the $12,000,000 first place prize onto the final table felt, and presenting the diamond-laced WSOP bracelet.

The chip counts going into heads up action were as follows:
1. Jaime Gold - $78,975,000
2. Paul Wasicka - $11,225,000

After eleven days of intense tournament action, and 8,771 eliminations, the 2006 Main Event championship came down to a two men.

Gold, a television producer from Malibu, California, dominated the latter half of tournament play, punctuated by a unheard of four day run as chip boss.

A 25 year old poker pro, Wasicka took a much more low-key road to heads up action. The Westminister, Colorado native floated around the middle of the leader board throughout the Main Event, and did not crack the end of day top-ten chip counts until Day 7 – when he advanced to the final table.

Overcoming Gold’s chip lead, however, proved too much even for a player who had survived the largest field in WSOP history.

At 3:43 a.m. PDT, after twenty minutes of heads up play, Gold made a $1,700,000 raise. Wasicka bet $1,500,000 on the Qc 8h 5h flop, and Gold re-popped all in. After several minutes of thinking about the hand, Wasicka called and flipped over the 10h 10s.

Upon seeing Wasicka’s cards, Gold threw his hands in the air and turned over the Qs 9c. His cheering section erupted, chanting “Gold! Gold! Gold!” The rest of the Amazon Room soon joined in the celebration, as the Ad turn and 4c river closed play on the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Despite the runner-up finish, Wasicka walked away with $6,102,499 and the realization of the ultimate career goal.

“It’s a dream come true to make it to that final table,” Wasicka told Card Player’s Ryan Luchessi. “You can’t really put into words how amazing the experience was.”

As for Gold, poker’s newest champion saw his $12,000,000 cash prize and new found title as gifts to be shared with friends and family.

The first two things Gold did upon winning the bracelet – hug his mother and make a call to his father.

“Today happened to be my day, but I hope from now on it can be their [friends and family] day,” Gold said after his bracelet presentation. “I can’t wait to do for them what they’ve done for me. We’re all going to have a really good time with this money.”

So how did Gold win $12,000,000 and poker’s most prestigious title? What was his strategy in besting 8,772 opponents.

“I’m playing against the other players, while they’re trying to play their cards.” Gold told Card Player. “I sit down at every table with the same strategy – I want to find out how they’re playing and I want to figure out how to beat them.”

Props again to cardplayer.com for their great coverage of the 2006 WSOP! Be sure to tune into ESPN for all of this year's TV coverage.