Jamie Gold started playing poker at home with his mother and grandfather. After graduating from New York, Gold studied entertainment law at UCLA. He then worked as a talent agent with several high-profile agencies, ultimately starting his own firm JMG Management. He handled the careers of the likes of Felicity Huffman and Lucy Liu. Later he turned television producer. While working on a poker show he came into contact with Chris Moneymaker and Johnny Chan. It was Chan who mentored Gold and was largely responsible for the latter’s stupendous performance in WSOP 2006. Gold also is a self confessed poker books junkie and has learnt a lot from poker books.

Gold’s entry into the world of live poker tournaments was through the 2006 WSOP Main Event. He won a prize money of $12 million, which to date is the largest prize given out in any event at any WSOP. However controversy began to dog him immediately after the event. Poker player Crispin Leyser filed a lawsuit asking for half of Gold’s winnings claiming that Gold had agreed to pay him half of what he won for getting celebrities to wear Bodog gear. Bodog was Gold’s sponsor at the WSOP 2006. It took two years to settle that issue. Since then Gold’s performance in live poker tournaments has been mediocre. However he heads the total tournament earnings tally on account of this single victory. Gold’s total live tournament earnings are about $12.2 million. He has had 2 first place finishes and 16 cashes.

Before his WSOP 2006 win Gold regularly played cash games at the Commerce, Bicycle and Hustler Casinos near Los Angeles.

Despite not having played any online poker Gold was sponsored for WSOP 2006 event by the online poker room Bodog Poker. After his victory Gold signed a two-year contract with Bodog. The agreement included tournament buy-ins, promotional appearances, a $1 million television production deal and his own table on Bodog. Unfortunately the deal fell through in January 2007.

Recently Gold signed up with another online poker room Aced Poker. Members of Aced Poker can play online poker against Gold in a variety of online poker tournaments in Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud, Razz, and Draw Poker.

In March 2009 the ACED team comprising Gold, his girlfriend Ashley Nataupsky and Houston Waldie won the second Dream Team Poker event. However it was Ashley and not Gold who was the team’s best performer. She finished fourth while Gold finished ninth.

Gold regularly uses his contacts from his talent scout days to organize charity poker tournaments for a variety of causes. In all Gold has raised over $110 million from more than 50 charity events. The beneficiaries include the Sunflower Organization, Montel Williams MS Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Children Uniting Nations.

Gold is also the President of Production of a company called Buzznation. This company creates a series of television serials in which the sponsor’s product plays an important role in the story. This is the latest form of marketing.

Gold resides in Malibu in California.