Former Agent Strikes Gold In Poker

Jamie Gold Takes $12 Million Grand Prize In World Series Of Poker

(AP) 
"I'm feeling disappointed," said Friberg, the third Swede to make it to the World Series' final table in the past three years. "I don't know what happened out there."

Doug Kim, a 22-year-old recent Duke University graduate from Martsdale, N.Y., went out in seventh when he pushed in for all of his some 4 million in chips holding pocket nines and a flop of three, four, four. But Wasicka had him covered with pocket queens.

"I thought this was as good a spot as any to stick it in there," said Kim, who finished with a $2,391,520 payday. "I'm satisfied with my play. I have no regrets."

Gold's third victim of the final table was 55-year-old retired San Antonio businessman Richard Lee, who Gold had been reraising all night.

Just calling the big blind, or limping, with pocket queens, Gold watched as Lee raised to 1.2 million. Gold set the trap by reraising to 4 million and Lee, holding pocket jacks, went all-in for twice that amount, which Gold called instantly.

Lee busted out in sixth for a payday of $2,803,851.

A gracious Lee denied that the bluff set him up for a fall. "I knew he had some kind of a hand, I just didn't give him credit for that big of a hand."

Later, Rhett Butler, a 45-year-old insurance agent from Rockville, Md., busted out in fifth for a $3.22 million payday when he moved all-in with pocket fours but Gold called with a king and jack and got a jack on the board for a higher pair.

Michael Binger, a 29-year-old of Atherton, Calif., with a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford, was wiped out in third, for $4.12 million. Gold called an all-in bet holding an unsuited three and four and made a straight on the turn.

Even tournament pro Allen Cunningham, 29, of Las Vegas, fell in fourth when his pocket 10s failed as Gold's king and jack made a pair of jacks on the board.

Cunningham, who won his fourth World Series event last month, was favored by some to win the main event because of his experience. But once Gold controlled more than half the 87.7 million chips in circulation, he made it difficult for other players to raise pots with anything but undoubtedly the best hand.