Jamie Gold Chasing Second Bracelet on 20th Anniversary of WSOP Main Event Win

Twenty years after his iconic WSOP Main Event victory, Jamie Gold is making another deep bracelet run, this time in honor of his veteran father.

Gold, whose $12 million Main Event payday remains the second-largest in WSOP history, sits among the chip leaders with just 80 players remaining from 4,478 entries in the annual WSOP $500 SALUTE to Warriors event. This year’s tournament will donate more than $180,000 to the USO, which supports the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

“My dad was in the service, so I always like to play this Salute to Warriors event,” the former world champion explained. “It’s never easy with 4,500 entries. I’ll be happy if I just make the final table, and then of course I’ll feel like I have to win it! One goal at a time.”

Gold Rush in the SALUTE

If Gold is taking it one step at a time, the approach is certainly paying off. According to the WSOP Live chip counts, he currently sits in the top ten of the leaderboard with fewer than 80 players remaining and is firmly in contention for a second career bracelet.

“Winning a second bracelet would mean a lot,” Gold admits. “One of my really good friends, Lexy Gavin-Mather, is chip leader, and I think I’m almost even with her.”

That said, the road to the top of the counts has been anything but straightforward, after a swingy afternoon session, Gold added, “I’ve taken some pretty rough beats and somehow I’m still at the top here. I lost half my chips about half an hour ago, but I got them back pretty quickly.”

“I’ve taken some pretty rough beats and somehow I’m still at the top here.”

Much like his topsy-turvy run in the SALUTE to Warriors, the 2006 Main Event champion knows better than most that tournament success can be fleeting. The years since his famous victory have brought their fair share of challenges at the table, and Gold is candid about the mental toll prolonged downswings can take. “It gets a little depressing when you run bad, if you keep getting bad beats,” he said.

Despite that, there’s no sign he’ll approach the closing stages with anything other than the fearless style that carried him to poker immortality two decades ago, and Gold is clear on how he intends to play it out.

“I’m playing pretty aggressive. There’s no fear in this one,” he summarized with a steely determination.

Twenty Years On, the Magic Remains

It’s the twentieth anniversary of Gold’s remarkable Main Event victory at this very WSOP, and the opportunity to reflect alongside the world champion is irresistible.

Over the past two decades, almost every poker fan has heard the tale of the Hollywood talent agent whose meeting with Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker propelled him to victory in what was then the richest Main Event of all time. But with two decades of distance, memories from that time are perhaps even more special.

“I only had one goal: win the Main Event. I did it on my first shot ever playing the World Series of Poker — that kind of spoiled me,” he jokes, before gesturing toward the room around him. “I see so many old friends. This is like summer camp for us.”

“I’m coming back and I’d really like to win another one.”

It’s clear the WSOP still means a great deal to Gold, and not just because of money or bracelets. Turning to take in the new LED-laden mothership stage that has lit up the series this summer, he’s clearly struck by how much has changed in the years since.

“It’s pretty amazing what’s going on here, all the new stages, Solana, the crypto world. Everybody’s just having so much fun. It’s during the World Cup, so we can watch a game, play the World Series, bet on sports on our phones, and the cash games are great. It’s just such a great time being out here, and it helps to make a run.”

As for the 2026 Main Event, which gets underway next week, Gold makes no secret of his intentions. “I’m coming back and I’d really like to win another one. I’d really like to win the Main Event again, that would be unbelievable. Short of that, this [SALUTE to Warriors] would be nice.”

Eliot Thomas is an Editor at PokerNews, specializing in casino and poker coverage. He has reported on major events around the world, including the World Series of Poker, European Poker Tour, and Triton Super High Roller Series.