Disappointing 2006 World Series of Poker

Hi, I'm Frank, and I'm a poker addict. Or at least I play one on TV.

Actually, I like to watch poker on TV for some reason. I don't play the actual game much other than a little online stuff from time to time. So, I was very much looking forward to the 2006 World Series of Poker being televised on ESPN. Bummer.

The winner, Jamie Gold, was a jerk. And now we find out that he's involved in a lawsuit where it looks like he may well be defrauding a friend of his out of half his $12 million winnings.

It's funny, there were 8,776 players this year at the WSOP, each of whom paid a $10K entry fee (or won their way in through a satellite tournament). The winner's prize was $12 million, second place was over $6 million, and each of the final 12 players got over $1 million. And I found myself saying, "I'm not sure I care about this anymore."

Maybe it's the reading glasses. Maybe it's the fact that I'm getting older. Maybe it's because poker has become a variation on the NFL, with all the trash talking and the high fives. I mean, I get it when Mike Matusow or Phil Hellmuth trash talk -- they've actually won something. I get it when Sammy Farha smiles his wicked smile with an unlit cigarette wedge between them -- he plays in some of the biggest money tournaments in the world and wins them. I get it when Daniel Negraneau talks up the table because he's a pro gathering information. But I don't get the "Jamie Golds" of the world.

I wonder if poker has jumped the shark. I wanted to give a smackdown to that little shit, Eric Molina, who showed what being a skinny little punk is all about. (Hey, he goes to school at Villanova, apparently, so maybe he'll get his smackdown on South Street one of these days, especially if he acts anything like he did on the Main Event.)

So, I'm disappointed. Bummer of a winner. It'll be interesting to see how Jamie Gold fares in the upcoming season. I'm going to guess it won't be well. And I'd love to see him in big money cash games, like High Stakes Poker on GSN. His $12 mil will be gone in a heartbeat when he runs into the real pros. And hey, Jamie, there's no trash talk or high fives in that game. They're pros.