Winter is coming. And that means big decisions for poker players around the world. Bracelets in The Bahamas? WPT’s World Championship in Vegas? Or snow with the EPT in Prague? In this daily series, we’ll find out what the players are up to and, more importantly, why.
Where are you playing this December, Jamie?
I'm going to WSOP Paradise. I was there last year for their first one, which was fantastic. It's such a great combination of a wonderful vacation on a beautiful island, perfect weather, and a chance to win bracelets at several WSOP poker tournaments. WSOP and GGPoker are very generous with their guarantees. This year, they’re giving everyone the amazing $50M guaranteed prize pool $25K buy-in event. That’s going to be a fun event.
What events are you going to play?
I will play the Mini Main Event, a $2,500 buy-in with a rebuy. I will also play the Super Main Event, a $25,000 buy-in with a $50M guarantee. It will be the largest buy-in I've ever played for a tournament. This is all very exciting for me.
The buy-ins are high.
There are side events as well as the bracelet events. Many people don't know that there are buy-ins for events as little as $400. There's also an $800 event and a $1,000 event. They didn't advertise it much, but it's on the WSOP+ app.
What have you been doing to prepare? There will be a ton of crushers down there vying for bracelets.
I've been studying a lot and working on my game. I feel like I'm getting better and better all the time. I realized that there are so many fantastic new players with different styles. They’ve studied GTO, game theory, and solvers. They're so smart about how they approach the game. These days, you have to be aware of how different so many people are playing the game. I have a feeling the $25K event will be one of those tournaments where you'll get a much higher-skilled pool of players.
The game is ever-evolving, and that’s the beauty of it.
I agree. Every year or two, the game changes. I take it very seriously and learn something almost every time I play. I feel like my game is constantly evolving. It's mainly about how other players play and how we can play against those styles.
Any tips for food when you’re there?
I live very close to Nobu in Malibu, and I always go to Nobu in New York City. I felt at home when I saw that they had Nobu at the resort. Jose Andres has a place called Fish, which is pretty special. There's also a fantastic steakhouse with high-end lobster, steak, and fish. I've been told that I have to try the scallops there.
I’ll go out to dinner every night and spend a decent amount of money on food daily. I’d say there are probably fifteen restaurants on the property. And maybe six to eight of them are very good, and three or four are just super high-end and fantastic.
What else should people do when they're out there?
I don't think you should leave the property. That's what I'm told, for safety and security reasons. The property is very safe. You don't really need to leave because everything is there. It's so large. I think there are four or five different resorts within the Atlantis compound. People will enjoy the pools, the water park, and the beaches at the resort. It's actually a family kind of place and is great for kids. There's so much for them to do. A lot of people bring their families. I’m bringing my mom down for a week of the trip to give her a nice vacation. She came last year and loved it.
If people want a sweat, they can buy a piece of you, right?
I'm selling 40% of my action for the Super Main Event. I posted it up on PokerStake. I'm also selling a small percentage of my Mini Main Event. PokerStake is also guaranteeing up to 100 players that they’ll sell 50% of their $25,000 Super Main Event action. If it doesn’t sell, then they’ll buy whatever’s left with no mark-up.
What do you do when you're not playing poker?
I've always been involved in financing film and TV, and I'm enjoying more of the creative side now. I help produce a few major charity events every year as well; they're fun and a great way we can all give back – the poker community is very generous that way. I am also a very serious sports bettor and also have a lot of fun with it. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. There is much more information on my social media, and people can follow me there.
You can listen to the full interview with Jamie Gold on Spotify. You can follow Jamie on Instagram and X. And we'll bring you updates on all of the big action from Paradise as it happens.
