World Economic Crisis Digs Deeper Into Poker World?

Gambling911.com has reported in recent weeks on big name poker players who appear to be getting hit by world economic crisis.  Player Tom "Durr" Dwan was the latest pro whose financial struggles surfaced.  Today, AintLuck.com reports that 2006 World Series of Poker main event winner, Jamie Gold, might be hurting from the recession as well. 

In 2006, Gold won the biggest WSOP pot ever (and it is still the biggest) - $12 million.  He was later ordered to share his winnings with a gentleman he partnered up with for "WSOP table endorsement deals".  Troubled online poker room, Bodog, eventually dropped Gold as one of their celebrity poker players.

But it's not as if Jamie Gold walked away a pauper.  He still got to keep a sizeable amount of winnings, a total that was more than the majority of previous WSOP champions.  This is why rumors of Gold's "inevitable financial demise" seem just that...rumors....without legs. 

So what mechanisms are behind all this chatter? 

The speculation surrounding Gold's finances center around his playing $2 to $5 no limit hold em and $5 to $10 no limit at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.  Supporters claim he's playing these games for pure enjoyment.  Detractors claim his "reckless nature has caused him to come close to squandering his entire bankroll."

From AintLuck.com:

The debate is almost split down the middle with 54% believing he is broke while 46% think he is just fine. Prior to winning the main event, Gold was a regular player at Los Angeles' Commerce Casino where he was allegedly a frequent borrower of money. In fact, during preliminary events in 2006, Gold was in such dire straits, that he was looking to just get staked to play in the tournament. However, it is possible that Gold realizes that he is not an elite player and would rather play within his own comfort zone. After all, there is plenty of footage of him losing bundles of cash to top pros such as Daniel Negreanu and Doyle Brunson.

Whichever side you believe, it is difficult to argue with the fact that most people who have won so much money rarely play in games so small. Could he really be close to being broke? Only time will tell.

Gambling911.com will take the odds on Jamie Gold "doing just fine".  After all, he was be most accounts a successful Hollywood agent before he entered the poker arena and he holds a degree in Entertainment Law.  Something tells us that Jamie Gold's name is a commodity in that sector.

And let's face reality here:  It can't be easy squandering away several million playing poker, especially today if he's suddenly prone to playing $2 to $5 no limit hold em at Caesar's.