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August 18th 2006
WSOP Champion signs with Bodog
Sure, it’s not a surprise, but it is news nevertheless. Jamie Gold, the richest tournament poker player in history (albeit from one win only) has penned a deal with Bodog, the online poker room that bought him in to the WSOP main-event.
Terms of the deal have not been released, except to say that it will last for two years, but you can be sure the 36-year-old Hollywood producer will have trousered another whopping suitcase of greenbacks. Loyalty to the company that bought him his seat in the WSOP ensured he would not sign with anyone else, but it will not have extended to offering his services for free!
For much of the tournament Gold was prominent in his black and red Bodog shirt and it was a refreshing change to see the tournament’s victor wearing something other than the black and yellow colours of PokerStars, whose qualifiers have won the last three World Series of Poker championships.
Happiest of all (apart from Gold himself) was Bodog founder and CEO Calvin Ayre who, due to the arrest of BetOnSports executive David Caruthers in July, was in self-imposed exile from the US and wasn’t present to see Gold’s victory first hand.
"Jamie truly epitomizes the Bodog spirit,” said the enigmatic Ayre. “We are incredibly proud of his achievement and thrilled by his performance in the tournament."
The poker world is now waiting to see how this non-PokerStars world champion will be marketed. For the last three years we have been used to the same campaign – commercials shot in classy restaurants featuring the world champion talking about his victory. Somehow I think Bodog’s approach will be a little different.
Ayre has a reputation for being wild, a party animal, and entertainer. His Bodog party at Tao in the Venetian (for which he was not present) during the recent World Series was a fine example of the kind of image he wants to create for Bodog. At least 100 female models had been hired to walk the floor in skimpy Bodog outfits talking to guests. Alongside them a number of dwarfs(?) milled about while acrobats from Cirque du Soleil (or somewhere like it) performed mid boggling stunts on the dance floor. The bar was free and miniature Kobe beef burgers were circulated ad infinitum. If the marketing approach he takes to Jamie Gold is anything like his parties, get ready, we could be in for some fun!
Submitted: 18/08/2006 10:58:08
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