Jamie Gold delivers a deep journey for veteran fathers at the WSOP Tribute to Warrior event.

Jamie Gold, the 2006 WSOP Main Event champion, made it deep into the $500 Tribute Warrior event in honor of his veteran father. He finished in the top ten in chips out of 4,478 players.

Twenty years after his iconic WSOP Main Event victory, Jamie Gold is embarking on another deep dive into gold bracelets, this time to pay tribute to his veteran father.

Gold's $12 million Main Event prize pool remains the second-highest in WSOP history. In the annual WSOP $500 Tribute to Warriors event, he emerged as the chip leader from 4,478 entries, with only 80 players remaining. This year's event will donate over $180,000 to USO (United States Service), an organization that supports brave men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.

“My father served in the military, so I’ve always enjoyed participating in this tribute to soldiers event,” the former world champion explained. “It’s never easy in a tournament with 4,500 players. I’m happy if I can make it to the final table, and of course I feel I have to win it! One goal at a time.”

Gold Rush in the tribute match

If Gold is indeed taking it one step at a time, this approach is clearly working. According to WSOP Live chip counts, he was in the top ten with fewer than 80 players remaining, firmly in contention for his second gold bracelet.

"Winning a second gold bracelet would mean a lot," Gold admitted. "A very good friend of mine, Lexy Gavin-Mather, is the chip leader, and I think I'm almost tied with her."

Nevertheless, the road to the top of the chip stack was far from smooth. After a volatile afternoon session, Gold added, "I've had some pretty brutal bad beats, but somehow I'm still at the top. I lost half my chips about half an hour ago, but I quickly won them back."

"I've had some pretty brutal bad beats, but somehow I'm still at the top."

Just like his rollercoaster journey in the Warriors Tribute tournament, the 2006 Main Event champion understands better than most how fleeting tournament success can be. In the years since his famous victory, challenges at the poker table have followed, and Gold speaks candidly about the psychological burden that can come with prolonged downswings. "When you're having a run of bad luck, if you keep getting bad beats, it gets a little frustrating," he says.

Nevertheless, he has shown no indication that he will approach the final stages in any way other than the fearless style that led him to poker immortality two decades ago, and Gold has made his intentions clear.

"I played quite aggressively. There was no fear in this game," he concluded with steely determination.

Twenty years have passed, but the magic remains.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Gold's extraordinary Main Event victory at the WSOP, making it an irresistible opportunity to reminisce with the world champion.

For the past two decades, almost every poker fan has heard this story—how a Hollywood agent embarked on his journey after meeting with Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker, ultimately winning what was then the highest-paying Main Event in poker history. But with two decades in the background, those memories may hold even greater significance.

"I only have one goal: to win the Main Event. I did it the first time I played in the World Series of Poker—that spoiled me a bit," he joked, then pointed to the rooms around him. "I see so many old friends here. It's like summer camp for us."

"I'm back, and I really want to win again."

Clearly, the WSOP still means a lot to Gold, and not just for the money or the bracelet. He turned to admire the new, LED-lit mothership stage that lit up the series this summer, clearly amazed by the changes over the years.

"What's happening here is amazing, all the new stages, Solana, the cryptocurrency world. Everyone's having a blast. 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 too. It's a really great time here, and it helps you build a deep journey."

Regarding the 2026 Main Event, which starts next week, Gold made no secret of his ambitions. "I'm back, and I really want to win again. I really want to win the Main Event again; that would be incredible. If not, winning this (the Tribute Warriors event) would be great too."

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