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August 18th 2006
WSOP Champion signs with Bodog
It may come as no surprise, but its still big news: Jamie Gold, the richest tournament player in history (albeit from his WSOP win alone) has penned a deal with Bodog, the online poker room that bought him in to the WSOP championship event.
As yet the terms of the deal have not been released, except to say that it will last for two years, but you can bet the 36-year-old Hollywood producer will have trousered another whopping suitcase of greenbacks for his signature. For while loyalty to the company that paid for his seat in the WSOP ensured he would not sign with anyone else it will not have extended to offering his services for free!
Gold was prominent in his black and red Bodog shirt for the majority of the main-event and I must say it was refreshing to see the victorious player 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. Due to the arrest of BetOnSports executive David Caruthers in July, Ayre is in self-imposed exile from the US and wasn’t present at the Rio to see Gold’s victory first hand, but he was delighted with the victory.
"Jamie truly epitomizes the Bodog spirit,” said Ayre. “We are incredibly proud of his achievement and thrilled by his performance in the tournament."
The poker world is now waiting with interest 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 sheik restaurants featuring the new star reminiscing about his victory. Something tells me Bodog’s approach will be a little different.
Calvin Ayre has something of a reputation for being a wild party animal and entertainer. His Bodog party at the Tao club in the Venetian (for which he was not present) during the recent World Series was a fine example of this. Something in the region of 100 female models had been enlisted to walk the floor in skimpy Bodog outfits talking to guests. Next to them a gang of dwarves(?) milled about while acrobats performed mind boggling contortions on the dance floor. There was a free bar and miniature Kobe beef burgers were circulated by physically flawless waitresses. If the marketing approach he takes to Jamie Gold is anything like his parties then get ready, because we could be in for some fun!
Submitted: 18/08/2006 11:25:47
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