Gaming Guru

WSOP: No plans to punish Gold for rule infractions

Jamie Gold will not be punished retroactively for violating rules during the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, WSOP officials announced today.

Gold told the New York Times in February that he violated WSOP tournament rules by exposing a hole card during one hand and informing an opponent on another hand that he had "top-pair, top-kicker" after his opponent had bet.

He attributed the mistakes to the "exuberance and excitement at participating in his first-ever WSOP Main Event" when explaining the hands to WSOP officials this month.

"Not only were we impressed with Jamie's candor and contrition, but we also recognized that tournament officials didn't witness the incidents or take appropriate action at the time of the rules infractions," WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack said in a release. "We share culpability in this case and are satisfied that the actions in question were inadvertent mistakes. We look forward to Jamie's participation in the 2007 WSOP.

Gold would have served a 10-minute penalty for each infraction had floor personnel or an opponent enforced the mistake. Per 2007 tournament rules, the same infractions would cost players a 10-hand penalty.

"I do want to stress, however, that we do not condone any violations of the rules and will make every effort to enforce them in every WSOP event," Pollack said.