In an attempt to at least partially fill the online poker void in the United States now that internet poker rooms are slim pickings in the country, 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion Jamie Gold has launched a free online poker room dubbed FreeGoldPoker.com.
Unlike subscription-based online poker rooms, which charge a monthly fee for unlimited play, FreeGoldPoker.com is completely free to play, supported by advertising and sponsorship revenue. It is a part of the ZEN Entertainment Network, which bills itself as a “massive multiplayer online gaming (MMOG) tournament network.” ZEN’s roots extend back to 2006 with the creation of the National League of Poker (NLOP) and NLOP.com, though ZEN was not its founder. ZEN bought NLOP.com in 2008 and since then has partnered with the likes of the UFC, WWE, and NBCSports.com, all of which have a presence on the network. Almost a year ago, ZEN purchased Card Player’s subscription-based online poker room, SpadeClub.com, and has since developed CardPlayerPoker.com.
On the ZEN Entertainment Network, players earn free points for signing in every day and can, in turn, use those points to buy-in to poker tournaments, which run every two minutes. In the various competitions, players can win cash and prizes; up to $100,000 in total every month, as touted by the company’s website.
In a press release, Jamie Gold expressed his excitement, saying, “This is an amazing opportunity for me to create a fun, accessible and unique experience for the poker community. As importantly, I will be able to continue to accomplish meaningful, vital and life-changing charitable goals with the additional support and commitment of the ZEN platform. It will also provide my dedicated partners a platform beyond anything I could have imagined as we are now able to create targeted demographic promotions.”
“After Black Friday and all the negativity surrounding online poker,” he added, “I asked myself what I could do to help our community enjoy playing a game they love legally while at the same time elevate awareness about the fantastic brands and amazing charitable opportunities I come into contact with on a daily basis. Creating FreeGoldPoker.com was the clear answer.”
Matthew Spurr, CEO of PokerFacePR, Jamie Gold’s developer and digital media partner for this venture, chimed in, saying, “We’ll be launching contests for such things as logo design and other unique fan experiences on www.JamieGold.com to go hand in hand with Jamie’s site on ZEN. He will be able to connect to the Poker community and the world in his own unique way.”
Jamie Gold burst onto the poker scene in 2006 when he built up a massive chip stack early in the WSOP Main Event and cruised to the title. His style of getting in his opponents’ heads through table talk worked like magic, as throughout the tournament, he seemed to be able to convince other players to do exactly what he wanted them to do. It didn’t hurt that he also seemed to always get that key card when he needed it (but everyone needs some like to win a gigantic tournament like that). Gold’s methods entertained some and annoyed others, but they were effective, helping him win $12 million, the largest prize in WSOP history.