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Gold sued for Half Poker Winnings

By PokerPages

Recently crowned World Series of Poker champion Jamie Gold is being sued for half of his mammoth $12 million WSOP Main Event winnings. According to the Las Vegas Sun, Bruce Crispin Leyser, a Los Angeles-based television development executive, filed a lawsuit Monday in Las Vegas District Court seeking 50% of the prize money Gold won.

The suit alleges that Gold had a deal with Leyser to recruit celebrity talent to endorse online poker room Bodog at the Main Event. It claims that Gold asked Leyser to help him find the celebrities, and said the two would then share the Bodog sponsored seat. Leyser, according to his lawyer, Las Vegas attorney Richard Schonfeld - claims that Gold told him Bodog insisted that Gold play in the event instead of Leyser (who is also a poker instructor and accomplished poker player).

The complaint further alleges, according to the Sun, that Leyser fulfilled his part of the bargain when he found Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard to play in the WSOP and wear the Bodog company logo during the event.

About three hours before the start of the final table of the Main Event onAug 10, at 10:52 am Gold left a long message for Leyser, according to the complaint, in which he tried to reassure Leyser that he would be getting half of whatever after tax winnings Gold won that day. Gold also said on the recording that he would be setting up a Nevada based corporation that would pay Leyser his portion of the winnings.

But Leyser claims that Gold broke their contract and defrauded him, among other things.

Leyser claims that he is worried, in part, because Gold is a gambler and there is the possibility that he will dispose of the funds before Leyser can claim them. So Leyser asked a judge to stop Gold from claiming or spending any of the money until the dispute is settled.

Chief District Judge Kathy Hardcastle signed a temporary restraining order preventing Gold from collecting his winnings from the Rio, where the World Series was held, at least until Sept.1, when the first court hearing in the case is scheduled.

Not only could the payment of his $12 million dollars in winnings be delayed pending resolution of the Temporary Restraining Order, but theoretically it could be delayed until the entire lawsuit itself is resolved.

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