Jamie Gold Speaks (to CardPlayer)

Kudos to CardPlayer for stepping up their poker journalism a tad. Their current cover story is a Playboy-style interview with WSOP champ Jamie Gold, and in it they don\’t try to pretend he\’s not a controversial character with questionable poker values.

B+

In the interview, he addresses the presence of bodyguards — you are welcome to believe or not believe his claims that there were Nancy Kerrigan-style threats. (I am pretty sure I heard someone in the hallway scream, \”I\’m gonna kill that motherfucker!\”) He also — scroll down to the end — directly addresses his dealer tip, or lack thereof … claiming that everyone who deserves something will get theirs, but he never attached a number to it. Well done, Michael Friedman, for getting him to address these topics.

But the one issue not discussed was his lawsuit with Crispin Leyser. And that\’s where CardPlayer gets docked significant points.

I\’m pretty sure Jamie\’s \”people\” set up the interview only on the grounds that he wouldn\’t be asked about the $6 million he may or may not owe Leyser. Fair enough … it\’s common for subjects of lawsuits not to want to comment on pending litigation. But they can\’t prevent you, as in CardPlayer, from writing about it! Ask Allyn … she\’ll tell you … lawsuits are a public records, and therefore the media has every right to address them in pretty much whatever capacity they see fit. At a minimum, CP shoulda printed something in the story acknowledging the basis of the lawsuit and any interview restrictions pertaining to it. Or, legally speaking, they coulda just agreed to whatever with Jamie Gold and then renegged on the deal.