Former poker player Doug Kim, a memorable member of the 2006 World Series of Poker final table, is taking his act to the big screen.
The 32-year old New York native has been given the go-ahead to produce a semi-autobiographical television show that depicts the life of a professional poker player transitioning to the entertainment industry.
The show will be called Just Dougie. No announcement has been made on where viewers can watch the show or when it will air.
Kim did, however, tell Flickeringmyth.com what people can expect from his new project.
“We are very excited about the new ‘Just Dougie’ TV show,” he said. “We plan to take viewers on a comedic, yet honest journey of the life of a modern Asian-American artist through a more realistic lens that has yet to be shown on American television.”
Memorable WSOP Final Table
2006 was right in the heart of the poker boom. Television ratings for poker events was at an all-time high, as was participation at the WSOP.
That year’s Main Event crushed 2005’s record for entrants (5,619) with 8,773 poker players hoping to get a piece of the $82,512,162 prize pool. The record still holds.
22-year old Doug Kim ponied up the $10,000 in cash to enter the Main Event, but no one could have possibly expected someone so young to make the final table. After all, no one that age ever had.
Kim made history, finishing 7th at one of the most memorable WSOP final tables in ever. Jamie Gold, coincidentally a man with a background in cinematography, claimed the $12 million first place prize.
Gold, considered by many as the worst player to ever win the Main Event, went on the kind of heater most poker players could only dream about. He ruffled some feathers, both competitors and ESPN TV viewers, for the way he played.
He came off, to many, as rude when he often talked during hands, hoping to use his aggressive behavior as a way to bluff. It worked.
Poker great Allen Cunningham finished 4th.
Kim busted five hours into play at the final table when his pocket nines ran into eventual runner-up Paul Wasicka’s pocket queens. He went home with nearly $2.4 million.
Post-Poker Days
Despite winning big in 2006, Kim didn’t stick with poker full-time.
He ended up taking his talents to Los Angeles to become a writer, producer, and actor.
Originally an economics and computer science major at Duke University, the former poker player switched things up and enrolled in an acting program at William Esper Studio in New York prior to heading out to California.
He’s already been credited with creating an award-winning short film called Room 731.
Perhaps Just Dougie will bring him his next award.
