Where Are They Now? 2006 WSOP's Paul Wasicka, Sabyl Cohen & Jon Friedberg

In the 989th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway honors the 20th anniversary of the 2006 World Series of Poker (WSOP) by chatting with a trio of players who made a name for themselves that year.

That includes Paul Wasicka, who finished runner-up to Jamie Gold in the 2006 WSOP Main Event and, a year later, went on to win the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. What has the former young gun, who doesn't play much serious poker anymore, been up to over the past two decades? Find out here.

Likewise, Sabyl Cohen Landrum finished 56th in the 2006 WSOP Main Event, making her the last woman standing by outlasting Annie Duke. ESPN captured it and vaulted her to temporary "Poker Boom" fame, but what is life like for her now?

Finally, Chad caught up with Jon Friedberg, who topped a then-record 2,891-player field to win a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $526K and a gold bracelet. Friedberg has gone on to become a major player on the poker operator side of things with Poker Atlas, and part of that success stems from his big bracelet win. Learn more about his story in this week's episode of the PokerNews Podcast!

A new PokerNews Podcast drops four times a week in July during the 2026 WSOP! You can expect a new episode every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Time Stamps
*Time Topic*
00:00 | Welcome to the show
01:05 | Paul Wasicka joins the show
04:09 | Height of the Poker Boom
06:03 | Playing the 2006 WSOP Main Event
07:41 | Battling Jamie Gold
10:30 | Winning the NBC National Heads-Up Championship
17:21 | Sabyl Cohen Landrum joins the show
18:00 | 2006 WSOP Main Event Last Woman Standing
23:35 | BARGE
26:03 | RGPS Passport Season Finale
27:20 | Jon Friedberg joins the show
30:08 | A life-changing score