Poker pro tops 8,763 players - You've got to know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. A Plantation man did, and won a million dollars in World Series of Poker

Two kings robbed Fred Goldberg of more than half-a-million dollars.

But the Plantation poker professional is still a millionaire, after placing 10th the World Series of Poker earlier this month. His opponent's pocket pair may have eliminated him from the competition, but Goldberg still walked away with a cool $1.15 million. Jamie Gold, a Mailibu, Calif., talent agent, won the top prize of $12 million.

Not a bad return on his $10,000 investment -- the amount it takes to buy a seat at the high-stakes, ESPN-televised tournament. But still fresh in the 30-year-old's mind was that last hand that sent him packing from the Rio casino in Las Vegas, one place shy of qualifying for the nine-player final table.

"That's when I made the critical mistake that cost me probably a couple of million,"said Goldberg. "After eight days of playing, I got unlucky at the wrong time."

The self-proclaimed "serious gambler" took to Texas Hold'em four years ago, after six years of blackjack and craps just wasn't cutting it. The landlord-turned-card-shark had always been competitive, ever since he and his older brother dazzled older competitors with their card-playing skills as children.

"It runs through my veins," he said. "It's like a drug addiction."

The addiction impelled Goldberg to pony up thousands of his own money to buy a seat at poker's World Series, a grueling, weekslong contest involving 8,773 players in a string of 14-hour gambling days.

Patient play kept him in the running for eight days, even as his own dwindling chip stack threatened his shot at the $10-million top prize. Instead, Goldberg will have to watch himself only nearly make it to the final round on ESPN's 12-installment series documenting the competition. The sports network began airing the episodes this week, and will continue the seires until Sept. 26 with weekly Tuesday installments.

"He was in that last draw before the nine," said ESPN spokeswoman Keri Potts. "We have an episode where it goes from the 18 [final] players to the nine, so he will get face time."

Goldberg's high ranking has ratcheted up his poker schedule. He will compete in tournaments in California, New Jersey and Aruba over the next few months, seeking to win himself corporate sponsorship and elevate his name in poker circles. He already plays five times a day at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino near Hollywood, earning him $20,000 in winnings in the two weeks he's been back in South Florida.

He's every bit the gabber at the poker table, hoping to win over his competitors with his garrulous, friendly demeanor.

"I want people to like me. I want them to feel bad if they kick me out of the tournament," he said. "But sometimes I lose a hand and I need to shut up. I talk too much."

And the chatter-boxing does not end at the poker table. His wife of five years, Angelica Goldberg, said that poker is always on her husband's mind.

"He talks about it every single day -- even in the shower," she said.

In the end, Angelica Goldberg gets the last laugh. Her husband may be the 10th-best poker player in the world this year, but she is usuallyo wins their home games.

"I'm better than him," she joked.