After the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, Fred Goldberg was on the verge of being one of those almost famous players. He went out on the bubble, finishing in 10th place and just missing out on the fame of the televised final table.

Of course, he was disappointed, but the general contractor from Hollywood, Fla., had a $1.1 million prize to console himself with.

To take the edge off his disappointment, Goldberg set out to prove he is a final-table caliber player by playing in more high-profile events. In the process he cashed in three different World Poker Tour tournaments.

The first was the $10,000 WPT Festa Al Lago event in October 2006 where he came in 44th place. Next he jumped into the Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic in December, improving to an 11th-place finish, but again outside the final table.

In March 2007, Goldberg finally made it to the big boys' table. He finished in fourth at the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic championship event.

Making the final table wasn't enough though. Goldberg wanted the win.

He told PokerListings.com in 2006 that he was disappointed with his 10th-place finish at the Main Event because he knew he could play with any of the players who made it. When he made the final table of the WPT event, he was sure he was going to win that one.

Perhaps it was just the motivator Fred Goldberg needed going into the 2007 World Series of Poker. One June 7 he made his first cash for the season, making it to 27th place in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event.

He followed that up with his first final table at the Series when he took ninth in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout. It took two more cashes before Goldberg made another final table, and at long last got the win he was looking for.

Switching from his focus just on No-Limit Hold'em, Goldberg took on the $1,500 Mixed Hold'em event that combined Limit and No-Limit versions of the game.

"I want to be up there with the top pros, and with this bracelet, I feel that I am," Goldberg told PokerListings.com. "I already knew I could play with them, but the bracelet will show that I'm right there with them."

Does that mean the Florida man will cut down on his work building and renovating homes to play more poker events around the world with the other pros? Only time will tell as he continues his trek toward poker greatness.