NOVEMBER NINER JOSHUA BECKLEY WINS CIRCUIT SERIES OPENER IN FLORIDA
West Palm Beach, Fla. (September 18, 2015) — First a ring then a bracelet? Joshua Beckley sure hopes so. The current November Niner won Event #1 of the World Series of Poker Circuit at the Palm Beach Kennel Club Friday becoming the first player in the fraternity’s history to do so while still in Main Event limbo. Beckley, who recently moved to West Palm Beach, Fla., overcame a field of 317 players in a $365 Monster Stack event to earn $22,349 along with 50 points toward the Casino Championship.

“It’s definitely an ego boost,” Beckley said of the win. “It makes me more confident with my game. It might also show the other [November Niners] that I can win a tournament.”

Beckley currently sits seventh of the nine remaining players in the WSOP Main Event and has taken steps to make sure he’s ready to claim poker’s ultimate prize in two short months. Upon his move to Florida, the 25-year-old had a lifestyle change that included a revamped diet and a new workout regimen. It didn’t take long for the fruits of his labor to show as he exhibited razor sharp concentration and spot-on decision making en route to a victorious performance at the Kennel Club.

“I’ve been eating clean and working out and I decided to give [the Monster Stack] a try to test out if that made a difference,” Beckley said. “I felt a lot clearer in the mind. It helped.”

Despite being a member of the most high-profile group in poker, Beckley admitted he coasted through Day 1 of the Monster Stack virtually unrecognized by his peers.

“Nobody Day 1 knew who I was,” he laughed. “Everybody knew [on Day 2]. I don’t think it made a difference. I think maybe I got a tiny bit of respect and a little bit more folds.”

Beckley began Day 2 holding the chip lead with 17 players remaining and nothing changed by the time the field narrowed to the unofficial final table of 10. He was challenged for the chip lead a handful of times, but never faltered. When his pocket aces busted the ace-queen of Syed Shah third, there was nothing Shah could say except, “Good luck in November.” From there, Beckley took a healthy lead into heads-up play and had only one small hiccup before he picked up    against the    of Aric Pluskat. The hand would be the last one Pluskat played as Beckley held to officially take the tournament’s top spot. Pluskat earned $13,818 for his second-place finish.

“It’s basically final table strategy,” Beckley said of how the victory could help propel him to the same fate in November. “The money is different and people are playing differently here, but I still have to consider a couple things. I think I’m fine tuning for the [Main Event].”

Joining Beckley in the money were ring winners Jason Bolton (29th, $636) and Cody Pack (11th, $1,671).

The Monster Stack kicked off the PBKC Circuit series in a big way drawing a healthy field of more than 300 players. The 2015/2016 installment marks the sixth-consecutive year the WSOP has called the club home and the second-consecutive year they’ll do so twice in the same season. In addition to the Monster Stack event, the series is headlined by this weekend’s $580 re-entry event and next weekend’s $1,675 Main Event.

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Event #1 was the first of 12 gold ring events on the WSOP Circuit schedule at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. The $365 Monster Stack event attracted 317 players. The total prize pool came to $95,100 and the top 33 finishers were paid.

The tournament began Thursday, September 17 at 12 p.m. and Day 1 wrapped following Level 21 (~2:15 a.m.). Day 2 resumed Friday at 2 p.m. with 17 players remaining. Action concluded toward the beginning of Level 28 (~9 p.m.).

Final table results:

1st: Joshua Beckley - $22,349 + Circuit gold ring
2nd: Aric Pluskat - $13,818
3rd: Sean Syed Shah - $10,036
4th: Bobby Hodson - $7,413
5th: Joshua Sperko - $5,565
6th: Steven Sanzone - $4,244
7th: Jonah Miller - $3,288
8th: Vigorn Dancharnjitt - $2,585
9th: Adam Ruen - $2,063
 
Full results available on WSOP.com.