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JUSTIN BOGGS WINS HORSESHOE SOUTHERN INDIANA MAIN EVENT
Ohio native rides multiple chip leads to Main Event victory and first gold ring.
Elizabeth, Indiana (October 9, 2017) – The World Series of Poker Circuit has crowned a new Main Event Champion. It was Justin Boggs who conquered Event #10: $1,675 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event at the Horseshoe Southern Indiana series, winning $139,920, an automatic bid to the 2018 Global Casino Championship, and his first gold ring.
The tournament took four days to complete, including two separate starting flights. Boggs moved through Flight B and not only survived, but advanced with a massive chip stack.
Majority of Boggs’ chips were won in a monster hand against Rob James at the tail end of Day 1B. The pot provided Boggs with a stack of around 530,00, easily enough to give him the overall chip lead going into Day 2.
“Well, it’s different when you have to play like a really large stack compared to everybody else,” said Boggs, alluding to his Day-2 starting position. “Honestly, started the day 0-4 in races against short stacks. I pedaled back down to like 350,000,” he elaborated.
“That was my lowest point of the tournament though, so I was always good. Just got a clear mind after that and things just started turning back for the better,” Boggs said.
After a long, hard-fought Day 2, Boggs found himself, yet again, as chip leader when the last level of the night ran out. There were nine players, with no lack of experience among them, who advanced to Day 3 of the Main Event.
“First of all, final table was just crazy,” Boggs expressed, speaking of the skill level among the nine finalists. “It makes me definitely feel more confident about my game.”
Some of the prowess Boggs was faced with during the finale included, gold bracelet winner, Scott Montgomery, two-time gold ring winner, Chris Carey, and a handful of players with one gold ring to their name.
There was one adversary that stood out during Boggs’ road to victory though, Wendy Freedman. The one-time gold ring winner and Boggs even clashed prior to Day 3, with one stand-out instance.
“Wendy and I went back and forth. There was a huge hand on Day 2. It was just a sicko hand,” stated Boggs. “From that point on, I really just kind of told myself ‘this is going to be a heads-up battle between us.’ I don’t know why, it just kind of seemed like that.”
The Ohio native was spot on with his prediction. Freedman and Boggs faced off in a relatively short heads-up match. Boggs’ held a hefty chip advantage over his rival when they began, and eventually scooped the final pot of the tournament.
“It’s nice to be able to play and finally get a monkey off my back, one I have had for quite a bit,” Boggs claimed. “I’ve had some online scores, but live has just always been not so good,”
Boggs has been a self-proclaimed, recreational player for many years, mostly finding success in the virtual realm of online poker. He once entertained the idea of playing as a professional. The, now, Health and Fitness Teacher, went a different route, but his admiration for the game never wavered.
“You know, I respect the game so much and I respect the players. I am just grateful to be in this position. I love it,” said Boggs.
On top of the overwhelming gratification toward the achievement, Boggs also saw it as a tribute to a prominent figure in his life.
“I lost my dad two years ago… My dad taught me everything. This is kind of for him.”
From playing nickel-dime stud at Thanksgiving since he was a little, Boggs has captured an unforgettable triumph on the WSOP Circuit stage. The 30-year-old will return to his hometown of New Paris, Ohio with his debut gold ring and a story to tell.
Final Table Results:
1st: Justin Boggs - $139,920
2nd: Wendy Freedman - $86,464
3rd: Michael Foley - 63,180
4th: Al Hencheck - $46,911
5th: Scott Montgomery - $35,374
6th: Hamid Izadi - $27,074
7th: George Lusby - $21,026
8th: Jerry Robinson - $16,561
9th: Christopher Carey - $13,228
