Justin Smith (poker player)
Encyclopedia
Justin "Boosted J" Smith (born January 8, 1988 in Hartford, Connecticut
) is an American professional poker
player living in Los Angeles, CA. At 21 years old, Smith has been a participant in stateside poker tournaments for less than a year due to age requirements, winning nearly $900,000 in that time span.
Smith began playing poker at the age of 17 after needing a wheelchair for several weeks, causing him to lose his part-time job. A friend gave him some lessons on Texas Hold'Em, and Smith began his online poker career with a bankroll of $50. Though his young age has prevented him from racking up a long list of tournament victories, Smith has experienced substantial success in high-stakes short-handed ring games at levels up to $2,000/$4,000 and $4,000/$8,000
, where he tied for 1st in the $1.5 Million Guarantee, good for $175,326. Since then he has amassed close to two million dollars in tournament winnings, including 5 cashes in the 2009 World Series of Poker
(WSOP), and a 3rd place finish at the 2009 Bellagio Cup V Championship Event shortly thereafter. Justin had a breakout year in 2010, including a 2nd place finish in the WPT Championship worth $594,755.
and a frequent player at the "Big Game" in Bobby's Room, a cardroom named after Bobby Baldwin
, at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
.
and Dr. Dre
, in addition to Executive Producing the movie "Detention" which is scheduled for a 2011 release.
, where they live a relatively low-key life.
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
) is an American professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player living in Los Angeles, CA. At 21 years old, Smith has been a participant in stateside poker tournaments for less than a year due to age requirements, winning nearly $900,000 in that time span.
Smith began playing poker at the age of 17 after needing a wheelchair for several weeks, causing him to lose his part-time job. A friend gave him some lessons on Texas Hold'Em, and Smith began his online poker career with a bankroll of $50. Though his young age has prevented him from racking up a long list of tournament victories, Smith has experienced substantial success in high-stakes short-handed ring games at levels up to $2,000/$4,000 and $4,000/$8,000
Early years
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Smith spent the first two years of his life in New York and Connecticut. He also lived for a brief time in Melbourne, Florida before moving to the Kissimmee/Poinciana area in central Florida. It was here that he worked as a bagger/clerk at a local grocery store while attending high school at Poinciana High. Justin played tennis in high school, and met his future wife, Anita during his junior year. During his senior year, a near-fatal motorcycle accident left him in a wheelchair temporarily and led to his subsequent unemployment. A long-time friend introduced him to low stakes online poker during this period as a way to earn a few dollars here and there.Tournament poker
Smith's first major tournament success came during the 2007 Full Tilt Online Poker SeriesFull Tilt Online Poker Series
The Full Tilt Online Poker Series is an online poker tournament series sponsored by Full Tilt Poker. It was established in August 2006 and is held approximately every three months....
, where he tied for 1st in the $1.5 Million Guarantee, good for $175,326. Since then he has amassed close to two million dollars in tournament winnings, including 5 cashes in the 2009 World Series of Poker
2009 World Series of Poker
The 2009 World Series of Poker was the 40th annual World Series of Poker . It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 27 to July 15. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event...
(WSOP), and a 3rd place finish at the 2009 Bellagio Cup V Championship Event shortly thereafter. Justin had a breakout year in 2010, including a 2nd place finish in the WPT Championship worth $594,755.
| Year | Event | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | FTOPS III $1.5 Million Guarantee | $175,326 |
| 2008 | WSOP Europe-London Pot Limit Omaha | $29,777 |
| 2008 | WSOP Europe-London Main Event | $64,387 |
| 2009 | WSOP $10,000 World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em | $38,424 |
| 2009 | WSOP $10,000 World Championship Seven Card Stud 8 or Better | $54,896 |
| 2009 | WPT Bellagio Cup V Championship Event | $464,870 |
| 2010 | WSOP No-Limit Hold'em Six Handed | $55,236 |
| 2010 | Bellagio Cup WPT Championship | $594,755 |
| 2010 | WPT London Poker Classic High Rollers | $219,131 |
| 2010 | WSOP Circuit-Horseshoe Hammond Regional Championship | $22,678 |
Cash games
Though Smith has experienced success in numerous tournaments, the majority of his time is spent playing cash games. Since starting with online $.01/$.02 Limit Texas Hold'Em in early 2005, he has advanced to a variety of games at the highest levels both live and online. These include games like Omaha, Lowball, Seven Card Stud, and Texas Hold'Em at levels up to $4,000/$8,000. He is a red named pro on Full Tilt PokerFull Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
and a frequent player at the "Big Game" in Bobby's Room, a cardroom named after Bobby Baldwin
Bobby Baldwin
Bobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, off-road racer and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the 1978 world champion, becoming the youngest main event champion at that time....
, at the Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Other ventures
Justin has recently begun to expand his interests outside of poker. Justin appeared on the cover of Bluff Magazine's 2010 October issue, and will also grace the cover of the January 2011 issue of WPT Magazine. He has made cameo appearances in music videos for Rascal Flats, Enrique IglesiasEnrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
, in addition to Executive Producing the movie "Detention" which is scheduled for a 2011 release.
Personal life
Justin is married to his high school sweetheart, Anita. They recently moved to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where they live a relatively low-key life.