Justin Smith

Justin "Boosted J" Smith (born January 8, 1988 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American high-stakes poker player living in Los Angeles, CA. Smith began playing poker at the age of 17, after needing a wheelchair for several weeks which had caused 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 had prevented him from racking up a long list of tournament victories, Smith 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. He worked as a bagger/clerk at a local grocery store while attending high school at Poinciana High. 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 Series, where he tied for 1st in the $1.5 Million Guarantee, good for $175,326. As of year end 2011 he has amassed just over 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 WPT Bellagio Cup V Championship. Justin accomplished a remarkable feat by final tabling the 2010 WPT Bellagio Cup VI with a 2nd place finish for $594,755 after busting out Phil Ivey in 3rd place. He followed that up shortly after in 2010 with a WPT High Roller Title win in London for a £141,000 score. In 2011 he had a 4th place finish at the 2011 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller Event worth $289,440. At the 2012 World Series of Poker, he played in the much hyped $1 Million Buy-in "One Drop Foundation" Tournament featuring 48 of the top pros competing against some of the wealthiest men in the world. 1st place in the tournament would also receive over $18,000,000. Justin was unsuccessful as the first person knocked out of the tournament with a straight against a flush facing a French businessman.