Tuesday, August 9, 2016 4:34 PM Local Time
Justin Warf Wins First Circuit Ring in Event #5 - $365 NLH Six Max ($23,400)
Event #5
No Limit Hold'em Six Max
Buy-In: $300 (+$65)
Total Entries: 300
Prize Pool: $90,000
Justin Warf Wins First WSOP Ring in First WSOP Tournament He Had Ever Played
Cherokee, North Carolina (August 9, 2016) – “Let me know when I can wake up,” Justin Warf says as Floor Supervisor Charlie Ciresi hands him the World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring he has just won. “This is just a dream come true,” Warf says quietly.
Warf is a 21 year old Contractor for DMMT Gilsan, Inc., and this is the first World Series of Poker event he’s ever played.
“This is the first big tournament I have ever played,” Warf said, “I have played sit and gos and little bitty things, but nothing like this.” He went on to explain that he thinks he has an advantage since no one knows who he is.
Warf used to play online, and has played in Tampa live because he only had to be 18 years old to play poker there. But until now, he had only played live less than ten times total. While in Tampa, he played four nightly tournaments. He won four of them, and chopping the fifth. It was at that point he thought that he might really “have something” with poker.
“I ran deep in a small casino tournament, and John (Bailey), the guy that actually won Event #1 here (in Cherokee) earlier in the week told me that I played well and that I should probably come out here to play. So my friend Brandon and I planned a trip. I almost didn’t make it because I was the very last person to register event. Brandon and I ran late, and had to pack and unpack, and I registered at the very last second.”
Warf started out Day 2 third in chips of the final eight players, and then came into the final table 2nd in chips behind Michael Brandon McKinney. When they were down to the final five players, a big hand took place between him and Matt Emmel that pushed Warf into the lead. Warf explained that he limped in from the cutoff, and Emmel checked in the big blind. The flop came . Emmel checked, Warf bet, and Emmel called. The turn was the . This time Emmel bet out, and Warf just called. The river was the . Emmel bet 100,000, and Warf shoved all in. Emmel tanked for nearly three minutes before folding and said he folded , thinking that Warf had . Warf didn’t show, but he had pocket sixes and the pot would have been chopped between the two players.
After the eliminations of Michael Brandon McKinney in 5th place, Robert Hatton in 4th place , and Josh Snodgrass in 3rd place, Emmel and Warf were heads up. They two played for nearly a full level before the last hand occurred in which Emmel shoved all in with , and Warf snap called with . Warf’s ace queen high held, and Emmel was eliminated in 2nd place.
Prior to this event, Warf had planned on playing only the six max, the eight max event (Event #7), and the Main here in Cherokee. But he has since been informed about the Global Casino Championship points system, and after today’s win is now tied for second place in the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Championship race. The top points earner at this stop will win a $10,000 seat into next year’s Global Casino Championship event. This win, along with the potential points might just change Warf’s plans going forward.
“I feel like I should travel around now. I took a week off to play this just hoping it was going to be worth it. Now I feel like I should continue at this stop and beyond. I told my friend on the drive here that if either one of us final tabled we would make a deal to travel around following the Circuit, so I think we are going to have to stick to that,” Warf concludes with a huge smile on his face.
Full results from this event are available on WSOP.com.
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Kevin Davis (winner of Event #3) is now in the lead of Harrah's Cherokee Casino Champion race with 52.5 points. Davis won Event #3, and then cashed 13th in Event #6 ($365 PLO), propelling him to the top. John Bailey (winner Event #1), Austin Reilly (winner Event #2), Christopher Fisher (winner of Event #4), and Justin Warf (winner of this event - #5) are now tied for 50 points each in the 2016/2017 Casino Champion race. The player who accumulates the most overall points in the twelve gold ring tournaments at Harrah’s Cherokee earns the title of Casino Champion and receives an automatic entry into the $1 million 2017 WSOP Global Casino Championship. The winner of the Harrah’s Cherokee Main Event earns an automatic entry to the Global Casino Championship as well. All players who cash in ring events will receive points that apply to both the Casino Champion race and the season-long race to claim one of the 50 at-large Global Casino Championship bids awarded to the top point earners throughout the season. More information on the points system is available on WSOP.com.