A huge fan favorite of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is making another deep run in his most treasured event of the year. That’s right, you guessed it—Purple Heart recipient John Smith has been kicking ass and taking names once again in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
Smith is currently in the quarterfinals, battling for a spot in the event’s final day, which takes place tomorrow. He needs to overcome one more hurdle to secure his place at the table, an environment he knows all too well.
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Smith has been a regular fixture in the Heads-Up streets of the WSOP for nearly two decades, reaching the grand finale in 2016 and 2017, each time earning a $200,000 payout.
This year, he’s already secured $86,000 but is aiming for his first bracelet and the $500,000 prize that comes with it. Smith told PokerNews that his love of heads-up poker stems from “I keep winning, and I play the best players and seem to do well at it.”
The veteran added that he’s still able to keep up with his younger counterparts due to regularly playing in home games despite only participating in a handful of tournaments each year.
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Smith’s Road to the Quarterfinal
In Smith’s first-round match-up, he faced 2019 WSOP Main Event runner-up Dario Sammartino and dispatched the Italian with ease. A key hand occurred in Level 1, where Smith turned a seven-high straight and was paid off after Sammartino rivered trips. It was one-way traffic from there, and Smith advanced to the second round, where he faced Young Ko.
Ko, who defeated Espen Jorstad in Round 1, was no slouch and had Smith on the ropes several times. Withstanding an onslaught of pressure, the 77-year-old rallied back and secured his spot in Day 2 after winning a critical flip.
Smith then faced his toughest challenge yet, Weston Mizumoto. Their match was the longest of Round 3, with Smith pulling off another stunning comeback after being down to crumbs. His instincts kicked in, and he took consecutive small pots amidst a crucial double-up. After turning a flush and extracting value, Smith gained more than a 2:1 chip lead, which he never relinquished.
Throughout the battle, Smith was very complimentary of Mizumoto, calling him a “very good player.”
In the quarterfinals, which are currently in progress, Smith is up against the United Kingdom’s Darius Samual. Should Smith secure his fourth heads-up victory of the tournament, he’ll face the winner of Patrick Kennedy vs. Artur Martirosian in the semifinal tomorrow.
Editor & Live Reporter
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum’s proudest poker achievement is winning the only tournament he has ever played in Las Vegas, the prestigious $60 Flamingo evening event.