Justin Smith a.k.a “Boosted J”, has just signed with Full Tilt Poker to become one of their sponsored professionals. The 21 year old Smith is an online player who started playing poker at 17 after a motorbike accident confined him to a wheelchair. Poker thus became a way he could pass the time during his recuperation period.
His real break in poker was to come later, though, when after starting at the University of Central Florida and moving into his own apartment he was able to grind out $1,000 a month playing $2/4 limit hold’em. Justin then decided to give no-limit hold’em cash games a go and was soon making a very comfortable living playing in the $5/10 levels and above. By the time he joined Full Tilt Poker in 2006 he was playing $25/50 games and was able to develop his all round poker skills by diversifying into other forms of poker such as stud, triple draw, and Omaha 8 or better.
August 2007 saw him marry his girlfriend Anita, by which time he had left university and was playing $1,000/2,000 H.O.R.S.E. and $100/200 no-limit hold’em as well as posting some very good cashes in various tournaments. These include third at the 2009 Bellagio Cup earning $464,870 and bringing his tournament winnings up to $690,399 over a 10 month period. Also at his first ever WSOP tournament, he cashed five times in a range of poker disciplines which include heads-up no-limit hold’em, limit 2-7 triple draw, no-limit 2-7 single draw, stud 8 or better and pot-limit Omaha
As the latest member of the Full Tilt Poker Red Team, Justin Smith will be joining such illustrious players as Eli Elezra, Huck Seed and Paul Wasicka. Justin will have to get used to playing under his given name and drop the “Boosted J” pseudonym, though, as all members of the Red Team Pros are required to do.
