Matt Higgins won a quick final table that lasted for just two hours at the World Series of Poker Circuit main event hosted at Choctaw Casino Resort on Nov. 10.
The victory saw Higgins secure $218,436 and his ninth career gold ring as well. This was his second WSOPC main event triumph, also, having taken down the big dance at the 2024 Horseshoe Tunica stop for $167,058. The Georgia resident now has more than $2.7 million in recorded earnings.
“I got here Friday and busted two bullets in 20 minutes, then lost the third in a huge hand on the money bubble in the first flight,” Higgins told Poker.Org live reporters covering the event. “I never panicked, though, and woke up Saturday with a clear conscience and went through my normal routine of affirmations and prayers.”
The short final day was a surprise for Higgins.
“I actually canceled my 6:30 flight today because we were coming back so deep-stacked,” he continued. “I never imagined it would finish so quickly, but I’m incredibly thankful. It’s just a blessing.”
“First and foremost, I want to thank the Lord. I’m a big believer in God, and I guess today was meant to be my turn. Also, a big thanks to my fiancée, who’s helped me become the man I am today, and to all my friends in the poker world who make these trips worthwhile,” said Higgins later on in the post-win discussion. “This interview would take 20 minutes if I listed everyone, but just know that I cherish all of you.”
Thinning The Field
A total of 849 entries were made across the pair of starting flights in the $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em poker tournament, surpassing the $1 million guarantee to create a final prize pool of $1,135,113. The final 85 players all secured a min-cash worth $4,354 in prize money. Day 2 saw 86 players remain, with that number whittled down to just the last seven before play ended.
Higgins took the chip lead at the final two tables and carried that lead into the start of day 3. Cody Jorgenson was the first to be eliminated after play resumed, hitting the rail in seventh place ($27,172). Gold-ring winner Wesley Jones (6th – $36,515) soon followed him to the payout desk.
Just before the first break of the day, gold-ring winner Zach Peay was knocked out in fifth ($50,087). Higgins was still out in front at the pause despite staying out of the way in the elimination hands. That trend continued, as Shuyler Thornton fell in fourth, with the $70,535 payout taking his career earnings above $2 million. Damarjai Davenport busted in third place for $100,399, putting his total winnings over $1 million. That knockout came at the hands of Jeremy Bowman, who had been busy throughout the day, securing four of the five bustouts to this point.
Showdown For The Gold
The most recent elimination gave Bowman 15 million to start the final match, with 19 million for Higgins. The final two played just a few hands before all of the chips got into the middle.
Bowman opened from the button for 350,000. Higgins popped it up to 1.3 million from the big blind, and Bowman moved all in for 15.75 million. Higgins called to cover with A♥Q♠, and that put him ahead of the K♥10♠ of Bowman. The final board of the event came down 6♣5♣2♠J♠6♥, keeping Higgins ahead to bring the clash to a close. Bowman took home $145,618 as the runner-up, which is his largest tournament cash so far on the circuit.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Matthew Higgins | $218,436 | 912 |
| 2 | Jeremy Bowman | $145,618 | 760 |
| 3 | Damarjai Davenport | $100,399 | 608 |
| 4 | Schuyler Thornton | $70,535 | 456 |
| 5 | Zachary Peay | $50,087 | 380 |
| 6 | Wesley Jones | $36,515 | 304 |
| 7 | Cody Jorgenson | $27,172 | 228 |
| 8 | Nikola Mircetic | $20,892 | 152 |
| 9 | Lucas Jumalon | $16,216 | 76 |
Photo Credit: WSOP and Poker.Org
