Matthew Higgins has won his fifth WSOP Circuit gold ring at the Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi. This win takes his total career earnings to nearly $1.75 million. Higgins achieved this feat on January 29, adding another six-figure score to his already impressive record.
Reflecting on his win, Higgins said to reporters, “This is ring five. We had control for most of the day, we caught a very friendly punt early in the day that gave me the lead over everybody.” He shared insights into his strategy at the final table, “I got lean on them and make them worry about ICM. I applied pressure most of the time and when we got down to three-handed, Dale (Roesel) was putting pressure on me a lot. I forgot how good he was. When BJ (McBrayer) was short, we were so deep and I had a hand that I couldn’t lay it down. It was a real friendly table, everybody battled. We weren’t going to rub anyone’s nose in any bluffs.”
The $1,700 buy-in no-limit Hold’em tournament, attracted 568 entries across two starting flights. This participation pushed the prize pool to $791,673, surpassing the initial half-million guarantee. The top 60 players earned a minimum cash prize of $3,356 each.
Several former WSOP Circuit winners made deep runs in the tournament, adding to the event’s competitive edge. Notable participants included Daniel Lowery, a 14-time WSOP Circuit winner who finished 11th, Spencer Champlin at 15th, Jared Ingles at 16th, and Maurice Hawkins, a 15-time winner, securing the 30th spot.
On the final day, only six players were left vying for the title. Higgins, who started the day second in chips, quickly took the lead by eliminating Marty Martin in sixth place. He maintained his lead throughout, eventually facing Dale Roesel in the heads-up final. Higgins solidified his advantage over Roesel early in their duel, leading to the final hand where Higgins’s Q-3 offsuit triumphed over Roesel’s suited 8-4. A queen on the flop sealed Roesel’s fate, earning him $103,248 for his second-place finish and pushing his career earnings close to $1.3 million.
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