Curtis King Wins WSOP Circuit Cherokee Main Event

Curtis King gained the World Series of Poker Circuit major occasion at Harrah’s Cherokee, taking residence his first profession WSOP Circuit ring and a $363,703 payout. King’s victory got here in opposition to a deep remaining desk within the $1,700 no-limit maintain’em occasion, which included three gamers with at the very least $3 million in whole profession earnings.

King defeated Toby Boas heads-up to safe his victory. For Boas, it’s the second time within the final 18 months he’s completed second in a WSOP Circuit major occasion at Harrah’s Cherokee. In addition to that runner-up end in May 2025, Boas additionally completed fourth within the WSOPC Cherokee major occasion again in February, and recorded a third-place end in a 2018 WSOP Circuit major occasion on the property.

Improbably, regardless of making 11 profession remaining tables at Harrah’s Cherokee, Boas has by no means gained a WSOPC ring. In this occasion, Boas acquired $242,423 for his second-place end, the second-largest reside event results of his profession.

The remaining desk additionally featured WSOP bracelet winner and distinguished poker boom-era on-line poker participant Ryan ‘g0lfa’ D’Angelo, who completed in third place ($172,763). Four-time WSOP Circuit winner Andrew Kelsall settled for sixth place ($67,820).

Another Big One In North Carolina

Across two beginning flights, the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Cherokee major occasion drew 1,681 entries. That generated a complete prize pool of $2,546,715. By the tip of day 2, solely 11 gamers remained. A short while into the third and remaining day of the event, the sector reached an official remaining desk.

Boas and King considerably outpaced the remainder of the sector, with every holding nearly twice as many chips as any of the opposite gamers beneath them within the chip counts. Boas began to drag away, after which prolonged his lead by knocking out Scott Gronroos in seventh place ($51,053) when pocket nines held in opposition to pocket sixes.

Kelsall ran a flopped set of eights right into a turned coronary heart flush for King, bringing King again into competition for the chip lead on the expense of Kelsall’s whole stack. But Boas distanced himself but once more, knocking out Donta Moss in fifth place ($91,361) with A♠8♠ in opposition to Moss’ Okay♠Q♥.

King knocked out Kataka Eaton in fourth place ($124,782), and with D’Angelo on a brief stack, it appeared as if it wouldn’t take lengthy for them to get heads up. But D’Angelo flopped two pair, sixes and sevens, for a key double by King. It appeared as if King’s event was about to go up in smoke, as D’Angelo’s pocket kings dwarfed King’s pocket fours.

D’Angelo was all in and in danger, however most of King’s chips have been within the center. King picked up 4 extra outs to a wheel on the flip, after which spiked a miracle 4 on the river to knock D’Angelo out of the event.

Boas Denied Again

After many earlier shut calls in WSOP Circuit major occasions at Harrah’s Cherokee, Boas had his fourth critical alternative at lastly profitable his elusive first ring. He wasn’t notably removed from King’s chip lead as their match started, however King rapidly began to drag away.

On the ultimate hand, with a board studying 9♠7♥4♥6♠, King open shoved for twice the dimensions of the pot. Boas went into the tank, and finally discovered a name with 5♦4♦. King was in fine condition with pocket eights, however he nonetheless had eight outs to dodge heading into the river. The Okay♦ rolled off on the tip, and King earned the win.

Along together with his first-place payout, the WSOP Circuit ring, and the $5,000 WSOP Paradise prize package deal awarded to all ring winners, King banked 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year factors. His second qualifying end result within the yearlong POY race introduced by CoinPoker pushed King into the highest 500 for 2026.

Final Table Results

Photo credit score: WSOP/Poker.Org