- The WPT Choctaw $3,700 Main Event is currently under way at Durant, Oklahoma’s premium poker destination. Players from here and there flocked to the place to participate in one of the hottest summer events to be taking place in the US. And while they are battling for the largest share of the tournament’s prize pool and the prestigious poker title, Casino News Daily has looked back to prior.
- A schedule of Choctaw Durant poker tournaments, including time, buy-in, blind structure, and more. You also can find Choctaw Durant phone number, address, and website info.
Choctaw Casino Resort - Durant; Choctaw Casino Resort - Durant. Craps, Roulette, Poker, Off-Track Betting, Three Card Poker, Let it Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Mini-Baccarat.
The latest addition to the Card Player Poker Tour Hall of Fame is Chan Pelton, who won the CPPT Choctaw main event for $130,455 and 840 Card Player Player of the Year points.
Pelton outlasted a field of 656 players in the $1,080 no-limit hold’em $300,000 guarantee main event for the largest live score of his career. Pelton also outlasted a final table which included defending champion Austin Lewis, last year’s runner-up Gary Luther and Miguel Hernandez, who was the runner-up during this event’s inaugural stop back in 2012.
The heads-up match came down to Pelton and Andrew Watson, with Pelton having a large chip advantage right until the end.
Pelton limped in from the button and Watson checked his option. After a flop of 763 Watson checked and Pelton bet 300,000. Watson raised all-in and Pelton snap-called. Pelton’s 54 was far ahead of Watson’s 32 and the board completed J10 to end the tournament.
The tournament promised a $300,000 guarantee, but with an impressive turnout of players, the prize pool swelled to $636,320, promising the largest set of payouts of CPPT Season III so far.
First place money is also the biggest payout of the season, placing Pelton at the top of the CPPT leaderboard and demoting Maxim Sorokin, who won $101,619 after besting the field at the CPPT Wynn main event.
Final Table Results
Rank | Name | Winners |
1st | Chan Pelton | $130,445 |
2nd | Andrew Watson | $80,717 |
3rd | Herb Montalbano | $59,203 |
4th | Brant Hale | $44,027 |
5th | Austin Lewis | $33,184 |
6th | Paul Phillips | $25,345 |
7th | Gary Luther | $19,611 |
8th | Miguel Hernandez | $15,373 |
9th | Master Lynch | $12,205 |
234 entries populated the WPT Choctaw Day 1a field and a shade over one-third of them advanced to Sunday’s Day 2 as 86 players bagged chips at Choctaw Casino & Resort. Dave Alfa scored the most units with 414,000 and a spot high up on the leaderboard compared to the rest of the pack.
The Texas native had a relatively smooth day, all things considered.
“It was great,” Alfa said. “I came in late from Austin and ran good from the start. I just got lucky. It was a pretty standard progression. I never had any real big loss hands.”
Alfa hit a jackpot toward the end of the day versus Adriel Pierce. After calling on the river with on a board versus Pierce’s to double-up earlier in Level 9, Alfa found a prime spot to double once again. Pierce shoved into Alfa with on a flop and had the unfortunate luck of running into Alfa’s . That pot surged Alfa into the lead and he never looked back from there.
Choctaw is known for hanging banners of their main event champions, WPT winners included. Alfa won a banner earlier this year when he binked $321,000 in the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Choctaw in January. So far, his good run at Choctaw continues.
Joining Alfa at the top of the leaderboard are Jean “Prince” Gaspard (342,000) and WPT Champions Club member Jared Jaffee (338,000). Other WPT Champions to advance from Day 1a play include Brian Altman (237,000), Andy Hwang (173,500), Zachary Smiley (143,500), James Romero (123,000), James Calderaro (119,500), James Mackey (112,500), Season XVII WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown final tablist James Carroll (100,500), four-time WPT champ Darren Elias (82,500), Frank Stepuchin (56,500), and Will Failla (49,500).
Six players who qualified at The Gardens Casino through their $20 Satellite Spectacular promotion made it to Day 2 led by Linda Stockstill [pictured] (158,000). Read more about the amazing promotion at The Gardens Casino that produced 12 qualifiers for WPT Choctaw.
Also advancing is poker media member Mo Nuwwarah, who spoke with WPT’s Sean Chaffin about the success he’s had in 2019 on the felt.
Ping Liu bolstered his chances of a run at the Hublot WPT Player of the Year race. Liu bagged 214,000 and needs to reach the WPT Choctaw final table to overtake current leader Erkut Yilmaz.
Season XII WPT Player of the Year Mukul Pahuja quietly put together a stack of 173,500, good enough for top-10 from Day 1a.
Choctaw Casino Durant Oklahoma
WPT Commentator Vince Van Patten took his shot on Day 1a but fell short of a Day 2 berth. Van Patten and all others who missed a bag on Day 1a can redeem themselves tomorrow.
Day 1b action starts at 12 p.m. local time in Durant, OK with 10 more 60-minute levels on tap. The $1 million guarantee will be vanquished by the time cards are in the air and registration is open until the start of Day 2.
Only three days are left until the next group of final tablists to play at HyperX Esports Arena are known. Stay tuned to WPT.com for complete coverage of WPT Choctaw.
Photography by Jamie Thomson / PokerPhotoArchive.com
Looking to win your way to a World Poker Tour event for your shot at becoming a WPT champion? Play for your chance on ClubWPT.com, where eligible VIP Members can play for over $100,000 in cash and prizes each month, including seats to WPT events, no purchase necessary.
Choctaw Casino Durant Oklahoma Tournam…
- Tags: