DURANT, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla., home to an upscale, exclusive 30 table poker lounge, hosted over 22,000 players in the fourth World Series of Poker® (WSOP) Circuit event from Jan. 2-20 as part of the official 2013-2014 WSOP Circuit Tour. The circuit, which featured 12 WSOP ring events, resulted in $5,818,600 in total prizes, including a $2,142,000 Main Event prize pool.
On the final day of the tournament, Tyler Morris, a resident of Tyler, Texas rose above 1,428 players to collect the Main Event Championship first prize of $369,503 in the fourth largest Main Event in Circuit history. Along with the Main Event winnings, Morris also earned a WSOP Main Event ring and an automatic berth to the National Championship.
The Choctaw Casino Resort WSOP Circuit stop also broke another record this year when Austin-area resident and recreational poker player Chris Bowen won the second largest event in the WSOP Circuit’s 10-year history. Bowen beat out 2,867 players and turned his $365 buy-in into more than $122,000. Bowen also won Casino Champion based on tournament points and will be heading to the National Championship as well.
“We are happy to have hosted a record-breaking fourth World Series of Poker Circuit event here at Choctaw Casino Resort,” said James Box, poker room manager. “We look forward to welcoming a variety of poker players with varying levels of experience each year for the Circuit event, and we’re happy to offer players in the region a professional poker tournament event with the respected name of the World Series of Poker.”
Final table results from the WSOP Circuit event at Choctaw Casino Resort:
- First Place: Tyler Morris – $369,503
- Second Place: Shelby Penka – $229,194
- Third Place: Clyde Walters – $167,954
- Fourth Place: Preston Harwell – $127,685
- Fifth Place: Jeffrey Gibralter – $97,204
- Sixth Place: Joshua Evans – $74,863
- Seventh Place: Jesse Capps – $58,327
- Eighth Place: Michael Sanders – $45,967
- Ninth Place: Julie Walker – $36,650
The WSOP Circuit event at Choctaw Casino Resort is the only Oklahoma/North Texas regional event, drawing a large population of poker enthusiasts from Oklahoma City and Tulsa to Dallas/Fort Worth and beyond.
About Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla.
The AAA Four Diamond Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, includes 330 hotel rooms, a natatorium, fitness center, business center, full-service spa and three retail outlets. In addition, there are five restaurants, a 175-seat amphitheater, and 110,000 square feet of gaming space, including over 3,500 slot machines, 30 poker tables and 48 table games. For more information, visit www.ChoctawCasinos.com/Durant.aspx, “Like” us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ChoctawResort or follow us on Twitter at @ChoctawResort.
