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 WPT Choctaw Championship editions. Here is a little bit more about when the tournament was first held and who has won it over the years.
Season 2015-2016
The inaugural WPT Choctaw festival took place early into Season XIV of the popular poker series. The Main Event itself ran from July 31 through August 4 and featured two starting flights and three more days of play.
The tournament was a $3,700 buy-in one. In fact, all four editions of the WPT Choctaw Championship, including the ongoing one, have featured the same buy-in fee. As many as 1,175 entries registered during the first-ever edition of the tournament to generate a prize pool of $3,989,125. The top 147 finishers received a share of the money, min-cashes starting from $3,874.
Jason Brin was the player to win the first WPT Main Event ever held at Choctaw Casino in Durant. The player survived a field of tough fellow competitors to win a first-place prize of $692,975 for his efforts. To date, Brin has $915,523 in live tournament earnings and his triumph at the WPT Main Event is still his best live tournament accomplishment.
Season 2016-2017
The second WPT Choctaw Main Event took place at the host venue between July 29 and August 2, 2016. Players had the opportunity to enter the tournament through one of two starting flights. The event featured three more days of play.
The overall field of that edition of the Choctaw Main Event comprised 1,066 entries who generated a prize pool of $3,619,070. The money was split into cashes for the top 109 places. After the bubble burst, each of the remaining contenders was guaranteed a minimum cash of $3,315.
It was James Mackey to scoop the lion’s share of the prize pool. The player collected $666,758 for his triumph. This was Mackey’s second WPT Main Tour Main Event final table. Three seasons earlier, the player finished third in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Main Event for a cash prize of $441,128.
Season 2017-2018
Last year’s edition of the WPT Choctaw Main Event began on August 4 and ran through August 8, featuring two starting flights and three more days of play.
There was a decrease in attendance and the field dropped below 1,000 entries during the third edition of the tournament. As many as 924 players registered into the event last summer to create a prize pool of $3,121,980. There were payouts for the top 99 finishers, min-cashes were worth $6,400.
Jay Lee won the event last year for a monetary prize of $593,173 and his only cash from the WPT series. It is also interesting to note that the player had just two prior in-the-money finishes in live tournaments before taking down the WPT Choctaw, both of which were from the WSOP.
