James Henson Wins the First Ring of 2012/2013 WSOP Circuit Choctaw
Ten of the stops twelve ring events are already in the books, and we thought it'd be fun to take a look back at the completed events throughout the day. While the PokerNews Live Reporting Team hasn't been in Choctaw all week long, the WSOP's Media Coordinator Lukas Willems has, and he's been doing a great job recapping the preliminary events.
Here's a snippet of his recap from Event #1 $365 No-Limit Hold’em:
The 2012-2013 WSOP Circuit Presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof began Thursday at Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, OK. Event 1, a $365 No-Limit Hold’em tournament and the first of 12 gold ring events, drew 481 entrants, making it the third largest non-re-entry $365 event of the season. James Henson from Lake Jackson, Tex. outlasted the sizable field to record his second WSOP Circuit championship. Henson won $31,021, a WSOP Circuit gold ring and took the early lead in the Casino Champion’s race.
“It feels good. It was fun and I had a great time. The first [ring] was special but this is good,” Henson said of his second victory. Henson began Day 2 toward the bottom of the chip counts and said his past experiences helped keep him in the tournament. Closing the deal was no easy task, as Henson faced two fellow Circuit champions three-handed — Joshua Pender (3rd) and Royce Prude (2nd). Pender earned his first ring this year at IP Biloxi, while Prude earned his at Choctaw two years ago. Henson’s first championship came almost one year ago at Palm Beach Kennel Club when he bested 290 in a $555 No-Limit Hold’em tournament to earn $33,749.
“The guys that I was playing against, they were both good there was no question about it,” Henson said. “I was not looking forward to going up against either one of them. They very much knew what they were doing.”
Henson’s most recent victory pushed him over the $200,000 mark in career WSOP earnings. Married with four children, he insists poker takes a back seat to his professional life. “I go to about four Circuits a year. That’s how much I can make time for. It’s completely a hobby,” Henson said.
WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #1 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 481 | $144,300 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Henson | Lake Jackson, TX | $31,021 |
| 2 | Royce Prude Jr. | Dallas, TX | $19,182 |
| 3 | Josh Pender | Rockhill, SC | $14,013 |
| 4 | Jacob McFarland | San Antonio, TX | $10,388 |
| 5 | Theresa Hoffman | Pflugerville, TX | $7,812 |
| 6 | Vivian Belcher | Rowlett, TX | $5,960 |
| 7 | Michael Hope | Dallas, TX | $4,610 |
| 8 | Andrew Chubick | Dallas, TX | $3,618 |
| 9 | Michael Hopkins | Elkland, MO | $2,879 |