Slaughter-ing the Competition in Event #3
It's time for another look back at the Choctaw prelim events, and this time we thought we'd focus on Event 2 $365 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo by offering another recap snippet from the WSOP's Media Coordinator on the ground, Lukas Willems, who has been in Oklahoma all week long capturing the preliminary event action.
Erin Slaughter made minced meat of the competition in Event 2, a $365 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo tournament, at Choctaw Resort early Monday morning. It took the newly turned poker professional just 12 hours and 45 minutes to trim the field from the 343 starting entrants to just one. Slaughter pocketed $23,660 for what was his first major tournament victory. He also donned the WSOP Circuit gold ring and chalked up 50 points toward the Casino Champion’s race.
“I just started playing [poker] in August and it’s important to me that I have something to look at to remind myself I can do it,” Slaughter said of the significance of the ring. “I’ve been trying really hard for six months solid and this is a token of my accomplishment. I hope to get a whole bunch more.”
To many, breaking through and scoring a major tournament win after just sixth months of playing live poker may seem like the fast track to success, but to Slaughter, the victory was a long time coming. “It doesn’t feel [early]. I’ve been trying really hard, non-stop. This is a fun job to me,” Slaughter said.
His road to the winner’s circle went through two-time WSOP Circuit champion and 2011 National Championship seventh place finisher Drazen Ilich. Ilich made his 12th career Circuit final table appearance and was poised for his third victory, beginning the finale first in chips, but eventually fell victim to instances of erratic play that often characterize the late stages of turbo events. The finish awarded him $10,674 and 30 points toward the Casino Champion’s race.
WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #3 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$65 | 343 | $102,900 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erin Slaughter | Rowlett, TX | $23,660 |
| 2 | Mehmet Akbs | N/A | $14,631 |
| 3 | Drazen Ilich | Lincoln, NE | $10,674 |
| 4 | Mark Streckfus | Houston, TX | $7,917 |
| 5 | Stephen Murphy | Frankston, TX | $5,964 |
| 6 | William Brannen | Crowley, TX | $4,526 |
| 7 | Jason Hall | Gainesville, TX | $3,540 |
| 8 | Benjamin Reason | Whitehouse, TX | $2,787 |
| 9 | Michael Dumas | Abilene, TX | $2,225 |