Recapping the 2012-2013 WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Prelims

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Jan 17, 2013 5 min read Last updated Jan 19, 2013

For the past week, the 2012/2013 World Series of Poker Circuit, presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof, has been taking place at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. The stop, which is in its third year, features 12 ring events, many of which are over, which will culminate this weekend with the $1,675 Main Event. There are sure to be some interesting story lines that emerge out of that tournament, and we thought we’d set the stage by taking a look at the Choctaw Durant winners thus far.

The second event of the stop was a $580 No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry tournament that featured four starting days. That meant players had the option of re-entering up to four times! The tournament had a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool, which was smashed as 2,209 players turned out—the fourth largest turnout in WSOP Circuit history—and created a robust $1,104,500 prize pool.

Flight 1A during the day drew an impressive 576 entrants, and later another 354 players took to the felt for Flight 1B, which began at 5 p.m. On Saturday, Flight 1C attracted a massive 745 players, and Flight 1D drew 534 players. That brought the total to the aforementioned 2,209 entrants, 225 of whom would earn a payday and positioning for a run at the $168,433. The field was so large that an extra day had to be added to the schedule, but after more than 30 hours of tournament play, 37-year-old poker pro Ross Bybee of McKinney, Texas, emerged victorious after defeating Michael Downing in heads-up play.

“[It feels] amazing; spectacular; wonderful. Everything you can think of and then some,” Bybee told WSOP officials after the win. “I have no trophies. I’ve won a lot of events and I’ve gotten little tokens, but this is my first real trophy. For it to be a ring means a lot.”

“Poker is what I’ve wanted to do for a long time and anything to get my name out there makes it all the better,” Bybee concluded. It’s also worth noting that Doug “Rico” Carli took 161st in the event, extending his WSOP Circuit cash record to 69, more than double Mark “Pegasus” Smith’s 32 cashes.

Here's a look at the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant events completed thus far:

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #1 No-Limit Hold’em

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #2 No-Limit Hold’em Re-Entry

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #3 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #4 No-Limit Hold’em

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #5 No-Limit Hold’em

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #6 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #7 No-Limit Hold’em

WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Ring Event #8 No-Limit Hold’em

With several events yet to be determined, the race for the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Champion is undetermined. Whoever captures that title, along with the eventual winner of the Main Event, will automatically qualify for the National Championship. Here's a look at the players who have qualified:

National Championship Qualifiers

In addition to the qualifiers, players who earn enough points on the National Leaderboard will earn a seat into the National Championship:

WSOPC National Leaderboard Top Ten*

*Leading up to the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant stop.

Here's a look at the remaining schedule for the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit:

For more information on the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit season, visit WSOP.com. Also, be sure to follow our live updates from the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant in our Live Reporting Section.

*Photos courtesy of WSOP.com.

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PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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