John Holley Tops 4,249-Entry Field to Win Largest WSOP Circuit Event in History
Last year, Ray Henson defeated TJ Cloutier in heads-up play to win the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Casino Resort Event #3: $365 No-Limit Hold'em Reentry for $197,588. That tournament attracted a record 4,053 entries, which surpassed the previous record of 3,001 from the 2011 WSOP Horseshoe Hammond.
Last week, a new record was set as the same event attracted 4,249 entrants to the 2016 WSOP Circuit Choctaw Casino Resort, which created a massive $1,274,700 prize pool. The tournament featured four starting flights: Day 1A (976 entries), Day 1B (675 entries), Day 1C (1,490 entries), and Day 1D (1,108 entries).
In the end, 54-year-old Florida fisherman and circuit regular John Holley topped the record-breaking field to capture his fourth gold ring and more than $200,000 in cash.
“I felt like I won before I even cashed,” Holley said after the win. “I was only in for two bullets. There was a rumor going around I was in for twenty.”
According to a WSOP press release, Holley’s came on strong on Day 3 when he entered the final day 11th place out of the 15 remaining players. By the time the final table of nine rolled around, Holley was the commanding chip leader. Seven hours later, he defeated Ryan Hardin heads up to capture the title.
“I have some things that I do live that I feel really work for me,” Holley explained. “The majority of my game is probably physical tells. The biggest part of my game has always been reading people.”
Holley continued: “I was a fisherman, and I told stories for a living. I’d come in with all these fish, and you have to be able to tell a story. Other fisherman want to know where you’re fishing, and if they know where you’re fishing, they’re going to go out there and catch all the fish.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Holley | Destin, FL | $203,944 |
| 2 | Ryan Hardin | Pilot Point, TX | $125,532 |
| 3 | Joseph Coffaro | Tomball, TX | $91,052 |
| 4 | Charley Sauer | Grapevine, TX | $67,444 |
| 5 | Eli Loewenthal | Carmel, IN | $50,338 |
| 6 | Kevin Waguespack | Kingwood, TX | $37,859 |
| 7 | Wesley Cutshall | Cypress, TX | $28,693 |
| 8 | Lonny Weitzel | Texarkana, TX | $21,912 |
| 9 | Zachary Carley | Norman, OK | $16,864 |
The WSOP Circuit Choctaw Casino Resort Main Event is happening now. PokerNews will bring you a recap of that event upon completion of play.
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