Large Field Anticipated as World Poker Tour (WPT) Returns to Choctaw May 13-16
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Following a successful trip to South Florida and the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, the World Poker Tour (WPT) is returning to another one of its popular stops — Choctaw Casino Resort — next month for the third Main Tour event of 2022.
The WPT Choctaw, a $3,800 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament, takes place May 13-16 in Durant, Oklahoma, right up until the final table of six has been achieved. After that, the remaining players will take a break and then travel to Las Vegas on May 26 for the final table at the Luxor's HyperX Esports Arena.
The final table will be filmed for television on Bally Sports later in 2022. PokerNews will be in attendance providing exclusive coverage throughout the event.
History of Massive Fields
Durant, a small town located near the Texas border about 90 minutes from Dallas, boasts one of the top poker rooms in the region. As such, the WPT's annual trek to Choctaw has always been a rousing success. For that very reason, the upcoming tournament's $1 million guarantee will likely be smashed.
Last July, Dapo Ajayi defeated a field of 964 entrants to win $558,610 at Choctaw, his first and only (to date) World Poker Tour title.
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During WPT Season XVII (2018-2019), the World Poker Tour hosted two Main Tour events at Choctaw. The first, in August 2018, was conquered by Brady Holiman for $469,185 in a field of 755 runners.
In May 2019, Craig Varnell was the last player standing out of 577 to win $379,990. Varnell had a banner season, which also included a fourth place finish for $201,645 at the WPT Gardens Poker Festival in Los Angeles. Last year, he finished in 58th place for $9,700 at Choctaw.
WPT Choctaw Tournament Dates
| Date | Time | Session |
|---|---|---|
| May 13 | 12 p.m. | Day 1a |
| May 14 | 12 p.m. | Day 1b |
| May 15 | 2 p.m. | Day 2 |
| May 16 | 2 p.m. | Day 3 |
| May 26 | Final Table in Las Vegas |
WPT Main Tour Season at a Glance
The stop in Choctaw will be the third Main Tour event on the 2022 schedule. Alexander Yen took down the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open in January for $975,240, beating out 1,982 entrants.
Thus far, Yen is the only crowned champion of the season. That's because the second event, which took place earlier this month at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, is scheduled to play down to a winner in Las Vegas next month, much like Choctaw.
Darren Elias, who already holds the WPT record with four titles, holds the chip lead with six players remaining in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, a $3,500 buy-in tournament that attracted 2,010 entrants.
Each of the six remaining players are guaranteed at least $215,000 of the massive $6,432,000 prize pool. The winner will take home $1,000,300. Play will resume May 25 in Las Vegas, and the final table will be filmed for television.
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*Images courtesy of WPT.
