Harvey Castro Slays "The Dragon" in WSOPC Choctaw Main Event for $275,660
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Just weeks after the completion of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the WSOP Circuit is underway and saw several events taking place as part of WSOPC Choctaw Durant in the Dallas and Oklahoma area. The WSOPC Choctaw action culminated with the $1,700 buy-in Main Event, which wrapped up on Monday, July 31 with Harvey Castro winning his first Circuit ring and $275,660.
The young Castro had zero WSOP cashes heading into the Main Event that drew 1,026 runners for a prize pool of $1,552,338. But that didn't stop him from getting through a powerhouse final table that included 2022 WSOPC Tulsa Main Event champion Arthur Morris and the legendary David "The Dragon" Pham, a ring and bracelet winner who was looking for his fifth piece of WSOP hardware.
Other players at the final table included Tulsa's Andrew Watson (7th - $44,723) and Eric Bunch (8th - $35,254), as well as Montana's Gary Bauer (6th - $57,374) and Oklahoma City local and three-time ring winner Christopher Staats, who finished runner-up for $174,980 and to be denied a fourth Circuit ring.
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WSOPC Choctaw Main Event Final Table Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvey Castro | N/A | $275,660 | |
| 2 | Christopher Staats | Oklahoma City, OK | $174,980 | |
| 3 | David "The Dragon" Pham | Stanton, CA | $130,024 | |
| 4 | Todd Tucker | Van Buren, AR | $97,797 | |
| 5 | Arthur Morris | Plano, TX | $74,466 | |
| 6 | Gary Bauer | Broadview, MT | $57,374 | |
| 7 | Andrew Watson | Tulsa, OK | $44,723 | |
| 8 | Eric Bunch | Tulsa, OK | $35,254 | |
| 9 | Srinivasa Vadlamudi | Saint Charles, MO | $28,087 |
Mattingly Wins Gargantuan; Two Victories for Longinotti
The Main Event wasn't the only WSOPC Choctaw event that generated a massive prize pool. Event #5: $500 No-Limit Hold'em - 'The Gargantuan' drew 1,103 runners for a prize pool of $414,575 as Texas' James Mattingly took it down for a career-best $87,383.
Earlier in the series, Event #1: $300 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack drew 542 entrants for a prize pool of $128,996 as Mississippi native Jordan Russell earned the victory to take home $25,915.
Mattingly and Russell aren't the only ones who found success during the WSOPC Cherokee stop. Bret Longinotti started things off by winning Seniors Event: $250 Seniors Super Stack for $19,344 before the Arkansas native went on to win a second ring in Event #14: $300 No-Limit Hold'em for $11,325.
If that weren't enough, Longinotti also finished runner-up in Event #10: $250 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack for $7,823 as Hossein Guivehchi took it down for $12,659.
Other winners at the WSOPC Choctaw stop include Matthew Newcombe (Event #3: $300 Pot-Limit Omaha - $12,552), John Miller (Event #6: $400 Big O - $18,533), Pamela Belote (WSOPC $200 Ladies Event - $6,054) and Anthony Allison (Event #9: $300 No-Limit Hold'em - $13,922).
After wrapping up in Choctaw, the WSOPC team will head to Harrah's Cherokee for a stop that will run Aug. 3-14 and will culminate with the $1,700 buy-in WSOPC Cherokee Main Event kicking off on Aug. 11.
A full list of WSOPC Choctaw winners is available in the table below.
WSOPC Choctaw Ring Winners
| EVENT | ENTRANTS | PRIZE POOL | WINNER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seniors Event: $250 Seniors Super Stack | 444 | $87,912 | Bret Longinotti | Hot Springs National Park, AR | $19,344 | |
| Event #1: $300 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack | 542 | $128,996 | Jordan Russell | Pontotoc, MS | $25,915 | |
| Event #2: $250 No-Limit Hold'em | 186 | $36,828 | Nikhil Mandyam | Lewisville, TX | $9,574 | |
| Event #3: $300 Pot-Limit Omaha | 211 | $50,218 | Matthew Newcombe | Ada, OK | $12,552 | |
| Event #4: $250 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 127 | $25,146 | Terry Morales | Springfield, MA | $7,043 | |
| Event #5: $500 No-Limit Hold'em - 'The Gargantuan' | 1,103 | $414,575 | James Mattingly | Frisco, TX | $87,383 | |
| Event #6: $400 Big O | 226 | $74,128 | John Miller | Fort Worth, TX | $18,533 | |
| Event #7: $300 No-Limit Hold'em Bounty | 180 | $33,840 | Agustin Cabrera | Austin, TX | $9,134 | |
| Event #8: $250 No-Limit Hold'em - 'The Twilight' | 396 | $78,408 | Kyler Scheriger | Graham, TX | $17,253 | |
| WSOPC $200 Ladies Event | 147 | $23,226 | Pamela Belote | Edmond, OK | $6,054 | |
| Event #9: $300 No-Limit Hold'em | 234 | $55,692 | Anthony Allison | Blytheville, AR | $13,922 | |
| WSOPC $130 Seniors Event | 404 | $39,592 | Archie Sneed | Fort Worth, TX | $8,710 | |
| Event #10: $250 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack | 261 | $51,678 | Hossein Guivehchi | Richardson, TX | $12,659 | |
| Event #11: $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Super Stack | 227 | $220,871 | Cameron Mixson | Austin, TX | $55,746 | |
| Event #12: $1,700 Main Event | 1,026 | $1,552,338 | Harvey Castro | N/A | $275,660 | |
| Event #13: $250 No-Limit Hold'em | 182 | $36,036 | Andrew Todhunter | Tulsa, OK | $9,368 | |
| Event #14: $300 No-Limit Hold'em | 183 | $43,554 | Bret Longinotti | Hot Springs National Park, AR | $11,325 | |
| Event #15: $500 No-Limit Hold'em | 149 | $62,282 | Neil Volaski | Prosper, TX | $17,439 | |
| Event #16: $250 No-Limit Hold'em - The Finale | 171 | $33,858 | Ryan Freeman | N/A | $9,141 | |
| Event #17: $1,000 Big O | 122 | $106,506 | Bobby Pannkuk | Texas | $29,823 |
*Photos courtesy of WSOP.
