WSOP circuit event brings over 22,000 players to Choctaw Casino Resort

DURANT, Oklahoma -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Okla., home to an upscale, exclusive 30 table poker lounge, hosted over 22,000 players in the fourth World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit event from Jan. 2-20 as part of the official 2013-2014 WSOP Circuit Tour. The circuit, which featured 12 WSOP ring events, resulted in $5,818,600 in total prizes, including a $2,142,000 Main Event prize pool.

On the final day of the tournament, Tyler Morris, a resident of Tyler, Texas rose above 1,428 players to collect the Main Event Championship first prize of $369,503 in the fourth largest Main Event in Circuit history. Along with the Main Event winnings, Morris also earned a WSOP Main Event ring and an automatic berth to the National Championship.

The Choctaw Casino Resort WSOP Circuit stop also broke another record this year when Austin-area resident and recreational poker player Chris Bowen won the second largest event in the WSOP Circuit’s 10-year history. Bowen beat out 2,867 players and turned his $365 buy-in into more than $122,000. Bowen also won Casino Champion based on tournament points and will be heading to the National Championship as well.

“We are happy to have hosted a record-breaking fourth World Series of Poker Circuit event here at Choctaw Casino Resort,” said James Box, poker room manager. “We look forward to welcoming a variety of poker players with varying levels of experience each year for the Circuit event, and we’re happy to offer players in the region a professional poker tournament event with the respected name of the World Series of Poker.”

Final table results from the WSOP Circuit event at Choctaw Casino Resort:

First Place: Tyler Morris – $369,503
Second Place: Shelby Penka – $229,194
Third Place: Clyde Walters – $167,954
Fourth Place: Preston Harwell – $127,685
Fifth Place: Jeffrey Gibralter – $97,204
Sixth Place: Joshua Evans – $74,863
Seventh Place: Jesse Capps – $58,327
Eighth Place: Michael Sanders – $45,967
Ninth Place: Julie Walker – $36,650

The WSOP Circuit event at Choctaw Casino Resort is the only Oklahoma/North Texas regional event, drawing a large population of poker enthusiasts from Oklahoma City and Tulsa to Dallas/Fort Worth and beyond.