The money bubble has burst in the $3,800 buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) Choctaw Championship, a relief to the final 76 players. But with first place set to pay $361,600, the real pressure for those still standing has just begun as the tournament heads into Day 3.
As the dinner break began, the 77th place finisher was eliminated, ensuring everyone still in the field would cash. Austin Lewis was the player sent home on the stone bubble when he ran ace-king into pocket kings, and the inferior hand didn’t suck out.
Players Falling Fast
Once the players returned from a 90-minute dinner break, the short stacks felt more comfortable gambling than pre-bubble. And that led to a number of fast eliminations. By the end of the night, after Level 20, the field had dwindled down to just 35.
Players will return at 11 a.m. CT to Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma on Monday to play down to the final table. Those last six still standing will take a few weeks off before returning to the felt, but in Las Vegas.
As for Day 2 action, chips were flying around from start to finish. Even as the bubble approached, players fell fast. When the field reached 79 players minutes before the dinner break, it didn’t take long before the tournament had reached the money.
After the dinner break, many of the short stacks headed to the exits. That includes Allen Kessler, who was nursing one of the smallest stacks for a while, but snuck his way into the money and a 70th place finish for $7,000, his 31st World Poker Tour cash.
For quite some time on Day 2, Matthew Wantman held the chip lead or was near the top. But he’d quickly run into some misfortune and was out in 50th place for $9,500.
Late in the session, the last ClubWPT qualifier still standing, George Glover, was eliminated in 39th place for $13,300. Chino Rheem, a three-time WPT champion, was all in on an open-ended straight draw against another past WPT champion, James Mackey, who would win the hand with ace-high. Mackey won this same event in 2016 for $666,758, beating out 1,066 entrants, a tournament record.
Two WPT Champions Chip Leading
Speaking of Mackey, he’ll head into Day 3 with the biggest stack (2,635,000). Another World Poker Tour champion who just so happens to share the same first name, James Carroll, is right behind him with 2,475,000 chips.
Vladyslav Shovkovyi, who bagged 2,180,000, is the only other player to surpass the 2 million mark. Other notables who bagged and tagged on Sunday include Adam Hendrix (1,250,000), Anthony Zinno (1,090,000), Eric Afriat (835,000), Kasey Lyn Mills (515,000), Erick Lindgren (470,000), and Michael Wang (345,000).
Afriat and Zinno are both three-time WPT champions hoping to tie Darren Elias, who holds the all-time record with four. The remaining players all have a guaranteed minimum payout of $13,300. The next pay jump to $15,800 will occur after the 32nd place finisher busts.
*Images courtesy of the World Poker Tour/Enrique Malfavon.