$1,700 Main Event Day 1b | 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant

11-10-2019 02:20 UTC-5

Melissa Singh Bags Chiplead Day 1b of the $1,700 Main Event

Tyler Foran

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

The second and final flight of the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant $1,700 Main Event has come to an end! A total of 594 players entered the second flight with 126 players finding a bag to advance to Day 2 on Sunday, November 10th at 12:00 PM.

At the end of the night, it was Melisa Singh who bagged the chiplead with a 445,500 in chips. Singh has been having a fantastic series, winning her first WSOP Circuit gold ring earlier this week in Event #8: No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed and taking home the grand prize of $16,720. On top of the first-place finish, Singh had also finished in second place in the Ladies Event for $3,638 eventually falling victim to Katherine Offutt who took home the $5,885 grand prize.

Second in chips right behind Singh is Lesley Manuel with 436,500 who is coming fresh off a fifth-place finish in the Choctaw Durant Ladies Event for $1,293. Rounding up the top three stack in Day 1B is Raymond Whitley finishing with 399,500.

With Day 1b reaching a whopping 594 entries and adding to the 1a 389 entries for a total of 983 entries creating a prizepool of$1,489,245. A combined 189 players will be restarting on Sunday, November 10th at 12:00 PM for Day 2 with 146 reaching the minimum payout of $2,549 and be battling for the first-place prize of a WSOP Circuit gold ring, a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship and $256,915.

Other notables reaching the end of Day 1b include Charles Johnson (286,500), Eric Salazar (247,000), Nick Pupillo (176,500) and Lexy Gavin (64,000).

Notables Playing Day 1b but unfortunately not making it to Day 2 include, Gediminas Uselis, Mo Nuwwarah, Brian Altman and Maurice Hawkins.

Play will resume at the beginning of Level 16 Sunday, with the blinds at 2000/4000/4000. Follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team as the Main Event continues at noon Sunday!

Tags: Brian Altman Charles Johnson Eric Salazar Gediminas Uselis Katherine Offutt Lesley Manuel Lexy Gavin Maurice Hawkins Melisa Singh Mo Nuwwarah Nick Pupillo Raymond Whitley

11-10-2019 01:07 UTC-5

Kyle Birdwell Reigns Victorious Claiming His Second Ring in Event #9: $600 NLH

Anthony Thompson

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event and High Roller, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.

In Event #9: $600 NLH, 248 runners created a $127,720 prize pool that was paid out to the top 38 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Christopher Staats (10th - $2,049), Steven Williams (13th- $1,703), Blake Whittington (15th - $1,703), Michael Lech (19th - $1,253), and Carlos Guerrero (24th - $1,111).

In the end, it was Texas native Kyle Birdwell who collected every chip in play to capture his second ring along with a $29,564 payday.

The victory arrived less than four months after Birdwell's first gold-ring run, which occurred at the prior Choctaw Durant Circuit in July. His monumental score of $102,195 among 2,206 players in the multi-flight may have provided Birdwell with a more secure mentality when it came to tournament poker.

“It feels great. I think my confidence is a lot higher actually because I’m taking it a little more seriously,” said Birdwell. “It’s my hobby, but you know been able to turn it into some income and actually have a blast doing it.”

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Kyle Birdwell	Fort Worth, Texas	$29,564
2	Sid Naeimi	Poanoke, Texas	$18,274
3	John Gallaher	Lebanon, Tennessee	$13,021
4	Adam Hendrix	Anchorage, Arkansas	$9,447
5	Koen Roelink	Amsterdam	$6,980
6	Trung Pham	Temple, Texas	$5,255
7	Thomas Olivas	Coppell, Texas	$4,032
8	Lauren Bunch	Tulsa, Oklahoma	$3,154
9	Brock Wilson	Ardsley, New York	$2,517

Tags: Adam Hendrix Blake Whittington Brock Wilson Carlos Guerrero Christopher Staats Lauren Bunch Michael Lech Steven Williams Thomas Olivas Trung Pham

11-10-2019 00:44 UTC-5

Melisa Singh Captures First Official Gold Ring in Event #8: $400 NLH Eight-Handed

Anthony Thompson

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event and High Roller, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.

In Event #8: $400 NLH Eight-Handed, 209 runners created a $68,970 prize pool that was paid out to the top 33 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were TJ Cloutier (13th - $948), Asaf Ben Shushan (14th- $948), Mark Estes (15th - $948), Daniel Jones (26th - $596), and Bart Bogard (33rd - $368).

In the end, it was poker pro Melisa Singh who ran away with a win claiming her first official ring after winning a ladies event in 2017.

“I really wanted it,” said Singh who does lay claim to an unofficial gold ring, stemming from the Ladies Event at the Seminole Hard Rock Circuit in 2017. During that same series, the 38-year-old registered her own runner-up finish, narrowly missing out on gold.

The win wasn't easy for Singh as she went into the second day last in chips, “I came into today the shortest stack, so I was really hoping just to double. I doubled through Pete [Walsworth] who was I think second in chips at the time,” said Singh as she attempted to recount her impressive run. “Wow, I don’t even remember all the hands.”

Singh's run got her into a heads-up match with travel companion Carlos Guerrero. “I know Carlos… I’m actually here with three friends and Carlos was one of my roommates,” Singh revealed.

Singh added, “He’s a superior player and I dreaded getting heads up with him. I mean, I was hoping we would, but I knew that it would be a challenge and I just had to hit a hand to have a chance.”

The final hand saw Guerrero open with a raise, Singh three-bet, and Guerrero retaliate with a four-bet shove. Singh called and her pocket eights held to secure the $16,720 victory.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Melisa Singh	New York, New York	$16,720
2	Carlos Guerrero	Orlando, Florida	$10,335
3	Joseph Hebert	Metairie, Louisiana	$7,285
4	Peter Walsworth	Saratosa, Florida	$5,239
5	Andrew Irwin	North Richland Hills, Texas	$3,845
6	Thomas Dujmovich	Katy, Texas	$2,882
7	Marsha Adams	Joplin, Missouri	$2,207
8	Ryan Jones	Burlington, North Carolina	$1,727
9	Michael Lech	Alma, Arizona	$1,382

Tags: Andrew Irwin Asaf Ben Shushan Bart Bogard Carlos Guerrero Daniel Daniel Jones Joseph Hebert Mark Estes Marsha Adams Melisa Singh Michael Lech Peter Walsworth Ryan Jones

11-10-2019 00:40 UTC-5

Uselis Turns Straight for Double

Anthony Thompson

Level 14 : 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

There was heads-up action between Gediminas Uselis from the big blind and a player from middle position with a completed board showing .

With over 60,000 already in the middle, Uselis moved all in for 27,500 and was called by his opponent.

Gediminas Uselis:
Opponent:

Uselis turned the staright and got a much needed double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gediminas Uselis	125,000	83,000

Tags: Gediminas Uselis

11-10-2019 00:26 UTC-5

James Duke Achieves Gold in Event #7: $400 NLH Double Stack

Anthony Thompson

Level 14 : 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event and High Roller, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.

In Event #7: $400 NLH Double Stack, 353 runners created a $116,490 prize pool that was paid out to the top 54 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Michael Lech (10th - $1,753), Justin Kruger (14th- $1,438), Lauren Bunch (26th - $780), Will Berry (29th - $701), and Bart Bogard (35th - $602).

In the end, it was Texas native James Duke securing a $25,400 victory along with his first ring.

“It’s just so exciting. I’ve been trying for 14 years to win a damn ring,” Duke said with a laugh following his triumph. “It means a lot to me to win here at Choctaw because the players are so tough here. They’re great players and they’re friendly and the dealers are all great; The floor crew’s great. So, I’m pretty excited about it.”

The win brings Duke's WSOP cashes to a total of 40 with $750,000 in earnings. A vast majority of that sum ($614,368) was earned by Duke in 2014 when he took third place in the Millionaire Maker, a tournament that encompassed nearly 8,000 players.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	James Duke	Houston, Texas	$25,400
2	Benjamin Thomas	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	$15,698
3	Andrew Robinson	Georgetown, Texas	$11,282
4	Maurice Hawkins	West Palm Beach, Florida	$8,235
5	Gerald Cunniff	Saint Paul, Minnesota	$6,107
6	Jeremy Ross	The Colony, Texas	$4,603
7	Cody Pettit	Yukon, Oklahoma	$3,526
8	Pedro Arroyos	Lubbock, Texas	$2,746
9	Sidney Savitt	South Euclid, Ohio	$2,175

Tags: Andrew Robinson Bart Bogard Cody Pettit Gerald Cunniff James Duke Justin Kruger Lauren Bunch Maurice Hawkins Michael Lech Pedro Arroyos Will Berry

11-09-2019 23:32 UTC-5

Ducks Hold for Reichard; Doubles Through Rettenmaier

Anthony Thompson

Level 13 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Josh Reichard opened for 5,000 from the hijack and Marvin Rettenmaier three-bet to 16,500 from the small blind. Action folded back to Reichard who four-bet jammed and was called by Rettenmaier.

Josh Reichard:
Marvin Rettenmaier:

The flop came out all red but it was the wrong suit for Rettenmaier falling .

The turn was no help to Rettenmaier nor was the river and he sent 93,500 over to Reichard for the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Josh Reichard	190,000	93,700
Marvin Rettenmaier	40,000	-56,300

Tags: Marvin Rettenmaier Josh Reichard

11-09-2019 23:21 UTC-5

Jeff Hood Wins First Ring in Event #6: $400 NLH Turbo

Anthony Thompson

Level 13 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event and High Roller, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.

In Event #6: $400 NLH Turbo, 255 runners created a $84,1500 prize pool that was paid out to the top 40 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Michael Clements (11th - $1,347), Daniel Lowery (13th - $1,118), Oscar Penn (17th - $948), James Baune (33rd - $556), and Robert Keeling (37th - $551).

In the end, it was 53-year old Austin, Texas native Jeff Hood who earned $19,338 along with his first gold ring in the process.

“That was my first tournament [series] I went to,” Hood mentioned, referring to the most recent Rio Circuit in Las Vegas. “That one, I should have been more aggressive. Seventh was great, but this feels really good to get this ring.”

Final-table finishes can leave players yearning for what could have been. This time around it was nothing but satisfaction for Hood who is relatively new to the world of poker.

“I started playing about three years ago,” Hood disclosed. “We have a kind of game in our office a guy invited me to. He mentored me. Steve Rosser is his name. Read a lot of books. Took Negreanu’s Master Class. Read a lot of stuff and got good experience.”

Although young in practice, Hood has been diligent with his studies since entering the poker scene. Only three years in and the semi-retired Patent Lawyer has already reached the WSOP gold ring club.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Jeff Hood	Dallas, Texas	$19,338
2	Bobby Fuentes	Sunnyvale, Texas	$11,952
3	William Whitton	Sunnyvale, Texas	$8,532
4	Rodney Spriggs	Joplin, Missouri	$6,199
5	Reitta Seidel	San Antonio, Texas	$4,586
6	Dylan Easley	Fredricksburg, Texas	$3,455
7	Sai Raghu Uppala	Shawnee Mission, Kansas	$2,652
8	William Mcgee	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	$2,075
9	John Bengelsdorf	Tacoma, Washington	$1,655

Tags: Daniel Lowery Dylan Easley James Baune Michael Clements Oscar Penn Robert Keeling Rodney Spriggs

11-09-2019 22:24 UTC-5

Brandon Wilson Secures Gold in Event #5: $400 NLH Bounty

Anthony Thompson

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event and High Roller, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.

In Event #5: $400 NLH Bounty, 261 runners created a $60,030 prize pool that was paid out to the top 41 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Michael Delavergne (10th - $958), Michael Lech (12th - $958), Brian Lee (14th - $795), Lauren Bunch (27th - $463), and Robert Keeling (34th - $388).

In the end, it was Brandon Wilson who outlasted the 261 player field to claim his first ring along with $13,706.

“I actually dropped out of college to pursue poker the year before Moneymaker won. I’ve been hooked ever since,” Wilson state about his background with the game.

Fortunately, on the first weekend of November, a sequence of events brought directed him to WSOP tournament poker where he flourished, joining the ranks of gold-ring champions.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Brandon Wilson	Dallas, Texas	$13,706
2	Vaughn Brozek	Fort Worth, Texas	$8,470
3	Daniel Jones	Kingwood, Texas	$6,055
4	Quinterol Mallette	Dallas, Texas	$4,404
5	Mark Fisher	Denison, Texas	$3,261
6	Charles Belcher	Rowlett, Texas	$2,459
7	Melisa Singh	New York, New York	$1,888
8	John Haddad	Plano, Texas	$1,477
9	Jimmy Bunch	Bokoshe, Oklahoma	$1,178

Tags: Brian Lee Charles Belcher Daniel Jones John Haddad Lauren Bunch Mark Fisher Melisa Singh Michael Lech Quinterol Mallette Robert Keeling

11-09-2019 21:19 UTC-5

Belcher Wins Flip Against George

Anthony Thompson

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

A player from middle position opened for 2,500 and Gil George jammed for 9,000 from the small blind. Action was on Charles Belcher who came over the top from the big blind getting isolation as the initial raiser mucked .

Gil George:
Charles Belcher:

George was ahead with his made hand but the flip was lost after the flop paired Belcher.

The turn came the and George needed a six on the river to stay keep his Main Event life alive but the river fell the ending his tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Charles Belcher	42,500
Gil George	Busted

Tags: Gil George Charles Belcher

11-09-2019 19:19 UTC-5

Matthew Laessig Claims First Ring in Event #4: $600 PLO

Anthony Thompson

Level 9 : 400/800, 800 ante

While PokerNews is here offering live updates from the Main Event and High Roller, we’d be remiss if we didn’t tell you about the full schedule of side events that have been playing out over the past week at the World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant.

In Event #4: $600 PLO, 154 runners created a $79,310 prize pool that was paid out to the top 25 players. Among those to cash but fall short of the final table were Michael Perrone (11th - $1,375), Louis Barlow (14th - $1,168), Jacob Seale (16th - $1,020), Michael Le (18th - $1,020), and Lauren Bunch (24th - $425).

After placing seventh in this exact event last year, Matt Laessig rose to the occasion and claimed his first ring along with $20,773.

“Came here last year. Did my first Circuit event here last year. Had a blast,” mentioned Laessig. “Final tabled the PLO… Got busted seventh. Couple bad hands in a row and for the last year, I’ve been replaying it in my head.”

Laessig carved out his trip to Choctaw Durant and conquered. Going out a winner, he plans to return to his family and work in Austin, Texas on Monday

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Matthew Laessig	Austin, Texas	$20,773
2	Jeramy Govert	Acworth, Georgia	$12,836
3	Ronald Neuman	Piedmont, Oklahoma	$8,923
4	Michael Lech	Alma, Arizona	$6,347
5	James Buane	Orlando, Florida	$4,622
6	Erik Mason	Geneva, New York	$3,448
7	David Prociak	Winter Park, Florida	$2,637
8	Charles Adkins	Amarillo, Texas	$2,067
9	Megan Moore	Norman, Oklahoma	$1,664

Tags: David Prociak Erik Mason Jacob Seale James Buane Jeramy Govert Lauren Bunch Louis Barlow Michael Lech Michael Perrone Ronald Neuman