The first stop of the new World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) season wrapped up this week with WSOP Choctaw, a series in Oklahoma consisting of 20 ring events that generated over $3.2 million in prize money.
The series, which ran July 17-28, culminated with two-time bracelet winner Justin Lapka taking home $252,282 and his third Circuit ring after denying runner-up Gregg Merkow a third ring of his own. You can read all about Lapka’s WSOPC Choctaw victory here.
Across the other ring events in Choctaw, there were several first-time Circuit ring victories by up-and-coming grinders, as well as a few wins from veteran players who added to their ring collections.
Read About Justin Lapka’s WSOPC Choctaw Main Event Win!
Sawyer, Pupillo Among First-Time Ring Winners
The series got underway with Event #1: $130 Seniors Kick-Off, an event that drew 597 runners for a prize pool of $59,700. Durant, Oklahoma’s Gregory Knighton shipped the event for $10,619, his first ring and just his second WSOP cash after a 17th-place finish in last year’s Choctaw $250 Super Seniors event for $644.
Another early first-time ring winner was Rachel Sawyer, a poker player from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma who has burst onto the mid-stakes tournament scene with deep runs in WSOP Circuit and RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) events. Sawyer topped a field of 189 runners in Event #4: $300 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed for a ring and $10,669.
The victory made for Sawyer’s second five-figure score of the summer as she finished runner-up in the LIPS South Point National Championship in Las Vegas for $10,796.
Later in the series, James Pupillo added to his family’s poker legacy as he took down Event #14: $250 No-Limit Hold’em for his first ring and $8,790. James Pupillo is the brother of reigning GPI Mid-Player of the Year Nick Pupillo, who himself is a bracelet winner and three-time Circuit champion.
Fakhimi & Thomas Add Rings
Meanwhile, Shawn Fakhimi won his third ring, a Main Event seat and $6,529 in Event #16: $400 Ring And Seat as he denied Timothy Gilliam a maiden ring. Fakhimi’s first ring dates back to 2008 when he won a $550 event at Caesars Palace for $60,815, while his second ring came at Harrah’s Tunica in 2012 in a $365 event for $22,071.
The Choctaw stop closed out with Louisiana’s Benjamin Thomas win Event #20: $400 No-Limit Hold’em – The Finale for his second ring and $14,977. Thomas earned his first ring in 2018 in a $400 event at Biloxi that brought him $12,659.
Other players who picked up rings in Choctaw included Erick Argote (Event #9: $300 No-Limit Hold’em – $19,452), Van Vandergriff (Event #19: $300 No-Limit Hold’em – The Twilight – $16,968) and Michael Brown, who topped a 1,048-player field in Event #5: $500 The Gargantuan to win $68,326.
A full list of Circuit ring winners at the WSOPC Choctaw stop is available in the table below.
2024 WSOPC Choctaw Ring Winners
| EVENT | ENTRANTS | PRIZE POOL | WINNER | HOMETOWN | PRIZE (IN USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WSOPC Event #1: $130 Seniors Kick-Off | 597 | $59,700 | Gregory Knighton | Durant, OK | $10,619 |
| WSOPC Event #2: $250 No-Limit Hold’em | 264 | $52,800 | Marshal Decker | Denison, TX | $11,690 |
| WSOPC Event #3: $300 Monster Stack | 463 | $111,120 | Alessandro Bertoncini | Cortlandt Manor, NY | $21,149 |
| WSOPC Event #4: $300 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed | 189 | $45,360 | Rachel Sawyer | Broken Arrow, OK | $10,669 |
| WSOPC Event #5: $500 The Gargantuan | 1,048 | $440,160 | Michael Brown | Flower Mound, TX | $68,326 |
| WSOPC Event #6: $250 No-Limit Hold’em | 208 | $41,600 | Ben Ross | Arlington, TX | $9,784 |
| WSOPC Event #7: $300 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty | 286 | $54,340 | Joseph Ferguson | Catoosa, OK | $11,803 |
| WSOPC Event #8: $250 Ladies Event | 125 | $25,000 | Gloria Davila | Pearland, TX | $6,335 |
| WSOPC Event #9: $300 No-Limit Hold’em | 414 | $99,360 | Erick Argote | Monterrey, Mexico | $19,452 |
| WSOPC Event #10: $500 Big O | 225 | $94,500 | Kelechi Amadi | Bossier City, LA | $21,873 |
| WSOPC Event #11: $250 Seniors Event | 429 | $85,800 | Peter Clive | St. Charles, MO | $16,666 |
| WSOPC Event #12: $300 No-Limit Hold’em Double Stack | 394 | $94,560 | David Soskin | Highland, AR | $18,751 |
| WSOPC Event #13: $600 Mystery Bounty | 404 | $127,260 | Garry Ware | Denton, TX | $24,700 |
| WSOPC Event #14: $250 No-Limit Hold’em | 185 | $37,000 | James Pupillo | Gilbert, AZ | $8,790 |
| WSOPC Event #15: $250 No-Limit Hold’em | 214 | $42,800 | Michael ONeill | Waterford, Ireland | $9,978 |
| WSOPC Event #16: $400 Ring And Seat | 183 | $60,390 | Shawn Fakhimi | United States | $6,529 |
| WSOPC Event #17: $400 No-Limit Hold’em One-Day Turbo | 177 | $58,410 | Jay Allen | Independence, MO | $14,006 |
| WSOPC Event #18: $1,700 WSOP Million Dollar Main Event | 1,017 | $1,540,755 | Justin Lapka | Saint Paul, MN | $252,282 |
| WSOPC Event #19: $300 No-Limit Hold’em – The Twilight | 373 | $89,520 | Van Vandergriff | Dallas, TX | $16,968 |
| WSOPC Event #20: $400 No-Limit Hold’em – The Finale | 193 | $63,960 | Benjamin Thomas | Baton Rouge, LA | $14,977 |
*Photos courtesy WSOP Circuit
Editor & Live Reporter U.S.
