James Mackey Captures Second World Poker Tour Choctaw Main Event Title

The closing desk of the 2024 World Poker Tour Choctaw $3,800 no-limit maintain’em primary occasion was stacked with massive names on the sting of securing an enormous win. The closing six reconvened on the HyperX Arena situated in Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada greater than three weeks after Vladyslav Shovkovyi was knocked out in seventh place on the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. After seven hours of battling, James Mackey emerged victorious to earn the highest prize of $361,600 and his second WPT title.

In reality, this was the second time that Mackey took down this very match. His first WPT victory got here within the 2016 working of this occasion, which noticed him greatest a subject of 1,066 entries to earn $681,758. Mackey, a poker professional based mostly out of Kansas City, now has almost $5 million in lifetime earnings. His largest dwell rating stays the $730,740 he earned because the winner of a $5,000 buy-in occasion on the 2007 World Series of Poker.

“It feels so good, it’s hard to describe how good it feels, honestly,” Mackey informed WPT reporters after the win. “In poker, you lose and lose and lose so getting that win… it’s special.”

Mackey additionally earned 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. This was his first POY-qualified rating of the yr, however it alone was sufficient to place him inside the highest 150 within the 2024 POY standings offered by Global Poker.

Mackey was one in all three gamers on the televised closing desk with a WPT title already to their identify. He entered with the chip lead, whereas three-time WPT champion Eric Afriat sat in the midst of the pack and two-time WPT champion Erick Lindgren introduced up the rear.

Lindgren, the winner of the 2003 Ultimate Poker Classic and 2004 Get togetherPoker Million II, was the primary to hit the rail. He received the final of his 18 massive blinds in with A-9 suited main the Ok-J of Sebastien Aube, however the board introduced two kings to present Aube journeys and the knockout. Lindgren earned $75,000 because the sixth-place finisher, rising his profession earnings to almost $10.3 million within the course of.

Danny Marx was the following to fall. He received his final handful of huge blinds in with 10-7 suited trailing the Ok-7 of Aube. Marx flopped a ten to show the tables, however a river king despatched him dwelling with a career-best payday of $99,000 for his fifth-place displaying.

Aube slid to the underside of the chip counts as short-handed play continued. He finally received all-in 4 round 4 massive blinds with A-Q main the 8-7 suited of Afriat. Aube led after a jack-high flop, however Afriat turned and rivered two pair to safe the knockout. Aube, a bracelet winner from Montreal, cashed for $131,000 on this occasion.

Mackey was nicely out in entrance when three-handed motion kicked off. He was preserving the stress up with loads of preflop aggression. In the following key hand he shoved from the button and Adam Hendrix known as from the massive blind for seven massive blinds with Q9. Mackey revealed A5. The A65Q runout gave Mackey aces up and the knockout. Hendrix earned $175,000, rising his profession earnings to greater than $6.6 million within the course of.

Heads-up play started with Mackey holding roughly a 5:1 lead over Afriat. Mackey was capable of prolong that benefit regardless of a number of double-ups for Afriat, who was seeking to win his record-tying fourth WPT title. In the ultimate hand, Afriat moved all-in for seven massive blinds with OkJ from the button and Mackey known as with Ok5. The board ran out 955J6 and Mackey made journey fives to safe the title. Afriat was awarded $235,000 because the runner-up. The Canadian now has greater than $5.6 million in lifetime scores to his identify.

Here is a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the closing desk:

Photo credit score: WPT / Enrique Malfavon.