Justin Lapka Wins WSOP Circuit Choctaw Main Event

The first World Series of Poker Circuit cease to wrap up after the 2024 WSOP in Las Vegas has topped its major occasion champion. The WSOP Circuit Choctaw $1,700 buy-in no-limit maintain’em major occasion attracted 1,017 entries to surpass the $1 million assure by over half of one million {dollars}.

The prime 152 finishers earned a share of the $1,540,755 prize pool, with Justin Lapka incomes the lion’s share because the final participant standing. The two-time bracelet winner from Saint Paul, Minnesota walked away with $252,282 and his third profession WSOPC gold ring.

This was the biggest rating but for Lapka, who now has greater than $1.5 million in recorded event earnings. This was additionally his first stay win in a WSOP occasion, having received each of his bracelets and his two prior rings within the on-line streets.

Lapka was additionally awarded 960 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. This was his second title and fourth final-table end of the 12 months, bringing his level whole to 1,369. As a consequence, he now sits inside attain of the highest 250 within the 2024 POY standings introduced by Global Poker.

Plenty of huge names made deep runs on this occasion, together with 2019 World Poker Tour Aria Summer Championship winner Matthew Wantman (twentieth), two-time bracelet winner Michael Wang (sixteenth), and 2023 Lodge Championship Series major occasion winner Preston Duron (eleventh).

The ultimate day started with 12 contenders remaining. Lapka sat in fifth chip place when the chips started to fly on Monday, July 29. He had climbed into second by the point the official ultimate desk was set, trailing solely Kalyan Chivukula.

Lapka moved into the highest spot early on the ultimate desk. He then busted Tim Faro (eighth – $25,754) and Derek Normand (seventh – $33,828) to increase his benefit. Nicholas Splawn was the following to fall, operating the ‘Choctaw Nuts’ (J-2) into the A-9 of Mack Khan. Splawn earned $45,165 because the sixth-place finisher.

Chivukula’s run resulted in fifth place ($61,281) when his 10-8 suited was unable to outrace the pocket sixes of Lapka. On the opposite facet of the coin flip, Lapka was in a position to win one other huge all-in with overcards of Okay-J towards the pocket fives of Khan (4th – $84,475) to enter three-handed play with a large lead.

The hole solely widened when Zak Baron bought all-in with A-4 towards pocket aces for Lapka. Baron discovered no assistance on a queen-high runout and was eradicated in third place ($118,278).

Lapka held a 4:1 chip lead ove Gregg Merkow when heads-up play started. In the ultimate hand Lapka limped in from the small blind for 300,000 whole. Merkow moved all-in for round 7 million with A3 from the massive blind. Lapka referred to as with AQ and the board ran out OkayJ9A8 to safe the title for Lapka.

Merkow cashed for $168,169 because the runner-up. He now has almost $2.2 million in lifetime scores beneath his belt.

Here is a have a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the ultimate desk:

Photo offered by WSOP.