Justin Lapka Wins WSOP Circuit Choctaw Main Event

The primary World Collection of Poker Circuit cease to wrap up after the 2024 WSOP in Las Vegas has topped its principal occasion champion. The WSOP Circuit Choctaw $1,700 buy-in no-limit maintain’em principal occasion attracted 1,017 entries to surpass the $1 million assure by over half of 1,000,000 {dollars}.

The highest 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 2-time bracelet winner from Saint Paul, Minnesota walked away with $252,282 and his third profession WSOPC gold ring.

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

Lapka was additionally awarded 960 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors for the win. This was his second title and fourth final-table end of the yr, bringing his level complete to 1,369. In consequence, he now sits inside attain of the highest 250 within the 2024 POY standings introduced by International Poker.

Loads of massive names made deep runs on this occasion, together with 2019 World Poker Tour Aria Summer season Championship winner Matthew Wantman (twentieth), two-time bracelet winner Michael Wang (sixteenth), and 2023 Lodge Championship Collection principal 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 remaining desk was set, trailing solely Kalyan Chivukula.

Lapka moved into the highest spot early on the remaining 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, working the ‘Choctaw Nuts’ (J-2) into the A-9 of Mack Khan. Splawn earned $45,165 because the sixth-place finisher.

Chivukula’s run led to 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 capable of win one other massive all-in with overcards of Ok-J in opposition to the pocket fives of Khan (4th – $84,475) to enter three-handed play with an enormous lead.

The hole solely widened when Zak Baron received all-in with A-4 in opposition to 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. Within the remaining hand Lapka limped in from the small blind for 300,000 complete. Merkow moved all-in for round 7 million with A3 from the large blind. Lapka referred to as with AQ and the board ran out OkJ9A8 to safe the title for Lapka.