The first major live poker tournament post-World Series of Poker is well underway now as the World Poker Tour (WPT) Choctaw Main Event has completed Day 2. 330 players entered Sunday’s action from the two Day 1 flights and just 40 remain as Monday’s Day 3 looms. Randi Lister holds court as the chip leader, the only player with more than 2 million chips.
Late registration for the tournament remained open until the start of Day 2. Once all the entries were in, a total of 1,066 players had signed up, creating a prize pool of $3,619,070 ($3,500 x 1,066, less 3 percent for staff), which handily exceeded the $3,000,000 guarantee. The winner will receive $681,758, which includes a $15,000 entry into the season-ending Tournament of Champions. All told, 109 players will make money.
The chip leader, Randi Lister, is essentially a local when it comes to this tournament, hailing from Royce City, Texas, about an hour and a half drive from Choctaw. Her live tournament results are limited, with just five small recorded cashes, according to TheHendonMob.com. This is already her largest cash, even if she were to be eliminated immediately on Monday.
Of the “names” that are still left in the Main Event, the most notable is arguably Olivier Busquet, who is currently sitting in third place with 1.834 million chips. This is very familiar territory for Busquet, who has over $7 million in live tournament earnings in his career. His 2016 has perhaps been a bit slow in terms of live tourney success, but he did just finish third in the No-Limit Hold’em Heads-Up Championship Event at the WSOP, good for nearly $124,000.
Busquet, who has become a mainstay as a commentator on the lengthy WSOP November Nine broadcasts, almost didn’t finish Sunday so flush in chips (Like that? Flush?). Late in the day, with the board already showing K-K-8, an opponent bet 75,000 chips, after which Busquet raised it up to 230,000. His opponent called and when the 7 was dealt on the turn, the player moved all-in. Busquet called, and for good reason – his K-Q gave him trips with a strong kicker. The other player, though, had A-K, giving him the same trips, but better kicker. When another 7 was dealt on the river, though, both players ended up with a full house, Kings over Sevens. The other player’s better hand was counterfeited and the two chopped the pot.
The WPT Choctaw Main Event will resume on Monday at noon local time and should play down to the six-handed televised final table.
2016 World Poker Tour Choctaw Main Event – Day 2 Chip Leaders
1. Randi Lister – 2,164,000
2. Ben Perez – 1,840,000
3. Olivier Busquet – 1,834,000
4. Craig Varnell – 1,700,000
5. Alex Rocha – 1,667,000
6. AJ Gambino – 1,600,000
7. Nathan Huvelle – 1,431,000
8. Matt Bond – 1,388,000
9. Jack Duong – 1,210,000
10. Omar Yates – 1,200,000
