Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant
Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant
Buy-in
$1,700
Prize Pool
$1,478,640
Entries
976
Level
35
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Level 35
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Hollis "Victory" Holcomb is the first champion of the 2019/20 World Series of Poker Circuit season after outlasting a field of 976 entries in the Choctaw Durant stop en route to the first-place prize of $255,535. The victory was the first of Holcomb's poker career after finishing in third-place in Tulsa's Circuit event just last year.
"You know the money is good but it's different," he said. "I've been thinking about this ring forever. I finished third in the Tulsa series a couple of seasons ago and that has been stinging ever since so it feels good to bring this one home."
Holcomb, an Oklahoma native, only used one bullet to buy into the tournament, which he secured via a home poker league held in Bartlesville. The northern Oklahoma poker league has 15-20 people in it and they just became a whole lot richer as Holcomb explained: "We have had this home game going for about 15 years now and the way it works is you have a certain amount of sessions with the overall winner getting his buy-in paid for from the league, and whatever that player wins, they have to share half of it with the league. So you know this is awesome, I'm so glad I get to share this victory with my league."
Another perk to Holcomb's poker league aside from the winner having their buy-in paid for is the trophy they win, which is dedicated to Holcomb's friend Chris Ghylin.
"I'd really like to say, I had a really good friend who taught me not only a lot about poker but also life. He passed away two years ago and he would have loved this. It was really unfortunate, he was only in his thirties, he was a great poker player and just a great person. I wouldn't be here without Chris Ghylin, he was a great influence on me and this is for him."
Official Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hollis Holcomb | Bartlesville, Oklahoma | $255,535 |
| 2 | Vincent Moscati | Verplanck, New York | $157,929 |
| 3 | Jesse Solano | San Antonio, Texas | $118,349 |
| 4 | Tony Nguyen | Fort Worth, Texas | $89,536 |
| 5 | Braxton Dunaway | Midland, Texas | $68,390 |
| 6 | Matt Russell | Spring, Texas | $52,747 |
| 7 | Steven Williams | Little Rock, Arkansas | $41,082 |
| 8 | Shomari Williams | Fort Worth, Texas | $32,314 |
| 9 | Scott Hall | Fayetteville, Arkansas | $25,672 |
Final Day Action
Ten players started the day but the official final table of nine would be reached after the first hand of play when Joseph Skinner jammed his short stack of 735,000 in the middle from the button and was called by Scott Hall from the big blind. Skinner held a suited ace-rag that was dismantled by Hall's pocket jacks and he was eliminated in 10th place for $20,602.
Shortly after Skinner's elimination, Hall ran his pocket kings into Braxton Dunaway's aces and Hall was eliminated in ninth place the very next hand taking home $25,672.
Next to go would be the start-of-day chip leader Shomari Williams. Williams had a slew of bad luck that started with his pocket aces getting cracked by Vincent Moscati's pocket kings and it didn't end there. Williams got his remaining stack in the middle holding pocket jacks and was snapped off by Holcomb holding pocket fives. Williams was in good shape to find a double until there was a five in the window and he took his exit in eighth place for $32,314.
The eliminations would continue with Steven Williams taking his exit in seventh place when he ran his ace-queen into Tony Nguyen's pocket nines. Williams was unable to pair one of his overs and took home $41,082 for his seventh-place finish.
Next on the final table chopping block was Matt Russell who open-jammed his suited weak ace into the pocket jacks of Holcomb. Russell failed to pair and rolled out in sixth place for $52,747.
Five-handed action wouldn't last very long once players returned from there dinner break as the final table's next causality was Dunaway, who jammed his remaining chips in the middle preflop with a made hand of sevens but they didn't hold up against Moscati's ace-jack. Dunaway walked away in fifth place taking home $68,390.
A few hands later would see Holcomb claim another victim at the final table when his ace-five offsuit cracked the pocket kings of Nguyen and he was eliminated in fourth place for $89,536.
Holcomb would continue his final table streak of eliminations with Jesse Solano. Holcomb opened with a 750,000 raise from the small blind and Solano moved all in from the big getting snapped off by Holcomb. Solano chose the wrong time to jam as his pocket fives were crushed by Holcomb's pocket sevens and he took home $118,349 for his third-place finish.
Heads-Up Play
Heads-up action didn't take long to conclude as Holcomb continued his final table rampage with one last elimination. All of the chips went into the middle preflop with Moscati holding ace-king and Holcomb pocket jacks. Moscati would flop the flush draw but fall short in connecting with any of his outs and the seven-time ring winner took his exit in second place for $157,929, while Holcomb secured his first-place finish for $255,535.
Here’s a look at all those who won rings at the WSOP Circuit Choctaw:
| Event | Entries | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 508 | Andy Belke | $33,140 |
| Event #2: $400 NLH | 2,206 | Kyle Birdwell | $102,195 |
| Event #3: $400 Congress | 217 | Morton Davis | $17,212 |
| Event #4: $400 NLH One-Day | 262 | Steve Williams | $19,742 |
| Event #5: $400 NLH | 150 | Urim Staraveci | $13,125 |
| Event #6: $400 NLH 8-Handed One-Day | 166 | Ron Robinson | $14,190 |
| Event #7: $400 NLH | 123 | David Larson | $11,057 |
| Event #8: $400 NLH 8-Handed One-Day | 167 | Imran Sabzali | $14,129 |
| Event #9: $250 NLH | 180 | David Larson | $9,137 |
| Event #10: $400 NLH 8-Handed One-Day | 216 | Clarence Prevost | $17,132 |
| Event #11: $1,700 Main Event | 976 | Hollis Holcomb | $255,535 |
| Event #12: $250 NLH Multi-Flight | 594 | Khang Luu | $22,842 |
| Event #13: $400 NLH One-Day | 280 | Patrick Wagner | $21,414 |
This concludes the first WSOP Circuit stop at Choctaw for Season 16. Next up on the WSOP Circuit will be in North Carolina at Harrah's Cherokee with the first ring event beginning in just a few days’ time and the $1,700 Main Event set to get underway on Friday, August 9th.
Level 35
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Heads up action only lasted two hands before Vincent Moscati and Hollis Holcomb got their chips in the middle.
Vincent Moscati: 
Hollis Holcomb: 
It was a classic race with Moscati flopping the flush draw on the 
flop.
The turn brought the 
and Moscati had a bunch of outs but couldn't connect as the board completed with the 
river and he was eliminated in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
29,280,000
11,780,000
|
11,780,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 35
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Hollis Holcomb opened for 750,000 from the small blind and Jesse Solano moved all in for 2,200,000 from the big and was snap-called by Holcomb.
Jesse Solano: 
Hollis Holcomb: 
Solano woke up with a made hand but was crushed by Holcomb and couldn't catch a five as the board ran out 
and he was eliminated in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
17,500,000
5,100,000
|
5,100,000 |
|
|
1,200,000
-10,300,000
|
-10,300,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 35
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,400,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
|
11,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
5,300,000
-2,500,000
|
-2,500,000 |
Level 35
: 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Vincent Moscati open-jammed and was called by Jesse Solano.
Vincent Moscati: 
Jesse Solano: 
Solano held to overcards but couldn't connect as the board ran out 
and Moscati doubled up making three-way action fair game with each player holding similar stacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,500,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
10,000,000
6,000,000
|
6,000,000 |
|
|
7,800,000
-5,300,000
|
-5,300,000 |
Level: 35
Blinds: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 300,000
Level 34
: 100,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Tony Nguyen open-jammed for 2,600,000 and Hollis Holcomb called from the big blind.
Tony Nguyen: 
Hollis Holcomb: 
Nguyen was ahead with his cowboys but Holcomb not only hit one but two-pair on the 
flop.
The turn fell the and the dealer completed the board with the 
river eliminating Nguyen in fourth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,000,000
2,300,000
|
2,300,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 34
: 100,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Vincent Moscati opened for 500,000 under the gun and Jesse Solano defended his big blind.
The flop came 
and Solano bet 500,000, Moscati called.
Both players checked the turn and 
river.
Solano announced queen high and Moscati tabled 
for the winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
13,100,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
4,000,000
-1,000,000
|
-1,000,000 |
Level 34
: 100,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Jesse Solano opened for 525,00 on the button and Hollis Holcomb defended his big.
The flop was checked to the 
turn where Holcomb lead out with 550,000 getting a call from Solano.
Holcomb continued with an 825,000 bet after the 
came on the river.
Solano went into the tank and mucked his hand after Holcomb said he would show his hand .
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,600,000
1,800,000
|
1,800,000 |
|
|
8,700,000
125,000
|
125,000 |