Photo Credits: WSOP
Justin Lapka secured a win at the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Main Event, outlasting 1,017 participants. He earned $252,282 and his third WSOPC ring.
The $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em event, the first WSOP Circuit stop after the 2024 WSOP in Las Vegas, exceeded its $1 million guarantee by over $500,000. A total of 152 players shared the $1,540,755 prize pool.
Lapka, from Saint Paul, Minnesota, took home the largest share. He now has over $1.5 million in recorded tournament earnings. This was his first live win in a WSOP event; his previous bracelets and rings were won online.
Several well-known players made deep runs. Matthew Wantman, the 2019 World Poker Tour Aria Summer Championship winner, finished 20th. Michael Wang, a two-time bracelet winner, secured 16th place. Preston Duron, the 2023 Lodge Championship Series main event winner, finished 11th.
| Result | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Justin Lapka | $252,282 |
| 2 | Gregg Merkow | $168,169 |
| 3 | Zachary Baron | $118,278 |
| 4 | Mack Khan | $84,475 |
| 5 | Kalyan Chivukula | $61,281 |
| 6 | Nicolas Splawn | $45,165 |
| 7 | Derek Normand | $33,828 |
| 8 | Timothy Faro | $25,754 |
| 9 | Kaleb Harwell | $19,936 |