Day 3 of the $3,800 World Poker Tour Choctaw Championship saw 35 players return to the felt and nine hours later the field was cut to a loaded TV final table featuring three former champs and a young high roller. Leading the way is 2016 Choctaw champ James Mackey with 10.5 million.
Rounding out the experienced table are Adam Hendrix, Sebastien Aube, three-time WPT champ Eric Afriat, Danny Marx and former Player of the Year Erick Lindgren.
Mackey also finished sixth in this event in 2022. “That time I lasted one hand before I busted,” he said. “Considering I’m chip leader, I’m guaranteed at least more than that – it should be impossible.”
“It would mean a lot to win another title,” he added. “The WPT is very prestigious, and their titles mean a lot to players. The final table itself is great – it’s a fun table and very talkative.”
Hendrix bagged up second in chips and is looking for his WPT title. “I’m for sure going for the title. I’m jealous of all these guys in the Champions Club that to get skip the line and stuff. I’m just me and I want to get on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup,” he said.
“The time off depends on how people utilize it,” Hendrix added. “It probably helps me more with the technology, but not everybody has access to it or wants to look at it.
Lindgren finds himself with his first WPT cash in 11 years and 20 years removed from his last win. We had to know if it’s something he’s been working towards. “Well, I won Frankie’s charity event in Charlotte last month for $6k, so it’s pretty much the same thing.”
Lindgren returns with the shortest stack. “I feel solid, I’m glad we have some extra time off so I can study up on some charts,” Lindgren said. “I’m just kidding, I don’t study charts.”
“But some of these guys do, so I have to be dialed in and ready to go,” Lindgren added. “A lot of my summer in Vegas depends on this, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Afriat looks to join Darren Elias as the only other four-time WPT champion. “That’s what I’m striving for, I like to play for trophies,” said Afriat. “Three-time already sounds great and I’m a person that likes to be on top. I was taught from a young age there’s no room for second place, there’s only room for first. That would be amazing to join Elias.”
“It looks like I have a short stack, but in my head I have a big stack,” Afriat continued. “I’m in great position, exactly where I want to be and I feel terrific.”
With two tables remaining, there were 11 WPT titles represented and two Player of the Year winners.
Ryan Van Sanford drove a lot of action on Day 2 near the top of the counts but was one of the day’s first casualties with a 29th-place finish. Aaron Massey (26th), Michael Wang (22nd), Nick Pupillo (18th) earned five-figure cashes but fell short of the final two tables.
Anthony Zinno (15th), Jose Montes (13th), Curt Kohlberg (11th) and James Carroll (10th) added to their WPT resumes with a deep run as they tuned up for a summer full of action.
Here’s a look at the prize money at stake when they return to action:
1st - $361,600
2nd - $235,000
3rd - $175,000
4th - $131,000
5th - $99,000
6th - $75,000
The WPT hits pause on the action for 3.5 weeks until they return to crown a winner on May 30th at the HyperX Arena at Luxor Las Vegas. The day prior, the final table from WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship crowns their winner.
From here, the WPT picks up and heads north of the border for WPT Montreal Festival, which includes a WPT500 event, a WPT Prime Championship and the WPT Montreal Championship running May 9-22.
Final Table Chip Counts
- James Mackey – 10,550,000
- Adam Hendrix – 8,775,000
- Sebastien Aube – 3,600,000
- Eric Afriat – 2,875,000
- Danny Marx – 2,375,000
- Erick Lindgren – 1,975,000
All photos courtesy of World Poker Tour – shot by Enrique Malfavon
