LOCALS ONLY

The buzz here at the Choctaw Resort and Casino has been amazing. Players from the area are flocking to the World Series of Poker Circuit event to take their shot at incredible payouts and a WSOP Circuit Ring.

The $555 No-Limit Hold ‘em event was no exception.  A total of 549 players took their shot to try and win a piece of the prize pool that was more than $262,000. At the end of the first day of play, 43 players moved on. As a testament to how many locals are here to play, 17 of the final 20 and eight of the final ten players reside in either Oklahoma or Texas.

The chip counts by seat assignment going into the final table were as follows:

1. Eric Honeycutt 824,000

2. Chance Steed 664,000

3. Jim Carroll 966,000

4. Jonathan Bloyen 866,000

5. Stuart Kemble 145,000

6. Michelle Wolkomir 169,000

7. Cynthia Tran 850,000

8. Larry Cornoyer 781,000

9. Tommy Coker 960,000

10. Bobby Fuentes 471,000

10th Place - $4,111

A short-stacked Michelle Wolkomir moved all in before the flop with    but was called by Larry Coroyer holding   . Wolkomir’s dominated hand could not improve on a board of       and the Shreveport, Louisiana native was sent to the rail in tenth place.

9th Place - $5,107

On a flop of    , Jonathan Bloyen moved all in and Jim Carroll went into the tank. The pot was already huge and Bloyen had Carroll barely covered. Finally, Carroll announced call and showed    for a flush draw. However, Bloyen was ahead as he turned up    for a set of kings. The   on the turn did not improve Carroll but the   on the river complete his flush and sent the massive pot in his direction. After the hand, Bloyen was left with only 15,000 in chips and was eliminated just a few hands later in ninth place.

8th Place – $6,428

Stuart Kemble had blinded down to 86,000 in chips when he moved all in and was called by both Tommy Coker and Eric Honeycutt. The two players checked the flop and turn but Coker bet out 100,000 on the river with the board reading      . Honeycutt mucked and Coker turned over    for the nuts. Kemble threw his pocket nines into the muck face up and was sent home in eighth place.

7th Place - $8,201

After Chance Steed took some hits to his stack, he moved all with    and was called by Jim Carroll with   . The board ran out       and Carroll caught his queen to send the College Station, Texas native home in seventh place.

6th Place - $10,605

When Cynthia Tran moved all in for 190,000 with the blinds at 20,000/40,000, Eric Honeycutt went into the tank and counted out his chips. It turned out that he also had exactly 190,000 in chips left as well. He finally made the call only see his    dominated by Tran’s   . The board came       and Honeycutt, who was at his third WSOPC final table in four tries, was sent to the rail in sixth place.

5th Place - $13,903

Bobby Fuentes moved all in and was called by two players, including Tommy Coker. They checked down a board of       and Coker turned up    for a pair of twos. Fuentes turned up    and tossed it into the muck. Coker won the pot, eliminating the Terrell, Texas native in fifth place.

4th Place - $18,478

On a board of     , Cynthia Tran moved all in and was immediately called by Jim Carroll. Tran turned over    for two pair but Carroll showed    for flopped trips. The river came the   and Carroll took the pot. Tran, the last woman standing and the 17th place finisher in this summer’s WSOP Ladies Event, was sent home in fourth place.

3rd Place - $24,901

After Tran was eliminated, Jim Carroll moved all in for 1,030,000 with    only to have Tommy Coker make the call with   . The board came       and the Frisco, Texas resident was eliminated in third place.

2nd Place - $34,053

Once play got heads up between Larry Cornoyer and Tommy Coker, it didn’t take long for them to get all the chips in the center. Just a few hands in, on a board of    [ ,  Cornoyer moved all in. Coker made the call and turned up   . Cornoyer flipped over    and would need to catch a seven on the river to steal the pot. However, the   fell and Cornoyer was knocked out as runner-up and took home $34,053.

1st Place - $55,060

Tommy Coker, a Norman, Oklahoma resident, took the World Series of Poker Circuit Ring as well as his $55,060 first place prize. Coker just started playing poker about three years ago but added a very impressive victory to his resume.

See the complete Choctaw Circuit schedule and previous results here.  The WSOP Circuit at Choctaw runs through January 24th. You can find the complete 2010/2011 WSOP CIRCUIT SCHEDULE here.