Dustin Schoonover Wins WSOPC Choctaw Durant Main Event ($272,846)
Dustin Schoonover was the latest Main Event champion of the 2019/2020 World Series of Poker Circuit season after he topped a field of 1,065 entries to walk away with the Choctaw Durant $1,700 Main Event title, a $272,846 top prize, and a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.
The victory marks Schoonover's first ring, one he feels very fortunate in achieving: "I feels great man, you know I have plenty of money, that's not what I'm here for, I came here for the ring."
Schoonover, the proud president/CEO of Schoonover Oil, came to Choctaw to play some cash games but when he saw that the Main Event was going on, he couldn't help but partake in the prestigious event.
"I originally came here to play cash but saw that the Main Event was going so I bought in on Day 1b in the 10th level and was down to about 10,000 but grinded it out and here I am, the Main Event Champion."
Even though Schoonover wasn't playing for the money, he still had some plans on what to do with it.
"I have two daughters, one of which is 13, so after I donate the first $27,000 to our church she will have the choice to go to any college she wants while my wife and I go on vacation."
Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Hometown | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dustin Schoonover | Midlothian, Texas | $272,846 |
| 2 | John Skrovan | Austin, Texas | $168,642 |
| 3 | Brant Jolly | Fayetteville, Arkansas | $126,988 |
| 4 | Mark Newton | Ada, Oklahoma | $96,485 |
| 5 | Christopher Staats | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | $73,976 |
| 6 | Allen Brivic | Houston, Texas | $57,239 |
| 7 | Montana Bills | Fort Scott, Kansas | $44,699 |
| 8 | Austin Lewis | Lantana, Texas | $35,233 |
| 9 | Trung Pham | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | $28,034 |
Final Day Action
Day 3 started off with a firework show in the very first hand after John Skrovan turned Broadway to score the double elimination of Phil Mader and Melisa Singh and eliminations continued like rapid fire sending Vijaya Rakesh Madala (16th - $14,955), Felipe Valedz (15th - $18,262), and Jared Jaffee (14th - $18,262) all home before the first level ended.
The next level continued with a slew of eliminations as Jacob Haller (13th - $18,262), Jack Peterson (12th - $22,519), Rick Braun (11th - $22,519), and all- time ring winner Maurice Hawkins (10th - $22,519) all took their exit setting the stage for the final table before the completion of the second level.
Final Table Action
The final table started out in the same fashion as the beginning of the day with an elimination in the very first hand after Trung Pham couldn't win a race against Skrovan's Big Slick ending his run in ninth place.
Almost a full level passed before the next elimination occurred once Ausitn Lewis got all his chips in the middle holding ace-jack after Mark Newton raised holding ace-king. Lewis couldn't find a connection on the runout ending his tournament in eighth place.
A few short hands later saw the next body drop after Montana Bills got his short-stack in the middle from the big blind holding a made hand of sixes after Newton opened under the gun and was called. Newton held ace-king and won another flip on the turn to send Bills out in seventh place.
The next casualty happened right before the end of Level 30 when Allen Brivic turned a staright holding a pair of sevens but he was in bad shape as Brant Jolly held the higher end with a pair of queens, sending Brivic's out in sixth place.
Once players returned from break it didn't take long for the Christopher Staats to get his remaining stack in the middle after Skrovan open-jammed from the small blind putting Staats at risk. Staats held two overcards to Skrovan's pocket three's but couldn't connect ending the three-time ring winner's tournament in fifth place ($73,976).
Newton was the next player on the chopping block after Skrovan limped in from the small blind holding rockets and Newton moved all in from the big blind holding a made hand of nines. Skrovan snap-called and Newton saw an ace in the window ending his tournament in fourth place ($96,485).
Following Newton's exit was Jolly who got his short stack in the middle from the big blind holding queen-ten off after Schoonover jammed from the small blind holding an eight-five suited. Jolly connected on the flop hitting two-pair but it also gave Schoonover a gutshot that completed on the river ending Jolly's run in third place ($126,988).
Heads-Up Action
The heads-up battle began with Skrovan holding over seventy-seven percent of the chips in play and it looked like it was going to be a quick match until Schoonover leveled the playing field catching a quick double-up. The tussle was back and forth until the Schoonover spiked an open-ended staright draw on the river turning the tides.
From there, it only took a few hands before all the chips were in Schoonover's possession after Skrovan bluff-jammed the flop into Schoonover's top two-pair. Skrovan turned a gutterball but couldn't complete on the river ending his tournament in second place for $168,642 while Schoonover took the $277,846 first-place prize, a shiny new ring, and a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.
Choctaw Durant Casino Champion
Also finding success at the stop was Steven McCartney, who finished as the Choctaw Casino Champion. The gold ring winner finished off the series with six cashes, four final table appearances, one shiny new gold ring, and 142.5 points to earn a seat into the 2020 Global Casino Championship.
WSOPC Choctaw Durant Ring Winners
| Tournament | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $400 NLH Turbo | 261 | $86,130 | Sam Murphy | $19,167 |
| Event #2: $250 NLH Multi-Flight | 2,107 | $421,400 | Ron Robinson | $58,615 |
| Event #3: $400 NLH Monster Stack | 604 | $199,320 | Kyle Chance | $37,764 |
| Event #4: $600 NLH Congress | 175 | $90,125 | Jared Hemingway | $22,385 |
| Event #5: $400 NLH Turbo | 218 | $71,940 | Maurice Hawkins | $16,898 |
| Event #6: $400 NLH 6-Handed | 193 | $63,690 | Alan Percal | $15,857 |
| Event #7: $400 NLH Double Stack | 341 | $112,530 | Daniel Butler | $23,997 |
| Event#8: $400 NLH | 262 | $86,460 | Cory Bogert | $19,246 |
| Event#9: $600 NLH | 328 | $168,920 | Adeeb Al-nazer | $36,423 |
| Event #10: $1,700 NLH Main Event | 1,065 | $1,613,475 | Dustin Schoonover | $272,846 |
| Event #11: $400 NLH | 198 | $65,340 | Steven McCartney | $15,761 |
| Event #12: $400 NLH Bounty | 226 | $51,980 | Sai Raghu Uppala | $12,100 |
| Event #13: $250 NLH | 342 | $68,400 | Jason Daly | $14,575 |
| Seniors Event #1: $250 NLH Turbo | 332 | $64,400 | Bryant Morrison | $13,948 |
| Seniors Event #2: $250 NLH Turbo | 411 | $41,400 | ||
| Ladies Event: $135 NLH Turbo | 223 | $22,300 | Christi Langas | $5,191 |
That wraps it up for the live coverage of the $1,700 Main Event at Choctaw Durant but stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be in Sacramento, California for the WSOPC at Thunder Valley bringing you all the updates from the $1,700 Main Event and $3,200 High Roller starting this Friday, January 17th, so keep it here.
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