Harvey Castro clinched his first World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring at the Choctaw main event in Durant, Oklahoma on July 31. He also pocketed the significant prize sum of $275,660.
Castro, one of the younger participants at the tournament, calls Flower Mound, Texas home. He is a competitive collegiate soccer player for Southern Methodist University. This experience in competition translated seamlessly into his poker performance.
Speaking with reporters after his win, Castro shared his approach: “I tried to manage expectations, I just tried to keep a calm, collected head throughout. I tried to take it one hand at a time,” he explained. He also confessed to being uncertain about his future poker plans, saying, “I got no idea, man. I gotta soak this up for a second and figure out what my life is going to look like after this. I’m excited, definitely more poker to come.”
Tournament Recap
Over five days, the tournament attracted 1,026 entries in three starting flights. The total prize pool ballooned to $1,552,338, well above the anticipated $1 million. The top 120 participants earned at least $2,546 in prize money. Notably, Kami Hudson, Danny Marx, Will Berry, Craig Varnell, and Roger Franco all performed exceptionally well.
At the final stage of the tournament, David “The Dragon” Pham led the chip count. However, Castro, who had the third-largest stack, quickly overtook him.
Castro’s dominance continued, as he successively eliminated Arthur Morris and Todd Tucker. With these victories under his belt, Castro entered the final match against Chris Staats with a commanding chip advantage.
In the decisive hand of the tournament, Castro wagered all his chips with J5 of hearts, while Staats risked his remaining chips with 98 of diamonds. When the board displayed Ks,3h,2d,7s,Qh, it was of no help to Staats and his run ended. He received a prize of $174,980, pushing his career earnings beyond $1.7 million.
The post Harvey Castro Clinches WSOP Gold Ring at Choctaw Main Event appeared first on iGaming.org.