Grant Hinkle Wins 2017 WSOP Circuit Choctaw Main Event

Grant Hinkle has won the 2017 World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw $1,675 no-limit hold’em main event, earning his first WSOPC gold ring and the top prize of $375,427.

“It feels awesome,” Hinkle told WSOP reporters after coming out on top. “It’s a great event. I’ve been staring at the banners of past winners. And I have a friend up there who was looking down on the table. It was really exciting and a lot of fun.”

The Kansas City, MS resident now has more than $1.5 million in lifetime live tournament earnings but considers himself an amateur player, as he currently works full time as a GRC (Governance, Risk and Compliance) consultant.

Hinkle won a bracelet at the 2008 WSOP, the same year his brother Blair won his bracelet. The brothers Hinkle were the first to ever accomplish the feat of winning bracelets in the same year. Blair has won three WSOPC main event titles, while prior to this event Grant had won none.

“I was at zero,” said the elder Hinkle. “It’s nice to get one on the board.”

The event featured a $1 million guarantee that was easily surpassed when the tournament drew a field of 1,451 entries to create a prize pool of $2,176,500. The huge turnout meant that 31 players were still in contention entering the final day. Hinkle was in eighth chip position, and was able to survive to the final nine despite taking a big hit near the final table bubble when he ran pocket jacks into John Patterson’s pocket queens.

Hinkle was able to recover from that, and by the time he made it to heads up against Patterson he held roughly a 2-to-1 chip lead. The two battled back and forth before Hinkle took a commanding lead when his A10 connected with the 1066 flop and he got all-in against Patterson’s 88. The 10 on the turn secured the gigantic pot for Hinkle, who jumped out to a 5-to-1 lead.

Shortly after that hand Hinkle moved all-in from the button with the Q8, having Patterson well covered. Patterson called with the A3. The board ran out 1097810 and Hinkle paired his eight to secure the pot and the title. Patterson was sent to the rail as the runner-up, earning $232,866.

Hinkle locked up the title, the hardware and the top prize. He also earned 960 Card Player Player of the Year points. As a result he has shot up the rankings to claim the ninth-place spot in the POY race standings, which are brought to you this year by the Commerce Hotel & Casino.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at this final table:

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