Nathanael Kogel Wins 2019 WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant Main Event

Nathanael Kogel has won the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Choctaw Durant $1,700 buy-in no-limit hold’em main event. The 30-year-old poker pro outlasted a field of 983 total entries to win his third WSOPC gold ring and the first-place prize of $256,915. This was Kogel’s first-ever six-figure score, and it brought his lifetime total earnings to $598,843. As it turns out, this win was literally a dream come true for Kogel.

“I actually had two dreams about this tournament… I had a dream that I got heads up with two-thirds of the chips in play and that I had to battle it out for the ring. I literally had the dream twice in a two-week span leading up to this,” Kogel told WSOP reporters. “It was pretty amazing actually. I didn’t want to start talking about it until it like actually happened, but I told my friends when I got to the final table that I kind of had that premonition.”

The final day of this event began with 17 players remaining from the nearly 1,000 that entered. Kogel held the chip lead when play resumed, with 2019 WSOPC Choctaw January champion Dave Alfa sitting in second chip position, while WSOP bracelet winner and two-time World Poker Tour champion Kevin Eyster was not far off for the top of the leaderboard. Eyster ultimately finished 12th for $20,749, but Kogel, Alfa, six-time WSOPC ring winner Maxwell Young and Lily Kiletto all made it to the final nine, with Kogel leading/

Kiletto’s deep run came to an end when her QJ failed to outrun Kogel’s A5. Kogel’s ace high was enough by the river to secure the knockout, sending Kiletto to the rail in seventh place ($41,363). The cash brought Kiletto’s lifetime live earnings to $870,047. After that hand Koegel appeared to be running away with things, as he headed into six-handed play, sitting with more than three times as many chips as his nearest competitor.

Dave Alfa fell just short of winning his second WSOPC Choctaw main event of the year, having topped a field of 1,161 entries back in January to win $320,998. Alfa was sent to the rail in fifth place when his 44 ran into the 66 of Jesus Martinez. Neither player improved and Alfa had to settle for $68,829.

Kogel expanded his lead further by winning a flip with 33 against the A7 of Andrew Barfield. The threes held up and Barfield was sent home with $90,085.

Maxwell Young was also looking for his second WSOPC Choctaw main event title. The six-time ring winner had taken down the November 2018 running of this event, overcoming a field of 893 entries to earn $263,815. Young ended up getting his last chips in with 55, only to find that Kogel had picked up 66. The QJ9310 runout locked was no help to Young, and he was eliminated in third place ($119,038).

With that Kogel took more than a 3.5:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Jesus Martinez. It didn’t take long for all the chips to get into the middle. Martinez picked up A5 on the button and moved all-in for 3,000,000 with the blinds at 80,000-160,000 with a 160,000 big blind ante. Kogel had been dealt QQ. He made a quick call and the board came down Q106JJ and Kogel made queens full of jacks to lock up the pot and the title. Martinez earned $158,793 as the runner-up finisher.

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

Photo provided by WSOP.

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