Viet Vo from Texas is leading after the first starting flight of the WPT Choctaw $3,700 Main Event. The event began Friday at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma with twelve levels of play.

As many as 279 entries registered into the tournament on Day 1A, but only 70 of them survived through the end to bag and tag for the night. They will all go back at the host venue for Day 2, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Vo put 458,500 worth of chips into his bag last night. The player cemented his chip leader position late on Day 1A by winning a key pot with pocket kings to an opponent’s ace-jack. Prior to jumping into this year’s edition of the WPT Choctaw, Vo had over $1 million in chips and two previous WPT in-the-money finishes. It is yet to be seen whether the Day 1A chip leader will be able to scoop a third cash from the popular poker series and to even win his first-ever WPT title.

Brady Holiman finished second in chips last night, not far behind Vo with his 440,000. Randy Skeel took the third largest stack into the night with 395,000. The reigning WPT Season XVI Player of the Year Art Papazyan bagged and tagged 385,000 and Men Nguyen, who came fresh off a third place in the WPT Gardens Main Event, collected 365,500 last night to round out the top five chip counts of Day 1A.

Former WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Cada entered the WPT Choctaw yesterday, but busted shortly before the end of the day. Cada topped the field of the world’s most prestigious tournament in 2009. What is more, he was really close to repeat that deed this summer, but eventually placed 5th. Cada as well as all the players who busted on Day 1A of the WPT Choctaw Main Event will have the chance to re-enter it later today.

There were quite some notables to make it through the first starting flight, including several former WPT champions. Darren Elias, Chris Moorman, Brian Altman, and Marvin Rettenmaier were some of these players. They will all return for Day 2. Reigning champion Jay Lee, too, survived through the day, bagging 73,000 in chips to continue his run for a back-to-back WPT Choctaw title.

Day 1B is scheduled to kick off today at noon local time. Participants will play 12 levels and registration will remain open until the start of Level 11.

As mentioned above, the Day 1A field counted 279 entries, of whom 70 made it to the very end. The tournament features a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million. The guarantee is really close to be cracked and it is to be seen how much the prize pool will eventually amount to and how much the winner will scoop.

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