Simon Britton Wins His First WSOP Circuit Ring at Choctaw
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Quick answer: The World Series of Poker reported on Nov. 10, 2026 that Simon Britton won the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Main Event at Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, for $208,295. It was his first Circuit gold ring. WSOP said he had seven career runner-up finishes before this breakthrough, and that he beat Chan Pelton heads-up in three hands.
A long wait for the first ring
WSOP's official release, dated Nov. 10 and covering Main Events that finished on Monday, Nov. 9, said Britton "finally broke through" at Choctaw. He topped a field of 793 entries in a $1,700 no-limit hold'em Main Event that, like the same-day Main Event at The Reserve in Toledo, beat a $1 million guarantee.
The same article placed this win against a long second-place record: seven career runner-up finishes, and six more second-place results across 17 Circuit final tables after he finished runner-up two years earlier in the $300 Gladiators of Poker bracelet event, a tournament WSOP said drew more than 20,000 entries. The Choctaw victory, WSOP said, pushed his career live earnings past $1 million.
Those résumé figures come from the official WSOP release. Independent live-earnings databases were not re-checked line by line for this draft, so the "past $1 million" mark and the exact runner-up counts are reported as WSOP's account.
Final-table control, then a short heads-up
WSOP said Britton started the final table in the middle of the pack, took the chip lead early, and seized the top spot with a key five-bet shove against then-chip leader Mason Bodnar. He "stayed in control from there" and needed only three hands heads-up against Chan Pelton to close out the title.
The official nine-handed payouts were:
- 1st: Simon Britton — $208,295
- 2nd: Chan Pelton — $138,800
- 3rd: Alain Raad — $96,010
- 4th: Chris Staats — $67,640
- 5th: Russell Hobson — $48,540
- 6th: William Hesser — $35,500
- 7th: Young Choi — $26,460
- 8th: Dylan Murrell — $20,120
- 9th: Mason Bodnar — $15,610
Bodnar, the early chip leader in WSOP's telling, finished ninth. The official release does not publish the final-hand holdings, and this draft does not invent them.
What the ring is worth beyond first prize
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WSOP said every Circuit ring winner in 2026 receives a $5,000 package to WSOP Paradise 2026 at Baha Mar in The Bahamas. The package includes entry into the $2,750 WSOP Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty and complimentary accommodations at the resort. The same release pointed to Mark Darner's 2025 Paradise result — a Mystery Bounty bracelet and a $350,000 first prize — as an example of what that path can lead to.
The official Choctaw ring list also shows Britton's Main Event as Event #14 on an 18-event series, with other winners including Matthew Hall in the $1,100 Mini Main Event ($59,270) and Jeffery Botkin in the $400 Gargantuan ($55,830). Those are separate results, not part of Britton's Main Event score.
A first ring after a long run of close calls is a reminder that recorded second-place finishes are not a verdict. The decisions that get someone to a 17th Circuit final table are the same late-stage tournament decisions players can practice on Superintelligencepoker.com.
For more poker news and tournament coverage, see 2026 WSOP Online bracelet news, no-limit hold'em strategy, and bankroll math. Browse the Superintelligence Poker blog for more.
FAQ
What did Simon Britton win?
The 2026 WSOP Circuit $1,700 Main Event at Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, for $208,295 and his first Circuit gold ring, according to WSOP.com.
How many entries were there?
WSOP reported 793 entries. The event beat a $1 million guarantee.
Who finished second?
Chan Pelton, for $138,800. WSOP said Britton needed only three hands to win the heads-up match.
Had he come close before?
WSOP said this was his first ring after seven career runner-up finishes, including a second-place finish in the $300 Gladiators of Poker bracelet event two years earlier, and that he had reached 17 Circuit final tables.
Sources
1. WSOP.com, "Choctaw and The Reserve Declare New WSOP Circuit Champions," Nov. 10, 2026: https://www.wsop.com/news/choctaw-and-the-reserve-declare-new-wsop-circuit-champions/
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