The event went off without a hitch after attracting 1,648 players
Texas poker pro Harvey Castro added another major title to his résumé by winning the first-ever WPT Prime Lodge Championship in Austin, TX. The 23-year-old outlasted a field of 1,648 players at the Lodge Card Club, capturing the trophy, a $225,020 first-place prize, and a seat to December’s WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. It marked another milestone for Castro, who has been building an impressive track record on the live circuit over the past two years.
This was the first WPT championship event ever held in Texas, featuring a $1,100 buy-in and easily surpassing its $1 million guarantee with a total prize pool of $1.6 million. The event ran over several starting flights, narrowing down to 209 players who reached Day 2 in the money. By the time the final day arrived, only 17 players remained, including notable pros such as Esther Taylor and Rafael Reis.
Castro entered the final stages among the chip leaders and quickly began asserting control. His momentum built after eliminating Hai Pham in ninth place and later knocking out Martin Torres when his A-Q connected against A-K. Despite losing a key pot to Steve Hwang during a dramatic three-way hand, Castro maintained focus and rebuilt his stack through steady, confident play.
A brief controversy arose during a hand with Taylor when Castro appeared to question her chip count mid-hand, but no ruling affected the outcome. Taylor went on to finish fourth for $79,000, while Castro used his chip advantage to pressure the remaining opponents. Hwang exited in third for $106,000, setting up a heads-up battle between Castro and Stewart.
Holding a solid lead, Castro sealed the victory when his pocket nines held against Stewart’s J-10, the board giving him a full house. The win earned him his second-largest career payday and pushed his total live earnings close to $1.6 million. Following the victory, Castro said he felt “super blessed” and grateful for the support from friends and family who witnessed his breakout moment on home turf.
