Home / Poker News July 2008 / J.C. Tran rounds up resume, wins first WSOP bracelet in event #49, the $1,500 NL Holdem one.
J.C. Tran rounds up resume, wins first WSOP bracelet in event #49, the $1,500 NL Holdem one.
Posted by: James Carter. - Tue, 2008-07-01 14:06
It’s been long since J.C Tran didn’t have to feel ashamed about his poker achievements. He had a WPT title, a whole bunch of WPT final tables, even a second place in a WSOP event, but he didn’t have a golden bracelet to show. Until today that is.
In the heads-up stage of the game he went toe-to-toe with Rasmus Nielson whom he thoroughly dominated before taking down the title. The prize was worth $631,170, and a piece of golden jewelry Tran had always longed for.
Tran began the final day in second place on the chip leaderboard with 1,438,000 chips behind Rasmus Nielsen’s 2,998,000. The short-stacks were Christoph Kohnen going into final table play with 293,000 chips, and Chad Siu with 185,000.
Feeling the pressure early, Christoph couldn’t get back into the game as he went all-in on a A,Q against John Conroy’s K,J of clubs. The flop and the river gave Conroy a straight and Kohnen found himself heading to the rail in 9th place and with $58,248 in his pockets.
Robert Kalb went up against Rasmus Nielsen next, with Kalb holding A,9 against Nielsen’s A,Q. The flop gave both players a pair of Aces, but Nielsen got the better of the hand with his superior kicker.
Jesper Hoog left in 7th, followed soon by Chad Siu who held on to his short-stack all the way to 6th place and a prize of $150,257.
His last hand was an A,K against Joe Pelton’s A, 9 of clubs. The flop and the turn brought nothing and Siu was on the verge of doubling up but the 9 that landed on the river ended the tourney for him.
Joe Pelton busted out 5th, followed by Peter Nguyen in 4th. John Conroy reached 3rd place, where he ran into Rasmus Nielsen’s A,8. Despite the fact that Conroy was ahead on his A,Q, Nielsen won by making a pair of 8s on the flop.
Nielsen started the heads-up with a comfortable chip lead over Tran. His lead would vanish in about 2 hours though, and soon he’d find himself up against the wall on a Q,Jo against Tran’s Q,K of clubs. The flop gave them both a pair of Qs but Tran’s K held out till the end and he took down the final pot, together with his first WSOP bracelet.
