Quan Tran Takes Down WSOPC Choctow Main Event

Quan Tran became a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) champion when he took down the $1,700 buy-in WSOPC Choctaw Main Event in Oklahoma. Tran’s impressive victory came with a coveted WSOPC gold ring in addition to $336,412 in cash.

The Main Event drew in a 1,411-strong crowd, who created a $2,137,665 prize pool. Some 246 of those starters progressed to Day 2, but only 212 received prize money. However, that changed because eight players busted during hand-for-hand and popped the money bubble. Those eight players chopped up the bottom seven payouts for a $2,233 score.

The prize money continued growing and reached at least $36,423 for the nine finalists.

Richard Bennett crashed out during the 30th level of the tournament. Bennett raised to 300,000 with 60,000/120,000/120,000a blinds, and Tran called in the cutoff. The dealer spread the 2c-5d-Th flop, Bennett moved all-in for 1,390,000, and Tran called. Bennett showed Ad-Qh, Tran the 7s-5s, andBennett busted after the 6s and Jc missed him.

Missouri’s Justin Coliny found himself on the wrong side of a cooler to bust in eighth. Coliny raised to 300,000 from under the gun. Raul Garza called in the cutoff, Jessica Vierling came along for the ride on the button, and Tran called in the big blind. A 6d-Kd-Ac flop saw everyone check to Coliny, who shoved for 2,000,000. Garza raised to 5,000,000 to isolate, which folded out the other players. Coliny flipped over Ah-Ks for two pair, but Garza held 6s-6c for bottom set. The 4h turn and 7s river resigned Coliny to a $45,595 prize.

Tran Six Eliminations Away From Glory

Seventh-place and $57,5447 went to Rick Alvarado in one of the biggest pots of the tournament. Alvarado opened to 350,000 with Kh-Jd with the blind blind worth 160,000. Vierling three-bet to 740,000 from the button, only for Alvarado to jam for 4,000,000. Vierling snap-called, as would you if you held Ac-Ad. The five community cards brought no drama, and the Main Event lost another player.

The final six became five when Jonathan Bennett dusted off his stack. A short-stacked Bennett moved all-in with As-5s for less than five big blinds. Nate Steuer called from the big blind with Kd-8d, and won after flopping trips on the Qh-Kc-Ks-Ah-7h board.

Tran’s loose-aggressive style saw several major swings in his stack. However, he laddered at least one place when Garza’s ace-king out flopped the pocket sevens in Steuer’s hand. Steuer netted $93,926, the last five-figure award of the event.

A major turning point occurred during the 100,000/250,000/250,000a level. Hayden Fortini made it 550,000 from the cutoff, and Tran three-bet to 1,500,000 from the button. Fortini responded with a four-bet shove worth 11,750,000, which Tran called. Both players held ace-king, so a chop looked likely. However, the 5d-Jd-6d-2d-Qh gifted Tran the pot because he has the Ad in his hand. Ouch! Fortini collected $121,449.

Vierling Out-kicked By Champion Elect

The tournament became an all-male affair when Vierling became a Tran victim. A brief raising war on the 4s-Qs-3h flop saw Vierling all-in with Qh-8c. Tran held Qc-9h, which held after the Ah turn and Kh river.

Heads-up lasted one hand thanks, in part, to Tran’s three-to-one chip lead. Garza limped in during the final hand, and called a 1,300,000 raise from his opponent Tran quickly moved all-in on the Ts-9d-2s flop, and Garza called, showing 3s-3h as he did. Tran flipped over 7s-7h for a huge advantage. Nothing changed on the Ac turn nor the 8c river, busting Garza in second for $207,928.

Tran banked $336,412 in only his third-ever WSOPC event. There is no doubt of his participation in future WSOPC events.

Place	Player	Hometown	Prize
1	Quan Tran	Dallas, Texas	$336,412
2	Raul Garza	Alton, Texas	$207,928
3	Jessica Vierling	Seattle, Washington	$158,286
4	Hayden Fortini	Vero Beach, Florida	$121,449
5	Nathan Steuer		$93,926
6	Jonathan Bennett	Broken Arrow, Oklahoma	$73,224
7	Rick Alvarado	Ontario, Canada	$57,547
8	Justin Coliny	Wentzville, Missouri	$45,595
9	Richard Bennett	Coppell, Texas	$36,423

Brad Johnson

You name the game, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Brad has either played it or placed a wager on it! Brad calls himself a natural gambler, and someone who gains as much enjoyment from writing about the crazy game of poker as he does playing it.

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