Tournament Details

The Biggest Little City in the World is home to the annual World Poker Challenge at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, and 475 players entered to create a $2,278,250 prize pool. It was the final table players, however, who made this one of the most exciting stops in the WPT’s fifth season.

The players and chip counts at the final table were as follows:

Seat 1: J.C. Tran Chips: 904,000
Seat 2: David “Dragon” Pham Chips: 1,655,000
Seat 3: J.C. Alvarado Chips: 1,107,000
Seat 4: Danny Wong Chips: 623,000
Seat 5: John Hom Chips: 159,000
Seat 6: Mark Seif Chips: 325,000

John Hom began as the short stack, and with Ah4c, he raised to 45,000. JC Tran called with KsQs, and David Pham called with QcJd. The flop came Jh10d9s to give Tran the nut straight, but he calmly checked. Pham bet 90,000 on his top pair, which prompted Hom to fold, but Tran raised it 250,000 more. Pham folded, and Tran showed his flopped straight before scooping the first pot of the night.

Two hands later, Tran raised the initial pot to 45,000 with QdQh, and Danny Wong reraised to 156,000 with AcQs. Tran asked how many chips Wong had left, then reraised All-In. Wong quickly called and was disappointed to see Tran’s hand. The board produced 6c6h6sJc7s, and Tran became the new chip leader while Danny Wong was eliminated in sixth place for $113,913.

Within only minutes of the first elimination, another All-In took place. Hom looked down at Kh10c and moved his last 76,000 All-In. Pham quickly called with QsQc. The board came Ad10h2s3h6c, and John Hom was sent home in fifth place with $136,965.

JC Alvarado tried to make a move after Pham entered a pot with a 56,000 raise with 7h7c. Alvarado called with Qs8s, and when the flop came 7s6h2c, Pham bet a measly 75,000, so Alvarado raised it up to 265,000 in a bluff, but Pham called. Both checked the 6d turn, and when the river came a Kh, Pham finally bet his turned full house with 450,000, and Alvarado was forced to fold.

Mark Seif, a naturally aggressive player, came into the next pot betting 55,000 with AcKd, and Pham called with Kc6c. When the flop showed Js10s3d, Seif moved All-In, and Pham folded.

Seif wasn’t done yet. With Ah6s in the next hand, he raised to 48,000. Tran looked down at 9c9s and reraised to 155,000. Seif took some time to consider his options but finally reraised All-In, and Tran called. The board was QcJh6c8hKh, and as Tran scooped another huge pot, Mark Seif was officially done and relegated to the rail in fourth place with a consolation prize of $159,478.

Pham decided to become the new aggressor at the table, though he had mixed results, especially when it came to Alvarado as a competitor. Pham limped into a pot with KdQs, and Alvarado checked his big blind with 9c2c. The flop came QcJc9h, Pham checked, Alvarado bet 30,000, and Pham raised it to 110,000. Alvarado moved All-In for 702,000, and Pham called. The turn was a Kc to give Alvarado the flush, and the river was an irrelevant 6h. Alvarado doubled through Pham.

Pham took the next two hands from Alvarado, first with two pair over Alvarado’s draw, then with trip sevens over Alvarado’s draw. However, Alvarado took the next hand when he turned a wheel.

Tran limped in with 9d8d, Pham did the same with Qh6s, and Alvarado checked with 7d6c. When the flop came 8s7h2d, Tran bet 60,000, Pham folded, and Alvarado raised All-In for 661,000. Tran called. The turn’s 7c gave Alvarado trips, and the river solidified it with a 6d for the full house. Alvarado doubled through Tran.

And Tran then went on a roll. He bluffed at Pham all the way to the river with absolutely no hand, and Pham finally folded to give Tran a pot of nearly 3 million in chips. Tran took another pot from Pham, though he had a straight when he raised All-In on the river, causing Pham to fold again.

Finally, Tran raised to KcQs for 120,000, and Pham reraised All-In for his last 295,000 with Ac8s. Tran called. The board came 10s7d3cQh7s, and Tran took it. David Pham was eliminated in third place for $182,260.

Going into heads-up action, it was JC vs. JC, and the chip counts were as follows:

JC Tran 4,000,000 JC Alvarado 775,000

The first hand of heads-up found Alvarado limping in with Ks10h, and Tran checking with 10c3s. The flop was Qs10s3d, Tran bet 50,000, and Alvarado called. The turn brought the Ac, Tran bet 200,000, Alvarado raised All-In for 680,000, and Tran called. The river was the As, and Alvarado doubled up.

Next, Tran limped in with Jh3d, and Alvarado checked his 4s2h. The flop came Ad5h2s, Alvarado checked, Tran bet 50,000, and Alvarado called on his draw. Both players checked the Qh turn and the Qc river, and Alvarado took down the second pot.

In the third hand, Alvarado limped with Ah6s, but Tran raised 150,000 more with 10s10c. Alvarado reraised All-In for his 1,535,000, and Tran called. The board produced Kh9h9s8dJh, and Tran’s 10’s held up. JC Alvarado finished as the runner-up with $366,798.

JC Tran captured his first WPT title, the first place prize of $708,973, and a seat into the end-of-season WPT World Championship. In addition, he secured his place atop the WPT Player of the Year board. Congratulations, JC Tran!