Casino Choice UK News Archive
Poker Player wins $2.4 million in first ever tournament
From the beginning of the World Poker Tour’s LA Poker Classic tournament it had seemed the title was destined for JC Tran, a professional poker player who has been in scintillating form over the last few months.
Tran was beaten at last years final table after the harshest of beats – his pocket aces losing to the pocket fives of eventual winner Alan Goehring when a five spiked on the river. Back with a vengeance Tran took the chip lead on the second day of the tournament and arrived at the final table still leading the pack.
When three of the six finalist had been knocked out Tran had amassed an enormous chip lead over his two remaining opponents, and it seemed only a matter of time before the title he so coveted was his at last.
But Tran conspired to double up the short-staked Hershler twice in quick succession, meaning that when Hershler knocked out Jacobo Fernandez in third place he in fact took a very small chip lead.
Nevertheless, with just $8.7 million to Tran’s $7.4 million the difference was small enough that Tran headed into the heads-up battle as a huge favourite over the inexperienced Hershler. An epic heads-up battle loomed; it lasted one hand.
After the money presentation had been made and the players had re-taken their seats, the dealer got started. Eric Hershler limped from the button on the first hand, calling when Tran raised to $700,000. The flop came A-J-6 and Tran followed up with a $1.2 million bet, only for Hershler to move all-in. Tran, correctly deducing that Hershler would not have limped from the button with an ace or a pair figured that he must be ahead. He called.
One can only imagine the agony Tran must have felt when Hershler turned over J-6 for two pair – probably the only hand that could be beating Tran which the Sacramento pro would have not included in his deliberations. There was no miracle ace or seven to save Tran’s dream, and his shot at the LA Poker Classic title had slipped agonisingly away once more. The $1,177,010 paycheck for second place will have been a very minor consolation.
But for the amateur Eric Hershler it will have been one of the greatest moments of his life. This was his first ever live poker tournament and he had won it, walking away with the biggest ever WPT prize outside of the WPT Championship. Some debut!
The final table payouts were as follows:
Eric Hershler - $2,429,970
JC Tran - $1,177,010
Jacobo Fernandez - $607,490
Paul Wasicka - $455,615
Chau Giang - $341,710
David Bach - $257,425
Tran was beaten at last years final table after the harshest of beats – his pocket aces losing to the pocket fives of eventual winner Alan Goehring when a five spiked on the river. Back with a vengeance Tran took the chip lead on the second day of the tournament and arrived at the final table still leading the pack.
When three of the six finalist had been knocked out Tran had amassed an enormous chip lead over his two remaining opponents, and it seemed only a matter of time before the title he so coveted was his at last.
But Tran conspired to double up the short-staked Hershler twice in quick succession, meaning that when Hershler knocked out Jacobo Fernandez in third place he in fact took a very small chip lead.
Nevertheless, with just $8.7 million to Tran’s $7.4 million the difference was small enough that Tran headed into the heads-up battle as a huge favourite over the inexperienced Hershler. An epic heads-up battle loomed; it lasted one hand.
After the money presentation had been made and the players had re-taken their seats, the dealer got started. Eric Hershler limped from the button on the first hand, calling when Tran raised to $700,000. The flop came A-J-6 and Tran followed up with a $1.2 million bet, only for Hershler to move all-in. Tran, correctly deducing that Hershler would not have limped from the button with an ace or a pair figured that he must be ahead. He called.
One can only imagine the agony Tran must have felt when Hershler turned over J-6 for two pair – probably the only hand that could be beating Tran which the Sacramento pro would have not included in his deliberations. There was no miracle ace or seven to save Tran’s dream, and his shot at the LA Poker Classic title had slipped agonisingly away once more. The $1,177,010 paycheck for second place will have been a very minor consolation.
But for the amateur Eric Hershler it will have been one of the greatest moments of his life. This was his first ever live poker tournament and he had won it, walking away with the biggest ever WPT prize outside of the WPT Championship. Some debut!
The final table payouts were as follows:
Eric Hershler - $2,429,970
JC Tran - $1,177,010
Jacobo Fernandez - $607,490
Paul Wasicka - $455,615
Chau Giang - $341,710
David Bach - $257,425
Submitted: 02/03/07 at 12:18:29
