J.C. Tran gets second WSOP bracelet
By Barbara Engler

Poker players around the world converge on Las Vegas every year from late May to early July for a chance at World Series of Poker fame, glory and cash. Northern California players are certainly no exception. Once again, many of you, along with your friends and neighbors, have made the trip and come back with stories to tell and, hopefully, some extra cash in your pockets.

So far, the only bracelet headed back to Northern California went to top pro, Season V WPT Player of the Year, and Sacramento resident J.C. Tran. This was Tran’s second bracelet, to go with the one he earned last year in a $1,500 buy-in no-limit Hold’em event. From June 14 to 16, 436 players battled in Event 30, Pot-Limit Omaha, $2,500 buy-in, over a prize pool worth $1,002,800.

When heads-up play began, Tran had a little more than a two-to-one chip lead over Jeff Kimber and proceeded to whittle away at Kimber’s stack. On the final hand Kimber bet 120,000 from the button with 6h-4s-4d-3c and Tran called with Ks-Qh-8c-8h. After a flop of 9d-7s-7h Tran checked and Kimber bet 75,000. Tran called. The turn brought the 8s, giving Tran a full house, so he bet out 100,000 and Kimber, drawing dead, raised all-in. Tran called and took down the title, the bracelet, and $235,685 in first place money.

Daly City’s Nathan Mullen was NorCal’s first big winner of the year, competing in Event 4, No-Limit Hold’em, $1,000 buy-in. His fifth place finish was good for $175,851. There were 6,012 entrants creating a prize pool of $5,410,800 for the tournament held May 30 to June 3.

Steve Sung (whom you may remember as the runner-up at the Bay 101’s Shooting Star tournament in 2008) was the massive chip leader when Mullen went all-in with J-10 suited and Sung called with A-7 offsuit. When the flop came K-Q-J rainbow, Mul­len was in the lead and looking good to double up if he could dodge an ace or 10. The turn was a brick, but the river brought the 10 to give Sung a straight and end a well-played tournament for Mullen.

Isaac Baron of Menlo Park has had four cashes so far at this year’s World Series, the biggest being a seventh-place finish in Event 15, No-Limit Hold’em, $5,000 buy-in. The 655 entries made for a prize pool of $3,078,500. They played from June 6 to 8 and Baron’s showing earned him $88,784.

He also did quite well in Event 35, Pot-Limit Omaha, $5,000 buy-in. This tournament, held June 17 to 19 had 363 entries and a prize pool of $1,706,100. He just missed the final table (tenth place, $32,330) when he went all-in with Ad-Jh-10d-8h against Richard Austin’s Kd-Ks-9c-6s. The flop was Kh-Qs-4h which gave Austin a set, but Baron had both a flush and wrap draw, so any ace, jack, 10, 9 or heart would give him the lead. Unfortunately, the cards were an 8d on the turn and Qc on the river.

Angel Pedroza, a bartender from Turlock was entered in Event 17, Ladies No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, $1,000 buy-in held June 6 to 9. Of the 1,060 entries and $964,600 prize pool, she came away with very impressive fourth place finish and $53,940.

San Francisco’s Joseph Serock also had four cashes as of press time, by far the biggest being his runner-up finish in Event 19, No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed, $2,500 buy-in. They played from June 8 to 10, with 1,068 competitors vying for a total of $2,456,400 in prize money. Serock’s second place finish was worth $341,783. Things might have turned out differently, but he ran into quite a cold-deck when he wound up all-in with 10-10 and John Brock Parker called with Q-Q, giving Parker his second bracelet of the week.

In the same event, Jesse Rios of Salida (who also has four cashes in this WSOP) came in fourth place, taking $148,661 when his A-J didn’t improve and he lost to A-Q.

Event 22, No-Limit Hold’em Shootout, $1,500 buy-in was good for Fresno’s Brandon Wong who took sixth place and $39,968. In the shootout events you have to be the last player standing (sitting?) at your table to advance to the next round. They started with 1,000 players on June 10 and played to June 12 for $1,365,000. After each table has one victor, the remaining 100 players are assigned to 10 new tables and they have to do it again to make the final table of 10. On his final hand, Wong was in the exact opposite position of Rios in Event 19, when he had A-Q against A-J. Unfortunately for him though, a jack came on the flop sealing his fate.

While Michael Binger might technically be a Las Vegas resident now, he still maintains a presence in Palo Alto, so we’re more than willing to continue considering him “one of us.” You may remember Binger from his third place finish in the Main Event in 2006, but he has since done quite well in the poker world. He’s made the money five times so far this year, so it should come as no surprise that he took down eighth place in Event 23, World Championship No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball, buy-in $10,000. They played June 10 to 12 and there were 96 entries for a prize pool of $902,400.

Another player you may recognize who now lives in Northern California is Russ “Dutch” Boyd. He came to prominence when he got a lot of TV time in 2003 during his run to twelfth place in the Main Event. He also won a bracelet in 2006 playing no-limit Hold’em six handed.

Boyd now lists his residence as Fresno, so that makes him one of our guys too! This year, playing in Event 25, Omaha / 7 Card Stud Hi-Low Eight or Better, $2,500 buy-in, he came in fourth place for a $61,919 payday. There were 376 entries and an $865,520 prize pool in this event played June 11 to 13.

Cole Miller of Auburn played Event 26, Limit Hold’em, $1,500 buy-in and came in ninth out of 643 entries. That event was held June 12 to 14 and Miller received $18,931 of $877,695 in total prize money.

Event 38, Limit Hold’em, $2,000 buy-in was another twofer for Northern California, as Alex Keating of Saratoga took fifth ($39,977) and Redwood City’s Danny Qutami came in sixth ($31,088). They played June 19 to 21 with 446 entrants creating a prize pool of $811,720.

Last, but certainly not least, the Bay 101’s own Matt Savage managed a fifth place finish for a $32,465 payday in Event 53, Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Eight or Better, $1,500 buy-in. The tournament ran from June 28 to 30 and consisted of 467 entries for $657,455 in prize money.