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March 1st 2007
WPT LA Poker Classic: Tran heads all-star final table
JC Tran’squest for redemption is still on. Last year’s fifth place finisher, eliminated after the cruellest of beats (see yesterday’s news article), has made his second WPT final table in a row, and arrives at tomorrow’s final table as the chip leader, just as he did last year. This time Tran will be hoping Lady Luck treats him a little more kindly.
The penultimate day of this, the biggest WPT tournament in the tour’s history, kicked off at 3:30pm yesterday, with play scheduled to continue until the 18 remaining players had been whittled down to six finalists.
Play started at a cracking pace, with three eliminations inside 20 minutes and a catastrophic start for Jason Strasser, who began the day third in the chip counts. It seems the young Strasser simply had his poker radar out of kilter from the off, and he plunged into pot after pot with mediocre hands and paid the inevitable price.
He began by doubling up Vincent Procopio and Jay Chang in quick succession, with K-Q vs A-Q and A-5 vs A-Q respectively. Those two hands cost him over $800,000, and despite eliminating Chris Bell (with 5-2o vs KT) Strasser was out a few minutes later after making yet another questionable play. This time Strasser re-raised all-in for his last $615,000 with Q-T after Jacob Fernandez had raised from the button. If Fernandez had been on a steal it would have been a great play, but he called and showed A-J; the better hand held up and Strasser was out in ninth.
JC Tran meanwhile was on a bit of a rollercoaster ride. He rarely dropped below his starting amount but often brought his total up to over $4 million before dropping back down to the $3 million mark. He still ended the day as the chip leader, but may be disappointed not to be further in front.
Paul Wasicka on the other hand will be delighted with his position. With 8 players left Wasicka was one of the major shortstacks, with just $760,000 to play with. But in the space of two hands he jumped to over $3 million and second in the chip counts! His rush began when he raised from the button and then called all-in after Bill Edler pushed with Q-J from the small blind. Wasicka’s A-T held up and a few minutes later he was even richer, doubling up again when he got it all-in with A-K against Vincent Procopio’s Q-Q and made trip kings on the turn.
Ten minutes later and the final table was set, JC Tran finishing off the wounded Bill Edler by moving all-in over the top of Edler’s all-in raise from the button. Tran hit the nut flush on the flop with his Ah-Kh and Edler was drawing dead with his 4c-3h.
The final table going into tomorrow looks like this:
J.C. Tran $3,470,000
Paul Wasicka $3,390,000
Jacobo Fernandez $3,370,000
Eric Hershler $2,160,000
David Bach $2,070,000
Chau Giang $1,700,000
Submitted: 01/03/2007 11:44:29
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