L.A. PRO KIET TRAN WINS WPC 2001 OPENING EVENT
A 31-year-old Los Angeles pro named Kiet Tran took first place and $31,763 in the opening event of World Poker Challenge 2002, $300 limit hold’em. Tran, a native of Vietnam with a sense of humor (at one point he requested a seat change), has two prior wins at Hollywood Park.
Runner-up was Ray Ragan, a retired home builder with numerous wins, including events at the Hall of Fame and 4-Queens. When the two got heads-up, they were virtually dead even, with about $150,000 each. Five hands later, Tran re-raised with 6-5, hoping, he later said, to get free cards. Instead, he flopped a straight and hauled in a $56,000 pot. The next hand his 10-8 made a bigger full house against Ragan’s K-2 when the board came 10-7-2-7-7. He now had about $250,000 and coasted home.
Ray Ragan
Finishing third was Men “The Master” Nguyen, fresh from his double triumph as Player of the Year and winner of the championship event of the United States Poker Championship at the Taj Mahal.
Hosting the tournament was Russ Floyd, winner of the first event at WPC 2001. He welcomed the contestants and urged them to cooperate in a drive to end abusive behavior toward both dealers and fellow players.
PartyPoker.com was a sponsor of this event. Linda Johnson announced that the online poker site would add $1,000 to the prize pool in the form of cash awards and $220 entries into the semi-finals of their $1 million Card Player Cruises tournament. She also offered the players satellite freerolls into that event.
Ragan came to the final table trailing the field with a puny $7,500. On hand eight he went all in with A-9 against Nguyen’s A-Q, won with two pair and eventually climbed to the chip lead.
By contrast, Barry Shulman started with a big lead of $75,000, but dipped fast by losing three big pots. Nguyen stunned him when he bluffed a pot and took the lead on hand 29. Men had raised and then bet a flop of 6-6-2. When a third heart turned, he bet, the Card Player publisher and bracelet holder raised, Men three-bet it and Barry folded. Men then showed Q-7of diamonds, with a taunting warning that he couldn’t be run over. On the next hand, Ragan again went all in, again with A-9, then doubled up against Shulman’s A-10 when a nine flopped. A few hands later, Shulman got really hurt when the pot was five-bet before the flop and his K-K lost to Ragan’s A-A.
Earlier, Chad Ducharme bowed out ninth when Men, with A-4, flopped a wheel, slow-played it and busted the Casino Arizona poker dealer.
With limits at $2,000-$4,000, software programmer Huai Zhang went all in but survived when his pocket aces easily beat the K-J held by Vinnie Landrum, a full-time player. Shulman was later dealt A-A, but had to fold with only $14,000 left against Ragan when four clubs hit the board. Ragan became the chip leader on hand 70. He had A-K against Kiet’s J-J and a 5-5 held by Rusty George, a building contractor.
A fourth heart rivered. Ray made a nut flush and Rusty, who had put in his last $3,000 pre-flop, exited.
A few hands later, Vinnie, with K-Q, raised, bet the flop, checked the turn and, with just K-high, made a desperation, all-in bet on a board of J-10-4-8-8, only to be picked off by Tran with A-high. Six-handed at 6:15, Ragan was the leader with about $80,000. Limits were $3,000-$6,000. John McQuillen, a stock-trader, had nursed his modest starting stack of $17,000 without seeing much action. Now he had to post his last $3,000 in the big blind with K-2. Kiet, with A-J, button-raised to get heads-up. A jack turned and the investor settled for a $3,005 pay-off on his $330 investment.
A bit later, Shulman, who had earlier put in his last $14,000, winning with pocket sixes and then building his chips up, finally busted. He had K-J to Nguyen’s A-J. The board came A-Q-2-K-Q. Men bet all the way, Barry called all the way, going all in and all out on the river.
Shortly after, Men got punished in two consecutive hands when both times Kiet made a higher flush. On the next hand the L.A. pro, rushing now, was dealt A-A on the button against Zhang’s K-K. The rockets hold up and he took all the software programmer’s chips.
With over 100 hands played, Kiet and Ray were tied with about $120,000 each, while Men was down to about $50,000. The Master battled and hung on for another 25 hands. Finally, with limits at $4,000-$8,000, Men tried a button-raise with 10-7 and Ray called with 9-8. A flop of 9-8-2 gave Ray two pair and Men an open-end straight draw. Committed to his hand, Men bet out, then went all in and lost when he missed his draw.
Men Nguyen
About 10 hands after Kiet had built his stacks to $250,000, Ray went all in for his last $7,000, but survived by pairing a jack. Later down to $2,000, he doubled up twice, but could go no higher. On his final hand, he held 8-6. Kiet put him in with 7-5, then caught two more fives to nail down his biggest win ever.
Max Shapiro
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