Kenny Tran wins WSOP Event 25, $10K Heads-Up NLHE

Kenny Tran won nine straight heads up matches to win his first WSOP bracelet by becoming the World Champion of $10K heads-up NL Holdem. His victory came just hours ago when he defeated Alec Torelli for the second time to win the finals best of three, 2-0.

Prior to this event, Kenny Tran was no stranger to the World Series of Poker; his first WSOP cash came all the way back in the 1999 Series. Tran’s more recent WSOP accomplishments include 5th in the 2007 World Championship of H.O.R.S.E worth $440,000 and sixteenth in both the WSOP and WSOP-Europe Main Events worth $381,302 and $64,471 respectively. He also took 10th in the WPT Championship this April for $158,290.

Tonight’s WSOP victory was much more special as the $539,056 top place prize was the largest of his career, and on fathers day, Kenny Tran who is a father of three, scored his first career WSOP bracelet.

$10K World Championship of Heads Up No Limit Holdem Day 3 Coverage

The final four players returned to the Rio today where the two semi final match ups were played, followed by the Championship match. The semi finals were single elimination where the championship match was best two out of three. Let’s get started with our first match up:

Semifinal Match #1: Jonathan Jaffe vs. Kenny Tran – 1.28 million starting chips each

In the early stages of this match, Jaffe won the most pots, but Tran won the big ones by playing back enough to stay close. Hand #26 was the first big one of the match and it player out like this: Jonathan Jaffe raised to 36K from the button, and Kenny Tran called. The flop came 3d Tc Kh and Tran check called a 52K bet from Jaffe. The turn 8s Tran again checks, Jaffe bets 92K and Tran puts in the check raise making it 242K to go, after tanking for a bit Jaffe made the call. The river was 2c and Tran pushed 500K chips, leaving Jaffe to a tough decision, he tanked for a while and eventually opted to muck.

Jaffe took the chip lead back on hand #30 when he took 493K of Tran’s chips when his two pair kings and tens topped Tran’s two pair queens and tens. Momentum changed big time on hand #51 when Tran opened a pot, Jaffe raised to 150K and Tran tanked for a bit then called. The flop came down AQQ and after sitting motionless for about 15 seconds Jaffe fired about a 125K chip bet, Tran came over the top to 450K. One of the longest stare downs we’ve ever seen in poker occurred while Tran stared Jaffe straight in the eye with not so much of a blink. Jaffe eventually opted to fold and Tran tabled 75 for a mini celebration, showing his stone cold bluff.

Tran was slightly ahead on the final hand which played out like this: Jonathan Jaffe raised to 60K, Tran reraises to 210K and Jaffe announced “All in,” a bet totaling 1,180,000. Tran tanked for a bit while talking to himself, and pretty much everyone watching expected he would eventually folded, that was until Tran confidently announced “I Call”. When the cards were turned up Tran was in great shape with JJ vs K8. The board ran 4-T-4-A-8 and Jaffe was eliminated receiving $108,288 and Tran was in the finals.

Semifinal Match #1: Vanessa Selbst v. Alec Torelli – 1.28 million starting chips each

This match was scheduled to begin at 4:30PM and Vanessa Selbst was in attendance early excited with her chances of winning a second 2008 WSOP bracelet. Meanwhile, Alec Torelli had pulled a Houdini, or as we call in the tournament poker world ‘Vinny Vihn’ all meaning he was no where to be found. After a while he would call the Rio letting them know he was having problems with the Wynn valet and would be there soon.

In a great display of sportsmanship when the tournament director announced the tournament would start without Alec Torelli if he did not show up in the next 5 minutes, Selbst responded with “I am not taking any of his chips”, saying she would sit out as well if the tournament clock started.

Alec Torelli finally showed up and his only explanation was “Freakin’ Wynn spa, dude.”.. Perhaps it has something to do with her being a woman, but Selbst found herself for the second time this week in a heads up match that was played more like a home or bar game then a WSOP. When she won the PLO event a few days earlier (details) her opponent played much of the final blind and was clearly having a good time. While Torelli didn’t do much crazy poker wise he was clearly also having a good time as he babbled on about a recent bad beat he had taken in a cash game, and continued to chat about other things as if he was playing Grandma at the kitchen table for nickels and dime.

Torelli grabbed control of the match on hand 17. Vanessa Selbst limped from the SB, Alec Torelli raises to 47K. Selbst re-raises 75K on top (122K total) and after a brief pause Torelli called. The flop came Jd 6d Jh, Torelli checked, Selbst bet 150K, and Torelli tanked for a while before making the call. The turn came As and Torelli quickly checked and after 20 seconds of remaining still Selbst pushed 275K to the pot. Torelli tanks for a while again and then calls. The river was Kh and both players quickly checked Torelli showed pocket nines and, Selbst mucked.

The two played another 19 hands which resulted in the chip counts staying around the same they had been when hand #17 was complete. On Hand #37 Vanessa Selbst raised to 40K, Alec Torelli re-raises to 130K and Selbst called. When the flop came Js 4d 5c, Torelli bet 150K, and Selbst called. The turn fell Td and Torelli though for a good half minute before betting 350K and after a bit of though Selbst moved all in.

It took Torrelli a minute or so to decide he was committed to the pot and he made the call showing KQ for an open ended straight draw. Selbst tabled KT and was in great shape to double up, needing to dodge just an ace, nine or queen. The river was a fatal nine and for the second year in a row Selbst was eliminated during the semi finals of the Heads-up championship. Torelli advanced to play Kenny Tran in the finals.

Finals Recap Kenny Tran vs. Alec Torelli

Match One – both players start with 2.56 million

Kenny Tran has shown that his style is all about grinding it out, wearing his opponents down and making them feel bored. He had to rethink this strategy a bit when on hand hand #18 Torelli opened for 72K, Tran re-raised to 260K, Torelli re-raised to 585.000 and Tran reluctantly called. When the flop came Td 9d 8d, Torelli bet all in and Tran folded. Over the next dozen hands Tran became more aggressive then usual and after building back to even he returned to his normal game play.

It took a while for the next big pot to occur which finally happened on hand #67 but nine hands later we were back to even. The match did not finish until hand #93 which played out like this: Tran opened for 110K, Torelli quickly raises to 350K and then went all in when the flop came 8-4-2. In the previous match Tran spent a lot of time before calling all in with Jacks, but on this hand he insta-called with just middle pair, showing A4. He was well ahead when Torelli revealed A-J. The turn and river changed nothing and Tran took the 1-0 lead.

Match Two – both players start with 2.56 million

Perhaps Torelli was in a hurry to get back to the Wynn Spa, or maybe he just felt he was now a big dog being down 1-0 in a best of 3 – in whatever the case, he came into this match hyper aggressive looking to get it over quickly. Tran refused to let his opponent dictate the tempo as he continued on with his methodical style that lulls his opponents into making mistakes. This match would take almost as long as the first one.

After 65 hands of play the match was tied and it was not till the 80th hand that it ended. On the final hand Tran opened for 110K, Torelli called, the flop came Qc 7c 4s, Tran bet 150K, Torelli raised to 430K. Tran re-raised to 1.03 million and Torelli declaed all in. Tran showed Ac 8c for a nut flush draw and Torelli tabled Q-10 for top pair. The turn gave Tran a coupe more outs when in came 8h, and the river gave him the winning nut flush when to came Jc. Alec Torelli can get back to relaxing in the Wynn spa now, and despite having not won the bracelet he has $336,896 more to his name now.

Kenny Tran is the World Champion of No Limit Texas Holdem Heads-up, and received $539,056 top place prize money and the first WSOP bracelet of his career.