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JC Tran
During the first week of 2004 World Series,
I was strolling through the poker room next door at
the Golden Nugget with upcoming circuit player JC Tran.
As we pass the big game, Phil Ivey stops us and asks
to speak with JC. After a couple minutes, he comes back,
leaving Phil looking a little troubled. As it turns
out, Phil had asked if he could finance all JC’s buy-ins
for that World Series. JC’s response to Phil: “Thanks,
but I only play for myself.”
You might ask yourself how many people
are asked to be backed by Phil Ivey? I imagine
the list is extremely small. Then you
might think to yourself: how many people get
asked, only to turn Phil down?
In my opinion, JC is one of the fiercest and
most underrated players on the tournament
circuit. He describes himself at the table as
elusive. I can’t agree more. His game is highly
flexible, sharp, seasoned, and he fears no one.
JC always seems to accumulate chips, regardless
of the talent he’s up against. I thought
about
l i st i n g
some of his
significant cashes, but he has so many I
wouldn’t know where to start. I will, however,
point out that he’s the only player to have bubbled
a WPT final television table twice, with a
seventh place finish at both the 2004 LA
Poker Classic and 2005 Borgata Poker Open.
Aside from incredible skills at the table,
I’d have to say JC is one of the all around best
guys I’ve met. Extremely friendly and always
willing to share knowledge, he has probably
helped me improve my tournament game
more than any other player. And I know I’m
not the only one. Take a look at the list of his
talented “crew” of close friends, which
includes Tommy Hang, the Mizrachi brothers,
Chris McCormack, Amnon “Eric” Filipi,
and Nam Le, just to name a few. I imagine
he had a pretty big influence on their
games, too.
Nam Le
The first time I played a major event with
Nam was in the 2004 Bellagio Five Diamond $15k main
event. After watching him get involved a few hands,
I was immediately aware he was a player to be cautious
of. Unsurprisingly, I later overheard Jennifer Harmon
say to another player in the tournament, “Have you played
with Nam Le? I’ll tell you, that kid has game!” Nam
went on to finish sixth in the event and picked up a
cool $150k. Nam is an incredible player with a serious
future. He’s got an amazing feel for the game, and just
the right amount of gamble in him to compliment his
consistently solid play. If you want reads, he’s got’em.
He’ll read the best players with uncanny accuracy, and
at the same time he keeps you wondering what he’s holding.
His demeanor at the table is quiet and unassuming; however,
don’t mistake this for weak. He’s a highly observant,
extremely clever player who’ll have your head spinning
if you’re not careful.
Nam has been playing poker for two years, and he’s on the rise. He’s one of few players to
come in as a winning player right off the bat. (I’m typically skeptical of players who claim this,
but I’ve witnessed his ascent.) Impressively, he made nine final tables last year alone, and he
shows no problem being a “closer” with five first-place finishes under his belt. It’s just a matter
of time before he closes a major event, and deservedly places himself right up with his
cousin Tuan.
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