2008 39th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em (Event 25)
Date:
Friday, June 13, 2008 to Sunday, June 15, 2008
Buy-In:
$10,000
Prize Pool:
$2,406,400
Entrants:
256
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:16:43
Congratulations to Kenny Tran, Champion of Event #25 ($539,056)
Kenny Tran has outlasted a field of 256 competitors, dispatching eight successive opponents in heads up play to win Event #25 - $10,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em World Championship.
"Now, you have yourself a bracelet. It must feel incredible," said Nick Geber as he interviewed Tran after the match was completed.
"I'll probably retire right here," joked Tran.
"It looked like [Torelli gave you a different match in Game 2," said Geber.
"No doubt about it," replied Tran. "The first match was kind of easy for me, but the second match, oh my. I figured he picked up something on me, but in this situation I had the nut flush draw and decided to gamble and go with it. I was already one match ahead."
When Media Director Nolan Dalla presented the gold bracelet to Tran, he raised it with both hands over his head in victory. He stated that his next plan is to go have a celebratory drink with some friends, and then go home and kiss each of his three children and thank them for allowing him to play on Father's Day.
Congratulations once again to Tran for his well-earned victory.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:01:48
Kenny Tran Eliminates Alec Torelli; Claims First WSOP Gold Bracelet
Hand #80 -
Kenny Tran has the button. He opens the pot for 110,000. Alec Torelli makes the call.
The flop comes down 
. Torelli checks. Tran breaks down a stack of greens, then bets 150,000. Torelli comes over the top for a total of 430,000, facing Tran with another big raise. He tanks for a minute before making a big reraise of his own, to 1,030,000, another 600,000 to Torelli.
Torelli takes about ten seconds before declaring, "All in." Tran is visibly agitated, shaking his head and standing out of his chair while emcee Robbie Thompson counts down Torelli's stack. The count is an additional 1,150,000. Tran makes the call and shows 
; Torelli shows 
The 
doesn't put Tran in the lead but does give him a few more outs. The dealer burns and turns the river, and it's the 
! Tran makes the nut flush and falls to his knees, both arms lifted over his head, his fists clenched in victory.
Torelli falls short of the bracelet, but wins $336,896.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:54:03
Hand #79 - Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 100,000 to go, effectively stealing Kenny Tran's big blind.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:53:35
Hand #78 - Alec Torelli
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000. Alec Torelli reraises to 330,000 from the big blind. Action passed back to Tran, who tanked for about a minute before throwing his cards into the dealer.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:51:50
Hand #77 - Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 105,000 to go. Kenny Tran makes the call and we see a flop of 
.
Kenny passes the first action to Alec who bets 135,000 and Kenny surrenders.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:46:01
Hand #76 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000, enough to fold Alec Torelli.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:45:27
Hand #75 - Kenny Tran
Alec Torelli has the button and kicks it up to 80,000. Kenny Tran makes the call.
A board of 
is checked down to the river at which time Kenny makes a bet of 120,000 which earns him the pot.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:44:01
Hand #74 - Alec Torelli
Kenny Tran has the button. Tran completes his small blind; Alec Torelli checks.
On the flop of 
, Torelli check-calls a bet of 40,000 from Tran. Both players check all the way through the rest of the hand on a turn and river of 
. Torelli turns over 
for a jack-high straight and wins the pot.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:43:21
Hand #73 - Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 80,000 to go and Kenny Tran surrenders his big blind. I'm starting to ask myself why I haven't already copied this text so I can simply right-click and 'Paste' every time it's my turn to blog a hand.....
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:41:41
Hand #72 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000, folding Alec Torelli. Tran flashes two kings in the hole.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:40:53
Hand #71 - Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 80,000 to go, once again stealing Kenny Tran's big blind.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:40:25
Hand #70 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000. Alec Torelli makes the call, and off to the flop we go.
The flop is 
. Tran bets 150,000 and that's enough to take it down.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:39:32
Hand #69 - Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli has the button and opens with a raise to 80,000, stealing Kenny Tran's big blind.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:39:01
Hand #68 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000. Alec Torelli folds.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:38:44
Hand #67 - Kenny Tran
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 80,000 to play. Kenny Tran then puts in a reraise, making it 305,000 and Alec lays down his hand.
Kenny flashes Big Slick before passing his cards back to the dealer.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:38:20
Hand #66 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. We didn't get the action preflop because the battery died on the emcee's microphone. Tran called out the flop to the gallery as 
. He bet, folding Torelli.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:36:32
Hand #65 - Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 80,000 to go, stealing Kenny Tran's big blind.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:36:25
Updated Chip Counts
Kenny Tran - 2,686,000
Alec Torelli - 2,434,000
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:36:01
Hand #64 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000, folding Alec Torelli.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:35:57
Hand #63 - Kenny Tran
Alec Torelli has the button and makes it 80,000 to go; Kenny Tran makes the call.
Kenny and Alec check down a board of 
all the way to the river, until Kenny bets 80,000 on the end. Alec makes the call and Kenny tables 
for two pair which is good enough to take down the pot.
Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:34:11
Hand #62 - Kenny Tran
Kenny Tran has the button. He raises to 90,000, and Alec Torelli folds.
