Capture the Flag: Kenny Tran

Kenny Tran reports to work at Commerce Casino in California almost every day, but he is not on its payroll. He was introduced to the game of poker about 15 years ago in a bowling alley; at that point, he was working at a fast-food restaurant. Tran progressed rapidly, especially in cash games, and never looked back; he is now a Full Tilt pro. Though Tran has been playing poker for years, the poker-viewing audience was introduced to him following the 2007 World Series of Poker. Tran went deep in both the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event and the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em main event. If you query other players about cash-game players they admire, Tran's name is often one of the first ones to be mentioned.

Lizzy Harrison: What factors make up a good cash game?

Kenny Tran: Of course, you should look for the fish in the room and choose the table they are at [laughing]. Anyway, you should always look for a table with a lot of cash on it. That is what you play poker for, the cash. However, you should still make sure that there are some bad players at the table you choose.

LH: What is your preferred game, and why?

KT: Right now, with everything on TV, especially on ESPN, it is all about no-limit hold'em. People have really gotten into the game and they like it a lot. Usually, when amateurs get into no-limit hold'em cash games, they will end up losing by an inch or a coin flip. That makes them want to come back and play again. Another thing I see is that, a lot of the time, players like that will put all of their money in the pot with a weak hand. So, my favorite game has to be no-limit hold'em right now, because that is where most of the fish are.

LH: What about your least favorite?

KT: I will play all of the games; for me, it depends on where the live players are playing. I am very much an all-around player. But I would have to say that my least-favorite game is probably limit hold'em. When I was younger, that is how I made my money, playing limit hold'em. But right now, I find it kind of boring and slow. Limit is bet for bet, and that is pretty boring.

LH: What stakes do you play on a day-to-day basis?

KT: Right now I prefer to play $100-$200 or $200-$400 no-limit hold'em with an ante. The ante is something for the players to fight for. The highest-stakes game that I have ever played was a heads-up match against some guy in a private game. Sorry, but I can't tell you who it was. We played no-limit, and the blinds were $1,000-$2,000.

LH: How should a player determine when he is ready to move up in stakes?

KT: When you think that you can beat a game, that does not mean that you are ready to move up in stakes. You should wait until you get to the point where you are really bored and it is not a challenge to win anymore. You should really be grinding it out. Then, at that point, it is time for you to move up in stakes.

LH: What is the most common mistake you see inexperienced cash-game players make?

KT: In cash games, inexperienced players are not able to lay down hands that they should lay down. I make a lot of big bets on the river with small pairs, or sometimes no pair, when I know I am ahead. My opponents think that I am a betting machine, and that I bluff a lot, so they will call me on the river with nothing. Most of the time, when they make a call like that, I win the pot. I have a high percentage of winning hands like that. Look at it this way: Something has to add up in my head for me to make the plays that I make. The most common mistake I see from inexperienced players is that they cannot lay down their hands, and they also often overplay their hands.

LH: What skills are more important in cash games than they are in tournaments?

KT: There is one skill that is very important in both. In cash games and tournaments, you can pretty much see the same people doing well consistently, because it all comes down to experience. The players you recognize play every day, day in and day out, so it becomes easier for them to avoid mistakes because it becomes a routine. The more you play, the fewer mistakes you will make. Experience is so important.

LH: What advice would you give a successful tournament player if he wanted to move into the cash-game arena?

KT: I would explain to him that cash games are a day-to-day type of thing. You can win consistently every day in cash games. But tournaments, they are investments, long-term investments. That can really wear a player out. It is hard to do both.

LH: What characteristics do great cash-game players share?

KT: Guts. Great cash-game players are fearless. They just have to be really gutsy. Experience is also important. And I have to say that they must be able to play under pressure. The players who handle the pressure best take all of the money in the end. Also, a great cash-game player will never second-guess his reads or his instincts. He must be willing to go broke at all times.

LH: Which cash-game players do you most respect, and why?

KT: I have not played much with Phil [Ivey] or Patrik [Antonius], but I have to mention them, anyway. I have watched them play, and their body language, which is the result of repetition, makes them top players.

LH: What about some under-the-radar Los Angeles players we should keep an eye on?

KT: A friend of mine, his name is Loi Phan, can be found in tournaments from time to time; he plays well in cash games. Also, there is a guy named Bobby Hoff, who is an old-time professional. Hoff is from Texas, and he has been around. I have a lot of respect for him, because of his age and the way he still plays poker. ♠