J.C. "area23JC" Tran took first place at the
World Championship of Online Poker main event this morning after over 13 hours of play. Tran's win capped off a star-studded weekend for Poker Stars. Tran can also rightfully claim to have won the biggest online tournament in history, with a prize pool at a staggering $6,275,000. This tournament marked the end of the 2006
WCOOP, which had gathered more than $18 million in prize money for its 18 tournaments.
The main event originally guaranteed $3 million for its prize pool, but 2,510 poker players put up the $2,500+$100 entry fee to more than double the guarantee. Another milestone for the event was that Poker Stars regular Evelyn made another cash deep into the money. This cash, 21st place for $21,962.50, made Evelyn's record a commendable five money finishes and two final tables for this series. His total winnings came to $60,995.50.
Once play got down to the last nine players, the final table was joined by the likes of Joe Hachem, Tom McEvoy, Greg Raymer, Victor Ramdin, and Katja Thater, who contributed comments in the chatbox. Hachem pointed out that he was rooting for his friend area23JC, who was only later revealed to be Tran. Tran was in third going into the final table with $4 million in chips. Lefort was second with $4.5 million and hannibalrex had the lead with $5.8 million. DEEZZZ_NUTS was well behind with less than $800,000 and the big blind at a 10th of his stack.
Both DEEZZZ_NUTS and Numie2, the other short stack, managed to avoid busting and increase their chip counts over the next 20 minutes. Meanwhile, serb2127's stack began to dwindle until he was left with only $489,000 and opted to push all in preflop. Hannibalrex called and turned over 4
2
, while serb2127 flipped up A
10
for the lead. The flop came 8
7
6
, giving both players a gutshot straight draw, but serb2127 retained the lead. The turn was the 3
and the river brought the 4
, pairing hannibalrex's 4 to give him the pot and eliminate serb2127. Serb2127 took home $79,065 for ninth place.
Milkybarkid was the next to go when his pocket tens ran into hannibalrex's pocket queens preflop. The board improved neither player and hannibalrex took down the pot to eliminate yet another player. Milkybarkid earned $119,225 for his eighth-place finish.
Hannibalrex now had a huge chip lead with over $8 million in chips compared to Tran in second place with less than $5 million. However, the chip lead was not meant to be. In less than 10 minutes, hannibalrex's stack was reduced to $3 million after two losing hands in a row. First hannibalrex called Numie2's $2 million preflop all in and showed A
K
. Numie2 flipped up pocket eights and flopped a set to secure his lead and double up. In the very next hand, hannibalrex raised preflop and was reraised by GODFATHER 72. Hannibalrex called to see the flop of Q
8
7
and led out with a bet. GODFATHER 72 moved all in over the top and hannibalrex called, showing K
J
for a flush draw. GODFATHER 72 turned over pocket queens for another flopped set and the lead. The turn spiked a club for hannibalrex, giving him his flush. Unfortunately for hannibalrex, the spiked club was the Q
, giving GODFATHER 72 quad queens to take down the pot.
While hannibalrex recovered from his roller coaster chip ride, Lefort pushed all in preflop after a raise from Annette_15. Annette_15 called all in, having fewer chips than Lefort, and showed 9
9
. Lefort turned over 6
5
, excellent news for Annette_15. However, the flop crushed Annette_15's dreams when it came 7
4
3
to give Lefort a straight. Annette_15 was eliminated in seventh ($163,150). Greg Raymer later commented that Lefort "flopped the world" on Annette_15.
With the tournament down to the final six, the remaining players opted to pause play to discuss a possible chop. After much deliberation and convincing, a by-the-chips chop was agreed to be fair, with then chip leader J.C. Tran getting the lion's share at $620,194. The tournament then continued with $50,000 and the 14 karat gold
WCOOP bracelet still up for grabs per the Poker Stars deal-making rules. Raymer expressed his dismay that a deal had been struck. He said that he would have rather the first place prize money remain at $1,157,737.50 than get chopped so the top prize was barely half that.
DEEZZZ_NUTS, the short stack when the deal was made, was also the first to bust post-deal. DEEZZZ_NUTS pushed his remaining $2.3 million chips in preflop and was called by GODFATHER 72. DEEZZZ_NUTS showed pocket sixes and he was in trouble against GODFATHER 72's pocket queens. Aside from the board pairing, neither hand improved and DEEZZZ_NUTS was eliminated in sixth place. DEEZZZ_NUTS took home $353,164 as part of his deal, rather than the $213,350 dictated by the original payout structure.
With that elimination GODFATHER 72's stack surged to be virtually tied for the lead with Tran. Tran reaffirmed his lead less than 10 minutes later in a hand against Numie2. Numie2 raised preflop and Tran called. The flop came K
10
9
and Tran checked. Numie2 put out a bet and Tran check-raised. Numie2 shot back with an all-in push over the top and Tran quickly called, showing pocket nines for a flopped set. Numie2 flipped up A
K
for top pair and was well behind. The turn sealed his fate when it put out the case 9, giving Tran quads, the second set of quads at the final table. Tran took down the pot to eliminate Numie2 in fifth ($600,042) and Tran now held almost half the chips in play.
It was now down to four, but it was only 7 minutes before it was down to three. After check-raising the flop, GODFATHER 72 moved all in on a board showing J
7
6
J
. Lefort quickly called and showed pocket sevens for a full house. GODFATHER 72 showed an ill-placed bluff with A
5
and was drawing dead. GODFATHER 72 earned $540,793 for his fourth-place finish per the deal.
Lefort's newly earned chips wouldn't last long as he was the next to go. After upping his stack to over $9 million with GODFATHER 72's elimination, it took just 15 minutes for Lefort's chip count to dive to $1.5 million. Lefort pushed all in preflop and was called by hannibalrex. Lefort showed A
7
and hannibalrex turned over pocket fives. The fives held to take Lefort out in third ($417,734).
Play was now heads up and hannibalrex sat with only a third as many chips as Tran. It took exactly one hand and less than a minute for the main event to be over. Hannibalrex raised preflop and Tran called. The flop came K
5
2
and Tran checked. Hannibalrex put out a bet and Tran called. The turn put the 4
on the board and again Tran checked. Hannibalrex led out again and this time Tran check-raised all in, a huge overbet to the pot. Hannibalrex called fairly quickly and showed A
4
for a pair of fours. Tran flipped up K
9
for top pair and the lead. The river came the 2
and it was all over for hannibalrex, who was sent to the rail with $400,581.
J.C. Tran took home the extra $50,000 and the bracelet, putting his winnings at $670,194.
The final standings are as follows:
*J.C. "area23JC" Tran - $670,194
*hannibalrex - $400,581
*Lefort - $417,734
*GODFATHER 72 - $540,793
*Numie2 - $600,042
*DEEZZZ_NUTS - $353,164
Annette_15 - $163,150
milkybarkid - $119,225
serb2127 - $79,065
* Part of a six-way by-the-chips chop per Poker Stars rules.
