Friday, January 17, 2020 9:25 PM Local Time
JC Tran Wins the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley $3,250 High Roller for $49,035
JC Tran says he considers himself a "washed-up pro," but he was in top form this weekend en route to winning his third career World Series of Poker Circuit gold ring.
Tran outlasted a field of 47 entries, including WPT Raw Deal host Tony Dunst heads-up, and took down the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley $3,250 High Roller title for $49,035. The win marks the second time Tran has won the event, and with the victory, the longtime tournament pro adds to a resume that includes more than $13 million in career earnings.
"I've always compared poker to golf. If you don't play a lot, you can probably still get lucky, get a decent round here and there," Tran said. "That's kind of where I'm at. When I had all my success, I played volume. I played prelims up to mains."
"These, I kind of pop in and out. I consider myself a washed-up pro. I still got it a little bit here and there. Every now and then I pull a little nice, close run."
Tran said that while he doesn't put in the volume he used to, he enjoys playing at Thunder Valley Resort, which requires just a 25-minute drive for Tran to the Lincoln, California venue.
Final Table Action
Place | Winner | Country | Prize (USD) |
1 | JC Tran | United States | $49,035 |
2 | Tony Dunst | United States | $30,305 |
3 | Joshua Shaw | United States | $19,779 |
4 | Ben Underwood | Canada | $13,552 |
5 | Noel Rodriguez | United States | $9,773 |
6 | Roger Bailey | United States | $7,437 |
7 | Dapo Ajayi | United States | $5,992 |
8 | Darren Rabinowitz | United States | $5,127 |
With eight places paid and the tournament running eight-handed throughout, the official final table was the cutoff point for getting paid in the High Roller.
Tran emerged victorious from a formidable lineup, including Dunst, who came up just short in his bid to win his first career WSOP Circuit ring. After a two-hour heads-up battle, the final hand came down to Dunst with ace-ten offsuit against Tran's pocket queens, with Tran's premium pair holding up.
"I actually haven't had too many hours with Tony. He played really well," Tran said. "It came down to me having queens and he had ace-ten. Tony's a great player, I have a lot of respect for him. He's similar to me in some ways, he doesn't play a ton of these tournaments, because he's doing stuff with WPT and whatnot."
Joshua Shaw (3rd - $19,779) was on the short stack for most of three-handed play, finally bowing out after his open shove with jack-nine suited came up short against Dunst's ace-king.
Other tough opponents at the final table included Noel Rodriguez (5th - $9,773), Dapo Ajayi (7th - $5,992), and Darren Rabinowitz (8th - $5,127).
The day began with 23 players in the hunt, with the money bubble bursting during Level 16, the fourth level of play on Day 2.
Big Names Come Out for the High Roller
In addition to the loaded final table, other notables coming through the Thunder Valley Poker Room for the High Roller included Brett Murray, Ian Steinman, Joe Kuether, Bryan Piccioli and Andreas Kniep.
Ajayi came into Day 2 as the chip leader and was near the top of the leaderboard for most of the day en route to the money finish. Steinman, one of the shortest stacks in the room coming into Day 2, was out early, as were Murray and Kniep.
The 47 entries brought the total prize pool to $141,000.
Friday, January 17, 2020 8:42 PM Local Time
Tony Dunst Eliminated in 2nd Place ($30,305)
Tony Dunst limped, JC Tran raised to 80,000, Dunst three-bet all in, and Tran called, having Dunst covered.
Tony Dunst:
JC Tran:
Board:
Tran's pocket queens held up against the ace-ten of Dunst, and Dunst takes home $30,305 for the runner-up finish.
JC Tran | 1,880,000 | 605,000 |
Tony Dunst | 0 | -605,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 8:16 PM Local Time
Tran Shoves River, Folds Out Dunst
JC Tran opened to 60,000, and Tony Dunst called.
Dunst check-called bets for 65,000 on the flop, and 150,000 on the turn.
Tran shoved the river, having Dunst covered. Dunst, with 605,000 left behind, tanked for a couple minutes, then folded.
JC Tran | 1,275,000 | 325,000 |
Tony Dunst | 605,000 | -325,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 8:05 PM Local Time
Level 24 started
Level: 24
Blinds: 10,000/25,000
Ante: 25,000
Friday, January 17, 2020 8:05 PM Local Time
Back to Even
No big pots have materialized in Level 23, but after winning several small pots Tony Dunst has brought the heads-up match back to even.
Each player will be working with about 35 big blinds when Level 24 begins at 10000/25000/25000.
JC Tran | 950,000 | -257,000 |
Tony Dunst | 930,000 | 257,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:50 PM Local Time
Tran Pushes the Lead
JC Tran opened to 45,000, and Tony Dunst called.
Both players checked the flop. Dunst bet 75,000 on the turn, Tran raised to 155,000, and Dunst called .
Tran bet 300,000 on the river, and Dunst folded.
JC Tran | 1,207,000 | 182,000 |
Tony Dunst | 673,000 | -182,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:42 PM Local Time
Dunst Climbing Back
Tony Dunst is chipping up slowly but surely, winning a chain of several small pots to pull closer in the heads-up match against JC Tran.
Dunst, at one point down to around 560,000 chips, is back up to the 855,000 mark as the final two continue to battle.
JC Tran | 1,025,000 | -295,000 |
Tony Dunst | 855,000 | 295,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:32 PM Local Time
Tran Raises River, Dunst Folds
JC Tran limped, Tony Dunst raised to 70,000, and Tran called.
Dunst bet 50,000 on the flop, and Tran called. Both players then checked the turn.
Dunst bet 120,000 on the river, Tran raised to 330,000, and Dunst folded. The pot puts Tran at his highest chip mark of the tournament, at over 1.3 million.
JC Tran | 1,320,000 | 248,000 |
Tony Dunst | 560,000 | -247,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:25 PM Local Time
Level 23 started
Level: 23
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:24 PM Local Time
Dunst Gains Ground
JC Tran opened to 35,000, and Tony Dunst called.
Both players checked the flop. Dunst check-called a 30,000 bet on the turn.
Both players checked the river, and Dunst took down the pot with .
JC Tran | 1,072,000 | -92,000 |
Tony Dunst | 807,000 | 91,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:15 PM Local Time
Dunst Versus Tran for the Ring
The heads-up match in the $3,250 High Roller has come down to two of poker's big names, as JC Tran and Tony Dunst are the final two remaining.
The two players have more than $16 million in career earnings, and one of them will be adding the 2020 WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley High Roller to their list of career accomplishments.
JC Tran | 1,164,000 | 74,000 |
Tony Dunst | 716,000 | -74,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 7:06 PM Local Time
Joshua Shaw Eliminated in 3rd Place ($19,779)
Joshua Shaw open shoved for 197,000 from the button, and Tony Dunst called from the big blind, having Shaw covered.
Joshua Shaw:
Tony Dunst:
Board:
Both players improved on the runout, but it was Dunst's top pair prevailing, sending Shaw to the rail.
JC Tran | 1,090,000 | 145,000 |
Tony Dunst | 790,000 | 205,000 |
Joshua Shaw | 0 | -350,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 6:50 PM Local Time
Level 22 started
Level: 22
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
Friday, January 17, 2020 6:39 PM Local Time
Break Time
Players are now on a 15-minute break.
Friday, January 17, 2020 6:38 PM Local Time
Shaw Doubles Through Dunst
Tony Dunst open raised from the button, Joshua Shaw three-bet all in for 163,000, and Dunst called, having Shaw covered.
Joshua Shaw:
Tony Dunst:
Board:
The river brought in a straight for Shaw, keeping him alive as three-handed play continues.
JC Tran | 945,000 | 85,000 |
Tony Dunst | 585,000 | -195,000 |
Joshua Shaw | 350,000 | 110,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 6:20 PM Local Time
Tran Back in Front
Joshua Shaw opened to 30,000 from the small blind, and JC Tran called from the big blind.
Shaw bet 25,000 on the flop, and 45,000 on the turn, with Tran calling both.
Shaw checked the river, Tran bet 80,000, and Shaw gave it up.
JC Tran | 860,000 | 195,000 |
Tony Dunst | 780,000 | 5,000 |
Joshua Shaw | 240,000 | -195,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 6:03 PM Local Time
Shaw Gains Ground
With about 200,000 already in the pot on the river, and the board showing , JC Tran checked from the big blind.
Joshua Shaw went all in for his last 193,000, sending Tran into the tank. Tran eventually elected to fold, and the pot pushed Shaw to his highest chip mark of the tournament.
Tony Dunst | 775,000 | -50,000 |
JC Tran | 665,000 | -80,000 |
Joshua Shaw | 435,000 | 125,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 5:55 PM Local Time
Level 21 started
Level: 21
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 12,000
Friday, January 17, 2020 5:55 PM Local Time
Ben Underwood Eliminated in 4th Place ($13,552)
Tony Dunst opened to 20,000 from the cutoff, Ben Underwood called on the button, and JC Tran called in the big blind.
Action checked to Underwood, who bet 20,000 on the flop. Tran check-raised to 70,000, Dunst folded, and Underwood went all in for 325,000. Tran called, having Underwood covered.
Ben Underwood:
JC Tran:
Tran came away with the win, his pair of tens holding up on the turn and river. Underwood hit the exit, with $13,552 for the fourth-place finish.
On the following hand, Tran lost some of his newly-earned chips to Dunst, with Dunst cold four-betting from the big blind, and Tran folding after three-betting from the small blind against an open from Joshua Shaw.
Tony Dunst | 825,000 | 111,000 |
JC Tran | 745,000 | 225,000 |
Joshua Shaw | 310,000 | 0 |
Ben Underwood | 0 | -345,000 |
Friday, January 17, 2020 5:34 PM Local Time
Dunst in the Chip Lead
JC tran opened to 23,000 from the cutoff, Tony Dunst three-bet to 70,000 from the button, and Ben Underwood cold four-bet to 155,000 from the small blind.
Tran folded, and Dunst went all in with a five-bet. Underwood didn't take long to decide on a fold.
Tony Dunst | 714,000 | 224,000 |
Ben Underwood | 345,000 | -209,000 |