2021 WSOP Day 24: JC Tran Flying High in the $10K PLO

It is difficult to believe we are 24 days into the 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) but that is exactly where we are at. The 24th day of the series saw a trio of champions crowned, and three other events march towards awarding coveted gold bracelets.

Kevin Gerhart triumphed in Event #40: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. and collected $361,124 plus his third WSOP bracelet. Gerhart denied Marco Johnson what would have been his third career bracelet.

Carlos Chang took down Event #41: $2,500 Freezeout for $364,589 and went on to pose for the best winner’s photo of the 2021 WSOP, while Bradley Ruben joined the three-time WSOP champion club in Event #42: $1,500 Razz.

Tran looking To End 11-Year Bracelet Drought in the $10K PLO Championship

JC Tran last won a bracelet in 2009 when he was the last man standing in the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Now he has a chance of ending his 11-year bracelet drought in the same discipline but in the $10,000 championship edition.

Tran was one of 131 players to make it through Day 1 of Event #45: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, from a starting field of 317. The man from Sacramento, California, crammed 348,500 chips into an overnight bag when the curtain came down on Day 1, which are enough chips for fifth-place on the Day 1 leaderboard.

Although Tran progressed with a healthy stack, he trails Chris Sandrock by some distance. Sandrock finished with 748,500 chips in his arsenal, 215,000 more than Arthur Morris on 533,500. Michael Kuney (472,500) and Travis Pearson (360,000) make up the top five.

Day 2 will be crammed full of talent, not least Sam Soverel (278,500), Toby Lewis (273,500), and Brandon Shack-Harris (212,000).

Lurking in the wings are two of online poker’s legends. Swedish duo Niklas Astedt (172,500) and Simon Mattsson (40,500) have made a rare live poker appearance, although the latter is one of the shortest stacks in the field.

Play resumes at 2:00 p.m. on October 24 and could see more players buy in because late registration remains open until the start of the day.

Event #45: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship Day 1 Top 10 Chips Counts

Presley Shakes Up Double Stack Day 1b Field

Terry Presley thoroughly enjoyed himself on Day 1b of Event #43: $1,000 Double Stack, bagging up not only the most chips of the second and final flight but of the entire tournament. Presley finished Day 1b armed with 828,000 chips and is hopeful of going all the way and netting some poker gold.

Presley was already one of the big stack when he won a huge pot during the 11th level of the flight. He called a shove with a flush draw and gutshot straight draw and got there against his opponents flopped two pair.

Some 562 players from the 2,054 starters punched their Day 2 tickets. Among them are a whole host of stellar names and well-known faces.

Four-time bracelet winner Asi Moshe (462,000) is in the current top five, while Daniel Lazrus (443,500) is yet another star looking for his third bracelet. Others safely through include Joao Simao (301,000), Niall Farrell (222,000), David Pham (205,000), Ari Engel (156,500), Barry Shulman (111,500), and former Main Event champion Martin Jacobson (106,500).

Day 2 shuffles up and deal at 10:00 a.m. on October 24 and sees 1,068 players return to their seats, and another ten levels are scheduled.

Event #43: $1,000 Double Stack Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

Hsiung Leads $3K 6-Max Limit Hold’em Final Ten

Day 2 of Event #44: $3,000 6-Handed Limit Hold’em saw the 78 returnees reduced to only ten over the course of ten levels of limit hold’em action. When the dust settled, Kenny Hsiung was the chip leader after bagging up 1,171,000 chips.

Hsiung won the full ring edition of this event in 2012 so already knows what is needed to become a WSOP champion. Hsiung hold the chip lead at the restart, but two of his opponents also have seven-figure stacks.

Second-placed Kevin Erikson has 1,139,000 chips while Ryan Hansen has 1,115,000 chips.

Each of the final ten players has reached this stage on merit and would be a worthy champion. Ray Henson, who finished Day 1 as the tournament’s chip leader, is the shortest stack, but still has a chance to add a WSOP bracelet to the five WSOP Circuit rings he possesses.

Play resumes at 2:00 p.m. on October 24 and continues until a champion is crowned.

Event #44: $3,000 6-Handed Limit Hold’em Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts