Sacramento Hero JC Tran With a Hometown WPT Victory

Sacramento patriot and Kings fan JC Tran added another trophy to his long list of poker accomplishments and another $302,750 to his huge stack of live winnings. He is 15th on the RankingHero worldwide all-time list by live earnings, with $11,592,445!

"We’re in Sacramento, and it’s all about the kings.." [JC won several crucial pots holding a king]

The most decorated player at the Rolling Thunder final table, JC Tran, did not start out as a favorite this time. He had seat 5 and was actually 5th in chips, with 23 bb versus 186 bb for the chip leader @Quoc Pham. Several crucial double-ups later, JC had reminded everyone why he is considered one of most dangerous poker players around and he eventually dominated and won the heads-up with @Preston Harwell.

@Justin 'JC' Cuong Van Tran was born in 1977 in Vietnam and is the youngest of 8 siblings. The family moved to California when JC was two and he loves Sacramento as his true hometown. And the love is certainly returned, judging by his loyal following of local fans and the congratulations still pouring out in the social media.

Feels great.. To do it at home, in front of my friends and family, and my fans that are here....just to do it for them, it’s an awesome feeling...

I pretty much learnt the game at the age of 21. I'd played a little bit of poker in other forms before that, but for my 21st birthday my brother took me to a card room, sat me down in one of the games and got me started on limit poker. Right off the bat I got lucky and won. It was a great experience to learn some new games and win money while doing it.

Moving from home games at the university campus to casino cash games, by 2003 JC had started accumulating more serious tournament wins. JC Tran was WPT Payer of the Year in 2007 after making three final tables and winning the 2007 World Poker Challenge so this is his second WPT title. He has an impressive WSOP record, as well, with two bracelets won in 2008 and 2009.

Last year it looked like he was going to add the ultimate world champion title when he entered the November Nine as the chip leader:

This is one of my last goals that was on my list. When I first started playing tournament poker, I wanted to win a WPT Event, I did that. I wanted to win a bracelet, I did that. And the last thing on the list was to make the final nine of the Main Event and here I am.This is one of my last goals that was on my list. When I first started playing tournament poker, I wanted to win a WPT Event, I did that. I wanted to win a bracelet, I did that. And the last thing on the list was to make the final nine of the Main Event and here I am.

So far he has certainly managed to achieve anything he has set on his agenda and we are sure there will be more occasions to congratulate him again in the future. But JC is also a family man, devoted husband and  father of two, and after every major win and particularly tough stretch of poker he has tried to make time for his wife and children. So we wish him a good and enjoyable break from the game!..