WSOP Update: 3:30 PM PSTIt is down to 27 from the initial 6331 who entered this year's WSOP (World Series of Poker) as we head into mid afternoon Las Vegas time. Through Tuesday's finale, all WSOP updates can be found here and of course by visiting the front page of Gambling911.com.
As a testament to this year's WSOP, a virtual unknown - Lee Childs - leads in chip count. He's already guaranteed winnings that are enough to sustain most households for an entire year (three months after taxes are taken out).
David Tran was the most successful tournament poker player to date ahead of other significant circuit players.
David Tran has been playing poker for about 10 years, just about all his adult life, according to PokerPages.com, one of many significant website enterprises covering this year's World Series of Poker.
He is mostly a cash-game player, preferring $100-$200 limit hold’em.
While he hasn’t played that many tournaments, he still has had numerous cashes, including a win at Heavenly Hold’em, a second in the Holiday Bonus tournament, and another second at the WSOP Circuit tour at the Rio last year.
He describes his style of play as careful. “Make that scared,” PokerPages amends.
Tran is the Man: But Which One?
It is another Tran that has the poker world's attention Sunday afternoon, however.
Kenny Tran has won nearly 600,000 lifetime in tournament play and that was more than any other player among the top 10 chip leaders.
PokerListings.com asked Kenny why his game has gotten so good this summer.
"Well I don't play a lot of tournaments and I'm mostly a No-Limit cash game player. This is only my fifth tournament this summer but when there is big money involved I give 110%."
Tran, like many professional players, suggests that too many "bad players" really has its effect early on in the WSOP.
"I think the reason there is a lot of dead money is because the blinds go up so fast. I don't think they are constructive for good players. Even at this (early) point in the tournament you can see the blinds moving up fast."
Kenny Tran survived that "bad play" however and has managed to make the top 25 with a legitimate shot at winning the 2007 title.
Kenny was actually a relative unknown until this summer where he won $400,000 in the World Championship H.O.R.S.E. (Event 39). Kassam (Freddy) Deeb took home the $2.3 mil prize.
These were your chip leaders heading into the 4 pm PST hour Sunday:
Lee Childs 11,310,000
William Spadea 10,000,000
Philip Hilm 9,340,000
Ray Henson 9,000,000
Scott Freeman 7,500,000
David Tran 7,300,000
Hevad "Rain" Khan 6,600,000
Kenny Tran 6,500,000
Tuan Lam 6,300,000
John Armbrust 5,125,000
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Ace King, Gambling911.com
Originally published July 15, 2007 6:51 pm ET
