We already gave you a breakdown of Phuong "G4L" Tran's poker background in
Part 1 of her Player Spotlight. Now we are going to talk a bit about her basic strategies when it comes to her game, what her goals are for the immediate future, and why she loves playing at Commerce Casino over any other casino.
Tran has an exact system when it comes to playing tournaments. She always late registers for them, usually at the first break of the tournament. Even if she arrives at the casino before this, she will wait and put her money down late into the registration period. Her reasoning for this was simple.
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I like to late reg because if you come in too early the bad players like to limp in and see a ton of pots. This means that alot of times you can lose a ton of your stack if they crack one of your big hands. I also like it because it gives me two more hours of energy then most players, which can be crucial later on in events," Tran said.
Tran Heads Up for her Main Event Seat
When asked what she would recommend to players who are just starting out or are looking to improve their game, she provided a general answer that can be applied to virtually any poker table you play at.
"It's really important to adjust your game to the situation at the table. In general, I like to play tight in the first couple of hours and get a feel for my table. If I sense that the table is being super aggressive, I will play tighter and wait for good spots. If the table is tight, I will up my aggression and try to take more small pots."
She also recommended that players try not to take unnecessary risks, especially when the final table is a long ways away. She recalled one particular story on Day 3 of the LAPC Main Event a couple of years ago. Shannon Shorr was on the button, and he made a standard raise with pocket tens. Tran looked down at Ace-King of diamonds in the big blind, and reraised. Shorr moved all in, she called, and lost the flip to bust.
"At that time, I had about 40-50 big blinds, so I was deepstacked for Day 3 of a major tournament. Looking back on it now, I really didn't need to put myself at risk there, as I was likely flipping for my tournament life. I should have folded and left myself room to maneuver my stack rather than put it all on the line at that point in the tournament," Tran said of the hand.
Future Goals
Tran has big goals for her poker this year. She said that she has a really great feeling about this series, and will be playing as much as she can. But the big prize for her is this summer at the WSOP, where she will be playing more events than she ever has.
"Yeah I'm really excited for this summer. We have already booked travel and rooms and everything. I'm planning on playing at least one WSOP event a week, one of those $1,000 and $1,500 events. I have a good feeling about this summer."
A few more fun facts about Tran. She is a part time freelance web programmer, and says that the reason she is able to play poker and do this is because she can work from home with this job. Were she not playing poker, she would simply increase her work load in this venture.
Tran also said that she loves coming back to Commerce Casino to play because she loves the vibe of this place and the people who work here.
"It’s a nice casino, the tournaments are really well run, and we like the floor staff. Everyone is super friendly, and it makes for a more enjoyable experience," Tran said.
One thing is for certain. Phuong "G4L" Tran is a star in the making and someone you don't want at your table at the 2014 LAPC here at the Commerce Casino!
