Justin Cuong Van Tran

Justin Cuong Van Tran was born on January 20, 1977 in Vietnam, the youngest of eight children. When he was two years old, his family immigrated to the United States, settling in Sacramento, California. After graduating from high school, Tran studied Business Management Information Systems at California State University, Sacramento. During his college years, he was introduced to poker, initially playing in home games. He built his early bankroll playing the $9/$18 limit hold'em game at Capitol Casino in Sacramento, though he later noted that the game became too action-heavy to maintain a consistent edge.

Tran's first major live tournament cash came in 2004 at the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Poker Finals at Foxwoods, where he finished fifth for $353,850. That same year, he cashed in the WSOP Main Event (117th place). In 2005, he recorded a fifth-place finish in a $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the WSOP ($118,350) and a seventh-place finish in the WPT Borgata Poker Open ($199,820). He also made the televised final table bubble of the 2004 L.A. Poker Classic and 2005 Borgata Poker Open.

By 2006, Tran had solidified his reputation. He finished fifth in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic and, in October 2006, won the $2,600 Main Event of the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), collecting $670,194. This remains one of the largest online tournament wins of his career.

Tran has two WSOP bracelets. His first came on June 28, 2008 in Event #49: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, where he outlasted a field of 2,718 players to earn $631,170. He cashed in seven events that summer, amassing $896,392 in total WSOP winnings and finishing sixth in the 2008 WSOP Player of the Year race. His second bracelet arrived in June 2009 in Event #33: $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, good for $235,685.

The crowning WSOP moment came in 2013 when Tran entered the Main Event final table (the November Nine) as the chip leader with 38.6 million chips. He ultimately finished fifth for $2,106,893, the largest live cash of his career. In total, he has 46 WSOP money finishes, 11 final tables, and over $5 million in WSOP earnings according to official records.

Tran is a two-time WPT champion and was named WPT Player of the Year for Season V (2006–2007). His first WPT title came in March 2007 at the World Poker Challenge in Reno, winning $683,473. He also won the 2014 WPT Rolling Thunder at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, earning $302,750 and becoming the 20th player in history with multiple WPT main event victories. In total, he has 8 WPT final tables and 20 WPT money finishes, with career WPT earnings exceeding $4.4 million.

Other notable live results include a runner-up finish in the 2007 L.A. Poker Classic ($1,177,010), first place in the 2008 PartyPoker.com Premier League III ($300,000, beating Tony G heads-up), and victories in the 2003 Heavenly Hold'em ($74,150) and 2005 Rio Las Vegas Poker Festival ($97,470). He also won a WSOP Circuit event worth $251,920.

Beyond the WCOOP Main Event win, Tran has been a consistent presence in high-stakes online tournaments. His online alias is "JCV" or "Cuong." He has accumulated additional six-figure scores on platforms such as PokerStars and Full Tilt. Tran also regularly participates in high-stakes cash games, particularly in Southern California and Las Vegas, where his aggressive, balanced style is well-known.

Tran continues to compete at a high level. In 2024, he cashed in several WSOP events including a 42nd-place finish in the $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em ($9,718) and a 30th-place finish in the 2026 WSOP $5,000 6-Handed event ($30,292). In 2025, he finished fourth in the $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty for $88,865. He also remains active on the WPT circuit, with a 36th-place finish in the 2022 WPT Legends of Poker and a 20th-place in the 2025 WPT Rolling Thunder. As of June 2026, his live tournament earnings stand at $13,476,069 according to The Hendon Mob.

Tran is known for an aggressive, well-balanced approach that combines positional awareness with sharp post-flop play. He excels at bluff detection and pot control, often applying pressure with well-timed raises. His nickname "Just Call" Tran was originally ironic, reflecting his tendency to be aggressive rather than passive. Tran emphasizes patience and emotional control as keys to success. He is respected by peers for his adaptability across formats and his longevity at the highest levels of tournament poker. His legacy includes being one of the few players with both a WSOP bracelet and a WCOOP Main Event title, as well as a WPT Player of the Year award.