J.C. Tranwas arguably the most successful poker pro in the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event when 37 players remained. Give him the third largest stack in the Amazon Room at 10.4 million and you have perhaps an unstoppable force down the stretch when picking up pots is vital to survival. He ultimately took fifth place for $2.1 million and, perhaps more importantly, welcomed a baby girl into the world right after the Main Event ended.

His full name is Justin Cuong Van Tran and he has been an absolute beast on the live poker tournament circuit since 2003. He won a bracelet in 2008 in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament in Las Vegas, scooping $631,000 and defeating a field of over 2,700 players. He also finished fifth in a $10,000 Limit Hold’em tournament the same year and raked in $128,000. His other bracelet came in 2009 in a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha contest.

In late 2007, Tran won a $5,000 preliminary event during the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic at the Bellagio for over a half-million dollars, defeating Godsmack rocker Sully Erna heads-up.

But wait, there’s more. Tran won a $3,000 No Limit Hold’em tournament during the Five Star World Poker Classic in mid-2007 for $272,000, two months after taking second in the World Poker Tour’s L.A. Poker Classic for $1.1 million.

According to the Hendon Mob, Tran had over $8.3 million in live tournament cashes heading into the 2013 Main Event and was #5 on the 2007 money list. On the all-time poker tournament money list, Tran impressively clocked in at #32.

Tran is one of the most feared players in all of poker and bumped Jack Amyx from the 2013 WSOP Main Event with aces against tens to trim the field to 36. Prior to that, he had dropped nearly 1.0 million in chips in a hand against WSOP Main Event winner and WPT Championship winner Carlos Mortensen.