Danielle Moran took down an Empire State Hold'em Championships event nearly ten years ago here at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino, but she hasn't played much poker recently.
The lack of time on the felt, however, didn't slow her down as she was the run-away chip leader for much of Event #12: $400 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em, and after a tough back-and-forth battle with Kendra Trammel heads-up, she captured her first WSOP Circuit ring, the $10,839 first place prize, and a seat into the Tournament of Champions in May.
Moran just had a baby girl seven months ago while running her wedding photography business and taking care of her other three children. Her only other cash in the decade since her win was a 79th-place finish in the WSOPC New York Main Event in 2022. She hasn't played in the three years since.
"I feel great, shocked, and a little surprised," Moran told us immediately following the win. "I don't have a wedding that weekend, so maybe I can make my way out (to Los Angeles). I probably should."
Hometown heroes run deep
For Trammel, it was a bittersweet second-place finish. Starting from Event #1, she has been at nearly every finale in this series supporting her friends. Her presence at the final table created a larger-than-average rail around the heads-up match, giving the match a main event feel, as Moran also makes her home a stone's throw away.
Moran and Trammel came into the final table with nearly 60% of the chips in play and made quick work of the first part of the final table, sending the tournament to four-handed play after the eliminations of Sydney Padula, Katie Klass, Corie Singer, Jessica Kinsey, and Megan Chapman.
This left Trammel and Moran with nearly 80% of the chips in play before Lynn Burke left in fourth and Georgette Kirschenbaum hit the rail in third, leaving the two women heads-up and dead even in chips.
'I just want to bring the ring to school'
"Honestly, I haven't played poker in like three years; I was just excited to be here and part of it. Having all the people around made it even more exciting," Moran said of the final table dynamics and the rail. "I feel like (Kendra and myself) had to be aggressive and put people in positions where they had to make tough decisions."
She now turns her attention back to her wedding photography business, and after checking her schedule during her winner's interview, she might have an opening to head to Los Angeles, but first, her son gets to have a little show-and-tell at school.
"I want to say thanks to my husband Anthony for being here and my kids at home," Moran said to end the night. "My kids sent me a picture (during the final table) and asked how everything was going. My son said, "I don't care about the money; I just want to bring the ring to school." So, I guess he is going to wear the ring."
WSOPC Turning Stone $400 Ladies Event top ten results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danielle Moran | $10,839 |
| 2 | Kendra Trammel | $7,037 |
| 3 | Georgette Kirschenbaum | $4,715 |
| 4 | Lynn Burke | $3,264 |
| 5 | Megan Chapman | $2,337 |
| 6 | Jessica Kinsey | $1,733 |
| 7 | Jamie Crosby | $1,332 |
| 8 | Corie Singer | $1,063 |
| 9 | Katie Klass | $882 |
| 10 | Sydney Padula | $762 |
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