Aussie Millions round up sees Brian Payne and Reza Vakili taking down side events, the $25k getting down to serious business, and the Main Event kicking of in earnest.
The Crown Casino in Melbourne has a more heavyweight feel about it as the A$25,000 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Challenge, and the A$10,600 Main Event, have seen cards and chips sliding across the table.
The A$25k event attracted 65-players – more than double the attendance in 2013 – and at the time of writing there are 8-players remaining in contention for the A$460,000 first-prize.
All eight of those players are guaranteed at least A$55,000 after an all-German clash saw Max Altergott sending the short-stacked Benny Spindler to the rail in 9th place.
The current chip leader is Jason Mercier with 504k but just look at this array of talented players.
1st. Jason Mercier – 504k
2nd. Max Altergott – 500k
3rd. Martin Jacobson – 492k
4th. Scott Seiver – 430k
5th. Tobias Reinkemeier – 376k
6th. Dan Shak – 376k
7th. Dan Smith – 334k
8th. Marvin Rettenmaier – 153k
Other notables who busted before the money was reached included Ole Schemion, Fabian Quoss, Daniel Negreanu, Sorel Mizzi, Joe Hachem, Tony Bloom and cricket legend Shane Warne.
David Malka Leads Day 1A of the Main Event
175-players turned up for the first of two starting flights in the most prestigious poker tournament held in the Southern Hemisphere, and the American David Malka tops the final 86-players with 205,400 chips.
Other notables through to the second day of action include Antonio Fazzolari (190,500), Edison Nguyen (133,900), Guillaume Rivet (125,000), Jake Balsiger (110,400), Tom Grigg (110,000), Casey Kastle (93,000), and last year’s runner-up Joseph Cabret (75,900).
Players who took a nosedive include Jackie Glazier, Liv Boeree, Igor Kurganov, Jeff Lisandro, and Matthew Ashton.
Brian Payne Takes Down Event #6
Brian Payne has taken the first prize in Event #6: A$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Accumulator. It was the Aussies biggest win of his career, and his second Aussie Millions side event final table, after finishing sixth in the A$1,650 NLHE Bounty Event back in 2010.
The field attracted 599 entrants and Liv Boeree continued her good run of form with a 13th place finish; the reigning Aussie Million champion Mervin Chan finished 18th.
Payne cut a three-way deal with Michael Kanaan (3rd) and Sam Khouiss (2nd) that saw Payne taking home the first prize of A$115,000.
Final Table Results
1st: Brian Payne – $115,000**
2nd: Sam Khouiss – $85,000**
3rd: Michael Kanaan – $75,000*
4th: Louis Salter – $41,400
5th: Shivan Abdine – $31,525
6th: Paul Sharbanee – $25,100
7th: Sam Vakili – $20,600
8th: Kevin Sharp – $16,100
9th: Andreas Lodemel – $13,400
* Denotes a three-handed deal
Reza Vakili Takes Down Event #6
Reza Vakili proves once again that blood is thicker than flops, turns and rivers, as he becomes the second Vakili to win an Aussie Millions championship ring after reigning supreme in Event #7: A$1,650 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) Bounties.
Vakili, who took $85,500 after beating Craig Duffy in heads up action, joins his brother as an Aussie Millions side event champion after his sibling Sam Vakili won the A$1,100 Pot- Limit Omaha (PLO) event in 2013.
Final Table Payouts
1st: Reza Vakili – $85,500
2nd: Craig Duffy – $57,500
3rd: Dean Blatt – $36,000
4th: Derek Wolters – $28,500
5th: John Tsagaris – $22,500
6th: Jordan Tentori – $18,000
7th: Christopher Colanari – $14,000
8th: Celina Lin – $10,500
