A number of big names remain in the running for the 2013 Aussie Millions Main Event with Ray Ellis leading a field of 36 players after three days of action Down Under. Ellis, from Perth in Western Australia, is the only man or woman to have topped a million chips with his stack of 1,044,000 good to keep him ahead of second-placed Patrik Antonius (957,000), for the moment. Day two leader James Obst is still in contention in eighth spot with 660k chips and poker’s very-own Tiger Woods, Phil Ivey, is hanging in there on 399,000 chips.
Further down the list, Bodog-pro Jay Tan is well placed on 494,000 chips, and had a mixed day at the tables. She was unfamiliarly downbeat going into the final minutes of the day as she tweeted: “Not having a great day 3 everything’s gone wrong but It’s all good. 39 players left, stopping play at 36 #AussieMillions Ive dropped a lot”.
Jay is a fighter though and it wasn’t long until she was climbing back up the standings once again and boy was she relieved as she tweeted: “Just cracked patrik antonius’s aces w a flopped set 4 a much needed full double #luckbox #AussieMillions #thankgod #phew”. The late surge leaves her in 18th place and every chance of heading to the top of the board come Sunday night.
The 2013 Aussie Millions saw its another event get underway earlier with 15 players entering the two-day $250,000 Challenge that has in the past guaranteed at least AUD$2million for the winner. The entrants include Erik Seidel, Tony Bloom, Winfred Yu, Jason Mercier, Andrew Robl, Sam Trickett, Gus Hansen and Antonio Esfandiari with the 15 trying emulate last year’s winner Phil Ivey – who bagged a purse of AUD$2,500,000. Ivey is unlikely to be involved in this year’s event as he remains in the fight for a Main Event title and calls for the event to be reduced to one day were dismissed, with PokerNews writer Rich Ryan tweeting: “A source with @CrownPoker has said that the $250K schedule will not be altered to be a one-day event. Looks like no Ivey, PA, or Shak.”
On the other side of the world day 1A of France Poker Series (FPS) stop in Deauville is in the books with 98 of the 226 entrants making it to the second day of play. A familiar player leads the way with 2012 champion Ludovic Sultan in pole position on 170,000 chips. Fellow Frenchman Olivier Paris is second on 132,000 and is the only other player to have eclipsed the 100k-chip mark. Third belongs to Steven Moreau on 93,000 and the event is the precursor to the start of the EPT Deauville Main Event that starts on Sunday with day 1A.
Satellites for EPT Season 9’s stop in London got underway earlier this week with players looking to book their place in the tournament. The new-look stop takes place at a new venue – the city’s Landmark Hotel – and has a new date from March 6-16 as opposed to the usual one of October.
