Event two recap - 2017 Aussie Millions Poker Championship

James Chen Ships the 2017 Aussie Millions Event #2: $2,500 H.O.R.S.E.

Melbourne, Australia. Tuesday 17 January 2017. On the third day of the 2017 Aussie Millions Poker Championship, Taiwan’s James Chen won the first championship ring of the series, thanks to ANTON jewellery, taking down Event #2: $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. and walking away with the top prize of AUD$39,700 (USD$29,322) for his efforts.

The tournament attracted 49 players, representing a 26 percent increase from the 39 entrants that played this event the year before.

Chen entered the final day with double the chip stack of any other player and now has USD$619,330 in career tournament winnings according to The Hendon Mob, placing him in fifth place on the Taiwan All Time Money List. His biggest wins came in back-to-back years in the Macau Poker Cup High Roller Events. In 2015, he shipped the event’s top prize of HK$1,704,000 (USD$219,850). He took down the event again in 2016 for HK$2,273,000 (USD$293,044).

All players entering the final day of play were in the money after those making the seven-max final table decided to play out Day 2 until the bubble broke.

England’s Richard Ashby was the only player to thus far cash in the Aussie Millions from Europe Australia’s Dylan Honeyman, who entered the final day in fourth place, was the first to exit the tournament on Day 3 to bank AUD$7,710 (USD$5,694). Honeyman, who now has USD$548,715 in live tournament cashes, recorded his biggest career score during the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event after taking fifth place for AUD$340,000 (USD$238,023).

Fellow Aussie Jarrett Bullock, benefited from Honeyman’s early exit, as he entered the day last in chips. However, Bullock was unable to stretch things further as he bowed out in fifth place for AUD$8,825 (USD$6,518), his largest live poker tournament cash.

Another Aussie, Jarryd Godena, was unable to parlay his start of the day in second place into a podium finish in the tournament, finishing in fourth place for AUD$12,125 (USD$8,955). His cash also improved on his performance last year in this tournament when he bubbled it in sixth place. Godena’s cash in this year’s tournament brought him to $330,162, with AUD$121,070 (USD$85,846) coming during last year’s Aussie Millions when he won Event #21: $5,000 No Limit Holdem Six Max.

England’s Richard Ashby was the only player to thus far cash in the Aussie Millions from Europe. The Brit entered the final day in fifth place, however, was able to secure the third-place prize of AUD$16,535 (USD$12,212). Ashby was by far the most accomplished player on the final table with $2,325,031 in tournament winnings including shipping a World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2010 when he won the WSOP Event #20: $1,500 Seven Card Stud event for AUD$140,467.

Australia’s Rainer Quel entered the final day in third place in chips. While he was unable to catch up to Chen, he was able to secure his biggest live poker tournament cash after finishing in second place to collect the runner-up prize of AUD$25,355 (USD$18,727).