Addamo wins Aussie Millions Main Event, Stephen Chidwick series champion

After seven events, the winner of the Australian Poker Open Championship is known and it is British poker legend Stephen Chidwick. The final event, the Australian Poker Open $100,000-entry Main Event was won by Michael Addamo for a massive $1,318,000. But the points gained by Stephen Chidwick saw him reach the promised land, overtaking Hungarian player Andras Nemeth and winning the Championship overall, cashing for over a million Australian dollars in total, including the $50,000 bonus prize for topping the leaderboard.

The final day of the Australian Poker Open’s Main Event began with a money bubble upon which hung the overall Championship title. Chidwick needed to finish in the top four to make the money and more importantly the points to become champion. He did so after an agonising hour of play for those with short stacks, but a thrilling one for fans tuning into PokerGO for the coverage.

It would be Australia’s own crusher, Kahle Burns, who busted in fifth place to hand Chidwick the APO Championship title and that $50,000 top prize.

Burns moved all-in with pocket kings and was called by the original raiser in the hand, Michael Addamo, who held queen-eight of spades. The flop saw two eights land and no help for Burns on the turn and river meant that the field was at four and the money bubble burst, Burns off into the afternoon shaking his head in disbelief, Chidwick declared Champion in the same breathless moment.

It would be Chidwick who left next, as, short-stacked, the Brit moved all-in with ace-king only to be called and eliminated by Aaron Van Blarcum, who sent Chidwick home with pocket sixes that held.

With three players left, the GPI Player of the Year Alex Foxen would miss out on the final duel, his shove with king-queen of clubs, the all-in player again called by Van Blarcum, who had ace-four of spades.

While Van Blarcum had forced himself back into the reckoning, Addamo held the chip lead and never relinquished it, eventually turning a flush when committed on the flop against Van Blarcum’s middle pair.

Addamo, who is in contention to win the title of Toughest Opponent in the Global Poker Awards’ glittering awards ceremony in a month’s time against Chidwick, told Poker Central after the event of the fun he had in winning the Main Event on home territory.

“That’s what you want to be as a poker player, [to be] the most feared player,” he said, “This week was fantastic. It was my first time in the poker room here. The staff are fantastic and I had a great time.”

Stephen Chidwick was clearly delighted to have secured the overall Championship.

“It feels great,” he told reporters, “I would love to complete the collection and get the whole set!”

Having already won the U.S. Poker Open title, and finished as runner-up at the inaugural British Poker Open in October, who would rule it out?

Australian Poker Championship Event #7 Main Event results:

After seven thrilling events, Stephen Chidwick’s 16th final table appearance in 35 Poker Open events has given him the Australian Poker Open Series Championship title. Just 20 points separated Britain’s most successful player from Hungary’s Andras Nemeth.

Australian Poker Open Series Championship results: