Five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Jeff Lisandro silently tossed forward a red T500 chip from early position, intending to raise. Since he didn't announce "raise" it was deemed a call, but the players, including one gentleman in the big blind, considered it a raise.
"Check or raise," the dealer asked the player in the big blind.
The player must not have heard the dealer, pulled back his big blind, and put out a T500 chip. The dealer announced that this was a raise, confusing everyone, and Lisandro eventually re-raised to 1,400. The player in the big blind called.
The flop fell , both players checked, and the turn was the . The player in the big blind checked, Lisandro tossed out 5,000, and the player folded.
After a bit of preflop action, a local player was all in and at risk with against Amir Minagar's . The flop fell , giving Minagar a pair of kings and his opponent an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the , giving the player a few extra outs, and the bricked off on the river.
Minagar has won a few big pots to kick off Day 1a, and sits with around 75,000 chips.
Poker is a game of patience, and that's something Joseph Cabret knows all too well. In last year's Aussie Millions Main Event, Cabret navigated the 629-player field to make it down to the final table. It was there that he squared off against some stiff competition that included Jay Tan, [Removed:17], Dan Shak, and Patrik Antonius.
Cabret began that final table fifth in chips, but he played a patient game and eventually found himself heads up against Mervin Chan. Cabret was unable to seal the deal, but he still took home AU$1,000,000 for his runner-up finish.
Cabret is in today's field, and we decided to spend an orbit with last year's runner-up.
Hand #1 (Button): Cabret began the orbit with 25,000. The player in the cutoff opened for 625 and Cabret quickly folded the button.
Hand #2 (Cutoff): The under-the-gun player opened for 450, the hijack called, and Cabret released from the cutoff.
Hand #3 (Hijack): Action folded to Cabret and he does the same.
Hand #4 (UTG+1): The under-the-gun player folded and Cabret followed suit.
Hand #5 (Under the Gun): Cabret was first to act and folded.
Hand #6 (Big Blind): One by one the players folded to Cabret and he received a rare walk.
Hand #7 (Small Blind): The hijack opened for 500 and Cabret folded when action reached him.
It was a lackluster orbit to say the least, but remember, poker is all about patience. Clearly Cabret has some.
The 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event has teamed up with the PokerStars.net Asia-Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and expectations are high. While today marks only Day 1a of the Main Event, let's take a look at the previous seven years in terms of field size, the tournament winner, and the first-place prize money awarded:
Year
Entries
Winner
First Prize (AU$)
2007
747
Gus Hansen
$1,500,000
2008
780
Alexander Kostritsyn
$1,650,000
2009
681
Stewart Scott
$2,000,000
2010
746
Tyron Krost
$2,000,000
2011
721
David Gorr
$2,000,000
2012
659
Oliver Speidel
$1,600,000
2013
629
Mervin Chan
$1,600,000
Russian Alexander Kostritsyn won the largest Aussie Millions Main Event in 2008 after conquering a field of 780 runners to win the top prize of AU$1,650,000, but it was the following year, 2008, that would see the largest first-place prize given out when Stewart Scott walked away with the top prize of AU$2,000,000. First place remained at AU$2,000,000 the following two years after that before it dropped back down to AU$1,600,000 in 2012 and 2013. Mervin Chan was also awarded a car as part of his prize last year when he won the event.
Teaming up with PokerStars.net and the APPT does have expectations high for the Main Event, as rumor has it that over 100 more qualifiers will be in the field. If you simply add those qualifiers to last year's number, it puts the field back over 700, but only time will tell as to how many entries are actually generated. If we were going to place a bet, though, we'd be betting on the fact that the decline in numbers flips this year and things end up back on the rise.
On the flop, Jackie Glazier had called an opponent's all-in shove with the for top two pair. Her opponent, who was at risk for 12,500 total, held the .
The turn was the , and that left Glazier needing to dodge just one more card, but she couldn't do it when the fell to counterfeit her hand. Her opponent doubled up, while Glazier slipped back to 32,000 in chips.
Amir Minagar opened to 450 from under the gun, and received one caller on his direct left and another in the big blind. The flop came , Minagar fired out a continuation-bet of 800, and only the player on his direct called.
The turn was the , Minagar bet another 2,200, and the player tanked for nearly two minutes before calling.
Both players checked after the completed the board, and Minagar showed for a flopped set of fives. His opponent mucked.
Two days ago, Sam Higgs topped a field of 213 players to win Event #5: $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha here at the 2014 Aussie Millions. Higgs defeated a tough final table that included Gary Benson (8th - $6,930), Anthony Hachem (7th - $9,590), and Jarred Graham (5th - $15,980). The final table also included Slade Fisher, who was making his second final table of the 2014 Aussie Millions.
Higgs and Slade actually battled in heads-up play, and in what would be the final hand, Fisher raised to 60,000 at the 12,000/24,000 level, Higgs called, and the flop came down . Higgs bet the pot and then called when Fisher moved all in for approximately 300,000.
Higgs:
Fisher:
Fisher was ahead with his aces, but Higgs held a pair of nines and a flush draw. The turn was of no consequence, but the river was. Higgs made his flush, and just like that he captured his first Aussie Millions gold ring.
Higgs is in today's Main Event and looking for more gold. In a recent hand, the player in the cutoff opened for 525 and then called when Higgs three-bet to 1,625 from the small blind. When the flop came down , Higgs aggressively fired out 1,700 and his opponent insta-mucked. Higgs then flashed for top set.
Oliver Gill opened to 500 on the button, a player in the small blind three-bet to 1,200, and Gill called. The flop fell , Gill called a bet of 1,200, and the turn was a third diamond - the .
The player led out for 3,000, Gill called, and the completed the board. The player moved all in, and Gill laughed before folding a set - - face up.
The player showed for a bluff.
Despite losing the hand, Gill is still up from the starting stack.
Team PokerStars Pro Liv Boeree just played the last two hands at her table before the break. On the first hand, Boeree was involved in a four-bet pot where her and her opponent each put in 3,300 preflop. The flop came down , and a bet of 4,500 was fired into Boeree. She folded and was on to the next hand.
On that next hand, action folded to Boeree in the cutoff seat. She opened with a raise to 450, and Amir Minagar called out of the big blind. The flop came down , and both Minagar and Boeree checked.
The turn was the , and Minagar checked. Boeree bet 600, and Minagar made the call to see the pair the board on the river. After Minagar checked again, Boeree bet 5,200 with one T,500 yellow chip and two T100 black chips. Minagar quickly folded, and Boeree then realized her mistake — she had mistaken the yellow T5,000 chip for a T1,000 chip (which are blue) and meant to bet 1,200.
Action folded to the player in the cutoff seat, and she raised to 600. Raymond Rahme was in the small blind with a dead big blind, and he reraised to 1,600. The cutoff seat called.
The flop was checked by both players after the fell. Then, the added a fourth diamond to the board on the turn and Rahme moved all in for 4,400. His opponent folded, and Rahme earned back some chips.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, both players checked, and the turn was the 
. The player in the big blind checked, Lisandro tossed out 5,000, and the player folded.
.
against Amir Minagar's 
. The flop fell 
, giving Minagar a pair of kings and his opponent an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the 
, giving the player a few extra outs, and the 
bricked off on the river.
flop, Jackie Glazier had called an opponent's all-in shove with the 
for top two pair. Her opponent, who was at risk for 12,500 total, held the 
fell to counterfeit her hand. Her opponent doubled up, while Glazier slipped back to 32,000 in chips.
, Minagar fired out a continuation-bet of 800, and only the player on his direct called.
for a flopped set of fives. His opponent mucked.
. Higgs bet the pot and then called when Fisher moved all in for approximately 300,000.
turn was of no consequence, but the 
, Gill called a bet of 1,200, and the turn was a third diamond - the 
for a bluff.
, and a bet of 4,500 was fired into Boeree. She folded and was on to the next hand.
, and both Minagar and Boeree checked.
fell. Then, the 
