Welcome back to the 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event. What started with 668 players is now down to the final 109, with 72 of those slated to receive a portion of the AUD$6.68 million prize pool. That means 37 players will leave today empty handed while the others will guarantee themselves a minimum payday of AUD$15,000 and remain in contention for the AUD$1.6 million first-place prize.
Among those returning to action are the three big stack — Phillip Willcocks (510,600), Sorel Mizzi (507,100), and Gareth Dwyer (503,600). They'll be joined by the likes of Martin Rowe (463,900), Darren Rabinowitz (368,000), Antonio Esfandiari (349,800), Heinz Kamutzki (336,000), Julian Track (209,100); Mike Watson (149,200), Jarod Ludemann (91,500), Annette Obrestad (87,100), Marco Johnson (81,500), Paul Klann (64,400), Paul Newey (47,200); and Team PokerStars Pros Angel Guillen, Randy Lew, and Jonathan Duhamel.
The plan for the day is to play six more 90-minute levels, which should take us down to 30 players or so. Cards will be in the air in less than a half hour, so stick around for all the latest and greatest from Crown's Poker Room.
While you wait, check out this video of Kirsty Arnett, who paid Melbourne's famed Night Market a visit last night:
Jason Pritchard opened to 8,500, Sorel Mizzi put in a three-bet to 21,500, and Pritchard moved all in for 90,000. Mizzi called.
Pritchard:
Mizzi:
Mizzi's hand held up as the board ran out , and Pritchard was eliminated.
The very next hand Mizzi opened to 9,000 and called a three-bet of 21,000 from out of position. Mizzi check-called a bet of 32,000 on a flop of , then led out for 72,000 after the turned. The player called.
The completed the board, Mizzi bombed the river for 173,000, and the player folded.
You can still enjoy the chocolate, but no more headphones!
With 80 players remaining in the 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event, we are officially one table away from this money. From this point forward everybody's favorite rule the "First Card Off the Deck" rule comes into play, and headphones are no longer allowed.
After unknown preflop action, Jeff Rossiter, who is second on the all-time Australia money list, was all in and at risk against Khylon Hanegraaf.
Rossiter:
Hanegraaf:
Rossiter held a commanding lead, but the dealer spread , giving Hanegraaf a flush draw. The on the turn gave him three more outs to make a straight - all the two kings were dead because they would give Rossiter a full house - but Rossiter survived when the completed the board.
He doubled to 185,000 chips, while Hanegraaf fell to 170,000.
According to Daniel Neilson, he raised on the button and both Martin Rowe and Dean Schneider called out of the blinds.
Rowe and Schneider checked to Neilson who tossed out a continuation bet of 13,000 a flop. Rowe got out of the way and Schneider check-raised to 31,000. Neilson responded with a re-raise to 53,500, and Schneider called.
The dropped on the turn and both players checked.
On a blank river, Schneider checked only to have Neilson move all-in, having Schneider covered. Schneider made the call, only to see Neilson holding the nuts .
Neilson moves up to 430,000 in chips, while Schneider hits the rail.
"All in and a call Table 32," the dealer announced. We made our way over to discover PokerStars Team Online's Randy Lew at risk against Luisa Helps.
Lew:
Helps:
The look on Lew's face seemed to be one of resignation. Indeed, it was a bad spot Lew, who would need either a nine or some miracle cards to stay alive. The flop was as dry as could be, and that meant Lew needed one of the two nines. The turn wasn't what he was looking for, and neither was the .
Lew gave the table a nod, gathered his things, and then made his way toward the exit.
Luke Downes watches helplessly as the board fails to save him.
Despite doubling the hand before, Luke Downes has finished as the 2014 Aussie Millions bubble boy.
It happened when action folded to him on the button and he shoved for 23,000. The small blind folded, but Perth's Patrick Healy opted to look him up from the big.
Healy:
Downes:
Downes was behind, but he was drawing to two live cards. He actually found a pair on the flop, but as you can see Healy did too. The turn put out straight possibilities, but it wasn't in the cards for Downes as the blanked on the river.
A disappointed Downes made his way to the exit empty handed while the rest of the players erupted in applause in celebration of their guaranteed AUD$15,000 payday.
2011 November Niner Eoghan O'Dea opened to 12,000 after the bubble burst, and the action folded to Julian Track who moved all in for 80,500. O'Dea called.
O'Dea:
Track:
The Season 10 EPT Prague champion was drawing very live, and added a handful of outs when the dealer fanned . The on the turn was a brick, however, as was the on the river, and Track was eliminated.
O'Dea chipped up to around a quarter of a million chips.
On an adjacent table, Michael O'Grady busted as well.
Team PokerStars Pro Angel Guillen was just eliminated in 66th place by Erik Seidel. Seidel had raised and called from the cutoff seat after Guillen shoved from the big blind. Guillen had the , and Seidel had the .
The flop, turn, and river ran out , and Guillen was off to the payout desk.
Prior to the break, Jake Balsiger, Scott Seiver, Heinz Kamutzki, and Gareth Dwyer took a flop of . The action checked to Kamutzki, who tossed out 20,000, and only Dwyer called.
The turn was the , Kamutzki quickly fired out 55,000, and Dwyer quickly called.
A third diamond - the - completed the board, and Kamutzki checked for the first time. Dwyer announced a bet of 70,000, and Kamutzki looked at him quizzically.
Kamutzki asked him if he understood the situation at hand, and Dwyer grinned.
"I never understand," he answered. Dwyer then cited that he makes some mistakes on the felt.
"Is this a mistake?" Kamutzki asked.
"I'm about to see," Dwyer chuckled. "You're getting four-to-one."
Kamutzki finally called, and Dwyer tabled the winning hand - .
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and Pritchard was eliminated.
, then led out for 72,000 after the 
turned. The player called.
completed the board, Mizzi bombed the river for 173,000, and the player folded.
on the turn gave him three more outs to make a straight - all the two kings were dead because they would give Rossiter a full house - but Rossiter survived when the 
flop. Rowe got out of the way and Schneider check-raised to 31,000. Neilson responded with a re-raise to 53,500, and Schneider called.
flop was as dry as could be, and that meant Lew needed one of the two nines. The 
turn wasn't what he was looking for, and neither was the 
turn put out straight possibilities, but it wasn't in the cards for Downes as the 
.
, and Guillen was off to the payout desk.
- completed the board, and Kamutzki checked for the first time. Dwyer announced a bet of 70,000, and Kamutzki looked at him quizzically.
