Minh Nguyen wins Australian Poker Hall of Fame Event #14
Aussie Minh Nguyen took down the 2016 Aussie Millions Event #14 $1,150 Australian Poker Hall Of Fame Classic title at the Crown Entertainment Complex in the early morning hours on Tuesday.
Originally scheduled for two days, Nguyen took only one to defeat a 96 player field and earn the $24,950 first place prize and LK Boutique Aussie Millions Championship ring that came along with it.
Nguyen went wire-to-wire at the final table, starting out with the chip lead and only increasing it when he knocked out Robert Fenner tenth and Jack Salter ninth in just the first few hands.
Linh Tran came in second in chips, and made it a two horse race, busting the final Hall of Famer in the field eighth, collecting the $500 bounty on Gary Benson's head.
Tran also busted Ukranian Antonina Anapolska seventh picking up aces versus her jacks and while Nguyen busted short stack Michael Accardo sixth, Tran ran it twice with Roy Vandersluis and eventually busted him fifth.
Nguyen went back to work, taking care of Geoffrey Mooney fourth when he shoved a weak ace into his strong one, and the inevitable heads-up match between the two started after Tran ran kings into Tatjana Zizic's aces and turned a third king to bust her third.
Nguyen still held the lead when heads-up play started and he simply leaned on Tran until he was short and committed his stack on a bluff, handing Nguyen the title.
It took less than two dozen hands of heads up play and most of them went to Minh Nguyen. With sheer domination, he grabbed chip after chip off Linh Tran to send the latter in desperation mode. In a min-raised pot, the action had reached the river and Nguyen led for 27,000.
Tran moved all in and the dealer was asked for a count, the shove was for 117,000. Ultimately Nguyen called and Tran immediately tossed his bluff with to the middle of the table, Nguyen flipped over the winning . Tran takes home A$16,630 for his efforts whereas Nguyen received A$24,950 as well as the elusive LK Boutique championship ring.
From the button Geoffrey Mooney moved all in for his last 11 big blinds and Minh Nguyen glanced up from his massage and then slid forward a stack of T-5,000 chips for the call out of the big blind.
Mooney:
Nguyen:
The board ran out and the kicker played a crucial role to send Mooney on the way out in 4th place for A$9,240.
Minh Nguyen opened to 13,000 from the button and Michael Accardo gave it some thought before moving all in for 44,000 out of the big blind. Nguyen asked for a count and then put in a stack of T-5,000 chips.
Accardo:
Nguyen:
The flop put Accardo in more danger, as his small pocket pair could be counterfitted. Once the appeared on the turn, he was down to two outs only and the river sent him to the rail in 6th place for a payday of A$6,470.
After having previously doubled up to around 80,000, Antonina Anapolska moved all in from early position. Linh Tran asked for a count and then called the 76,000 chips with everyone else getting out of the way. Once she was called, Anapolska turned around before the showdown and simply let out an "oops."
Anapolska:
Tran:
There was no help on the board and Anapolska headed to the rail in 8th place for A$5,545.
The next player to hit the rail is Jack Salter. After a preflop raising war the Brit was all in and at risk holding the and chip leader Minh Nguyen looked him up with .
The flop provided a gutshot for Nguyen and he got there with the turn, however Salter still had a flush draw. The blank river was of no help and Salter was sent to the rail for a payday of A$3,695.
The first player to fall in the money was Robert Fenner. He got the stack of 41,500 chips in preflop with the and Minh Nguyen looked him up with the . The board ran out and that was it for Fenner.
river and Nguyen led for 27,000.
to the middle of the table, Nguyen flipped over the winning 
. Tran takes home A$16,630 for his efforts whereas Nguyen received A$24,950 as well as the elusive LK Boutique championship ring.
.
, Zizic was on the wrong end of this one. 
.
board to send the event four-handed.
put Accardo in more danger, as his small pocket pair could be counterfitted. Once the 
river sent him to the rail in 6th place for a payday of A$6,470.
and chip leader Minh Nguyen looked him up with 
.
provided a gutshot for Nguyen and he got there with the 
river was of no help and Salter was sent to the rail for a payday of A$3,695.
and that was it for Fenner.
