Mohammed Afiouni Wins $1,150 NL/PLO for AU$35,985
Mohammed Afiouni took down the 2016 Aussie Millions Event #15: $1,150 No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha title inside the Crown Poker Room Wednesday evening.
Afiouni collected $35,985 in prize money for the win, along with an exclusive LK Boutique Aussie Millions championship ring.
The second day of this two-day event started with 15 players remaining from a field of 135 and 2005 World Series of Poker Main Even champ Joe Hachem's son Daniel Hachem holding the chip lead.
Within the first hour they were down to a final table of nine and it wasn't long before Michael Seymour busted to Afiouni to place ninth. Gavin Eke lost a classic race to Doug Corning to bow out eighth and Dominik Nitsche got his queens cracked by Linh Tran's jacks to end his run seventh.
Tran had the lead after he busted last woman standing Pallas Aidinian in sixth, but Afiouni soon took over with a series of aggressive plays that left the rest of the table on thier heels. Five handed play last for some time before Frank Pezzaniti shipped his stack over to Corning and Tran busted fourth a few hands after losing a massive Pot Limit Omaha pot in set-over-set fashion to Afiouni.
Afiouni had a big lead when three-handed play began and despite the fact Hachem took care of Corning third, he still managed to take a 2:1 lead into heads-up play.
With news that Hachem's son had made it to heads-up spreading around the Crown Poker Room fast, the rail filled up with supporters, including the face of Australian poker himself: Joe Hachem.
The younger Hachem managed to grind his way into the lead, but when his big slick fell to Afiouni's nines in a massive confrontation, he was left with little more than a chip and a chair.
In the end, the deficit proved too much and local grinder Mohammed Afiouni beat Hachem to win his first Aussie Millions title.