The second and final day of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Event #18 saw 24 of 125 participants return to the poker room of the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne. Ultimately it was Joshua Budin who emerged victorious after cutting a heads-up deal with fellow Aussie Daniel Laidlaw to claim the elusive LK Boutique championship ring and a payday of AU$64,670.
Of the survivors, 50% had to leave empty-handed and among those to bust before the money were Jens Lakemeier, Michael Guttman, Konstantin Buecherl and Martin Kozlov. Start-of-the-day chip leader Tam Truong ended up as the bubble boy after getting his short stack in with pocket aces and the nut flush draw on a jack-high flop, Ilias Sagias called with the worse flush draw but made a runner-runner straight with queen-ten.
The top 12 was all Australian and Nicholas Polias, David Campbell, Michael Zowie and Buck Rabie departed before the final table of eight was set. Laidlaw started as one of the shortest stacks, but tripled up in the Rabie exit hand and suddenly took hold at the top of the counts.
2014 World Series of Poker Asia Pacific bracelet winner Sam Higgs fell in another three-way all in when his pocket nines were no good, while Billy Argyros spiked two pair with ace-queen and cracked Sagias' kings to more than double up. Sagias was the next on the rail after committing most of his stack with queen-high, Xen Xenofontos called with jacks and a wrap, ultimately completing a straight.
Jarryd Godena dominated the early stages of Day 2, but ultimately had to settle for sixth place. He three-bet the pot preflop and and jammed the flop with ace-high. Budin only had a pair of sevens, but they held up and he suddenly had more than 50% of the chips in play. Argyros then lost his stack to Laidlaw, with two pair on the flop falling after a Laidlaw made a set of jacks on the turn.
Nikolaos Solomos followed in fourth place after calling down three streets against Laidlaw's set of fours. Xenofontos followed in third place with a failed bluff attempt holding sixes, after Laidlaw flopped the flush and avoided runner-runner outs.
Laidlaw started heads up with a slight lead over Budin and grinded his opponent down to gain a 3-1 advantage. However, Bidun soon doubled up and they cut a deal, saving the championship ring and a small amount of cash to play for. The fireworks commenced and Bidun got there with a wrap against top two pair to claim the title.
Joshua Budin pulled away slightly further and then Daniel Laidlaw raised to 60,000, Budin three-bet the pot to 180,000. Laidlaw made the call and the two of them saw the flop of . Budin continued for 360,000 and Laidlaw moved all in to receive a call for the vast majority of chips in play.
Laidlaw:
Budin:
The on the turn was the dream card for Budin and neither a jack, ten or eight showed up on the river, instead the river blanked. Laidlaw was covered and eliminated in 2nd place for AU$60,500 while Budin takes home AU$64,670 according to the deal.
Xen Xenofontos raised from the button and both opponents came along to generate a pot of 192,000 to the flop . Joshua Budin in the small blind and Daniel Laidlaw in the big blind checked and Xenofontos then moved all in for around 100,000. Budin folded and Laidlaw snap-called.
Xenofontos:
Laidlaw:
The turn and river changed nothing whatsoever and Xenofontos was sent to the rail in third place for AU$33,750. The remaining two players took a short break to calculate some possible deal numbers.
In a limped pot, Daniel Laidlaw fired three streets on the board and Nikolaos Solomos called him down until he was all in after the river. Laidlaw showed the for a flopped set of fours and Solomos only held the inferior .
Solomos has been eliminated in fourth place for a payday of AU$26,715.
After a limp, Billy Argyros raised the pot and Daniel Laidlaw repotted to put Argyros all in and at risk of elimination.
Argyros:
Laidlaw:
The flop improved Argyros to two pair, but he then needed an eight or king once the fell on the turn. It was all over after the river and Argyros headed to the rail in 5th place.
Jarryd Godena dominated the early stages of the day and ran pretty bad on the bubble. Just now, he got involved in a pot and repot hand from the small blind and Joshua Budin called from the button to create a massive pot of 180,000 chips before the flop.
On the flop, Godena bet the pot with another 4,000 behind and Budin tanked before pushing his opponent all in.
Godena: for ace-high
Budin: for a pair of sevens
The turn and river both blanked to award one of the biggest pots of the tournament so far with just a pair of sevens. Godena headed to the rail in 6th place for a payday of AU$18,280.
Ilias Sagias raised from early position to 35,000 and had very little chips behind. Xen Xenofontos called and they headed to the flop . Sagias got the rest of it in and was drawing very thin.
Sagias:
Xenofontos:
The turn gave some hope with a straight deaw, but Xenofontos completed his straight instead with the river. Sagias was sent to the rail in 7th place for a payday of AU$15,465.
Sam Higgs moved all in for 27,000 and demanded from his opponents "don't be shy, there is no shame in calling," with a big grin on the face. Billy Argyros moved all in as well for 68,000 and from one seat over, Ilias Sagias isolated to create a three-way all in.
Higgs:
Argyros:
Sagias:
The board ran out and Argyros more than doubled up, busting Higgs in 8th place as a result.
It was a raising war with several pot-sized bets saw two players all in and Jarryd Godena with the biggest stack of the trio looking them up, Daniel Laidlaw was the shortest stack with 137,000 chips.
Laidlaw:
Rabie:
Godena:
The board ran out and the trips seven tripled up Laidlaw's stack while Rubie was covered by Godena and sent to the rail.
The start-of-the-day chip leader is the bubble boy of the event! Short, Tam Truong raised to 21,000 with 20,000 behind and Ilias Sagias called on the button and the flop came .
Truong shoved and was called. "You got the spades as well?" Sagias asked and then sighed as his concern was confirmed.
Truong:
Sagias:
The turn and river completed a straight for Sagias and Truong bubbled.
. Budin continued for 360,000 and Laidlaw moved all in to receive a call for the vast majority of chips in play.
on the turn was the dream card for Budin and neither a jack, ten or eight showed up on the river, instead the 
river blanked. Laidlaw was covered and eliminated in 2nd place for AU$60,500 while Budin takes home AU$64,670 according to the deal.
. Joshua Budin in the small blind and Daniel Laidlaw in the big blind checked and Xenofontos then moved all in for around 100,000. Budin folded and Laidlaw snap-called.
river changed nothing whatsoever and Xenofontos was sent to the rail in third place for AU$33,750. The remaining two players took a short break to calculate some possible deal numbers.
and Nikolaos Solomos called him down until he was all in after the river. Laidlaw showed the 
for a flopped set of fours and Solomos only held the inferior 
improved Argyros to two pair, but he then needed an eight or king once the 
river and Argyros headed to the rail in 5th place.
for ace-high
for a pair of sevens
. Sagias got the rest of it in and was drawing very thin.
turn gave some hope with a straight deaw, but Xenofontos completed his straight instead with the 
river. Sagias was sent to the rail in 7th place for a payday of AU$15,465.
