Another winner of an elusive LK Boutique championship ring will be crowned today at the poker room of the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne. Day 2 of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship A$2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Event #18 will see 24 out of the 125 entrants return to the tables and 50% of the hopefuls will go home empty-handed.
Only the top 12 spots get paid at least A$5,625 whereas Aussie Millions glory and a payday of A$74,545 await for the winner. Best-positioned for the spotlight at the end of the day is Tam Truong with massive 280,100 followed by Hun Wei Lee (204,000) and Ilias Sagias (178,100). Other notables of the Aussie-dominated field on Day 2 include Jarryd Godena (138,000), 2014 World Series of Poker Asia Pacific bracelet winner Sam Higgs (92,600), Konstantin Buecherl (85,900), Billy "The Croc" Argyros (51,800), Michael Guttman (28,100), Jens Lakemeier (25,000), Daniel Laidlaw (24,500) and Martin Kozlov (17,600).
The action resumes in one hour from now at 1 p.m. local time with level 11 at blinds 1,000-2,000 and all levels last 40 minutes each until the final table is reached. The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to provide all key hands until the last river card is dealt, so make sure to tune back in regularly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
.
turn and 
river completed a straight for Sagias and Truong bubbled.
and the trips seven tripled up Laidlaw's stack while Rubie was covered by Godena and sent to the rail.
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.
flop, Godena bet the pot with another 4,000 behind and Budin tanked before pushing his opponent all in.
turn and 
improved Argyros to two pair, but he then needed an eight or king once the 
for a flopped set of fours and Solomos only held the inferior 
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.
