2016 Aussie Millions Day 5: Down to 17 in the Opening Event; Giesbrecht Leads
The opening event of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Championship played into the money and down to the final two tables at Crown Entertainment Complex Complex in Melbourne, Australia, on Sunday.
The 126-player money bubble burst early in the day when chip leader Hon Cheong Lee made a straight on the river to crack Stephen Boots' top pair.
But Lee would not hang onto the lead, Aussie Daniel Neilson ran hot and took control at the midway point of the day before Lee handed the lead to Aditya Rao in a massive cooler with queens against kings.
Rao became the first player over and above 1 million in chips, but others would catch up. By the time they got down to three tables remaining, Kevin Blackwood, Louis Salter, and Phachara Wongwichit had all pushed over 1 million with Rao joining an ever growing group of players just below that mark.
While they got into the money today, big names like 2012 World Series of Poker November Niner Russell Thomas (106th - $3,245), two-time European Poker Tour main event finalist Xuan Liu (86th - $3,515), Australian Poker Hall of Fame Fame member Van Marcus (58th - $3,790), EPT Season 12 Malta winner Niall Farrell (26th - $6,495), and US television writer and producer Matt Salsberg (23rd - $7,575) could not manage a truly deep run.
Once 10 60-minute levels were through through, just 17 players remained with Canadian Sean Giesbrecht holding the chip lead.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Giesbrecht | Canada | 1,690,000 |
| 2 | Jacob Elmore Dahl | United States | 1,449,000 |
| 3 | Aditya Rao | Australia | 1,398,000 |
| 4 | Louis Salter | United Kingdom | 1,300,000 |
| 5 | Ferenc Riech | Germany | 1,001,000 |
| 6 | Kevin Blackwood | Australia | 935,000 |
| 7 | Sinan Aydogan | Australia | 906,000 |
| 8 | Matthew Wakeman | Australia | 706,000 |
| 9 | Stephen Koutsouvelis | Australia | 586,000 |
| 10 | Eric Thiessen | Belgium | 567,000 |
The entire group will come back to play down to a champion inside the Crown Poker Room beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Monday with a $275,300 first-place prize and a coveted Aussie Millions title hanging in the balance.
The Shot Clock Shootout Draws 126
Event #3: $1,150 No-Limit Hold'em Shot Clock Shootout of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship kicked off with 126 players over 14 tables, each playing down to a winner Sunday.
Those 14 winners will come back to play at two tables of seven on Monday beginning at 1 p.m. local time. They will combine for an eight-handed final table once four players remain at each.
All the players returning Monday will be guaranteed at least $2,580 with five-figure prizes awaiting the top four finishers and $34,870 and an exclusive Aussie Millions LK Boutique championship ring reserved for the winner.
The 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Continues
The 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship will continue on Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 with Day 3 of Event #1: $1,150 No-Limit Hold'em beginning at 1 p.m. local time with plans to play down to a winner.
The second and final day of Event #3: $1,150 No-Limit Hold'em Shot Clock Shootout will also go off at at 1 p.m. with the final 14 players playing at two tables. They will combine to a single final table once they're down to four remaining at each.
Sunday will also see the start of Event #4: $1,150 Pot-Limit Omaha at 12:10 p.m. and Event #5: No-Limit Hold'em Mix Max at 6:10 p.m. Both events are schedule for two days. days.
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