$1 Million Cash Game | 2009 Aussie Millions

01-25-2009 21:24 UTC+11

Signs of Life for Dwan

[user75032]

Despite his failure to get Hansen in the game, Tom Dwan is showing some progress in re-building his stack. Still playing PLO, he and Antonius took a raised flop of {A-Diamonds}

. We're guessing there were two raises preflop because Antonius fired out for $22,000. Dwan raised to $71,000. Antonius called after some thought.

Both players checked through the {2-Spades}

turn. Antonius checked again when the river fell {k-Spades}

. Dwan cut out four flags, four orange chips and two blues, making it $122,000 to see his cards. Antonius did not want to pay.

01-25-2009 21:36 UTC+11

Dwan Chopped Again

[user75032]

Once again Tom Dwan flopped the nut straight, this time in PLO. Once again Patrik Antonius turned a gutshot to the same straight. On a final board that read {9-Clubs}

, Dwan showed down {k-Spades}

and Antonius tabled {K-Clubs}

.

"I was in bad shape," Antonius acknowledged after the pot was chopped.

01-25-2009 21:58 UTC+11

Things are about to get much more interesting. Jamie Pickering, Andrew Robl, Phil Laak and Niki Jedlicka just rocked up to the table. They've drawn for seats as follows:

Seat 1: Pickering
Seat 2: Laak
Seat 3: Antonius
Seat 4: Jedlicka
Seat 5: Robl
Seat 6: Dwan

Each new player is in for AU$200,000. The blinds have been moved down to $500 and $1,000, with a $200 ante for hold'em only.

Even though Gus Hansen isn't in the game, Dwan ordered a vodka and cranberry anyway. Most of the guys out there seem very relaxed, except for Pickering. Maybe he just doesn't know the other players very well, but he hasn't said a word since he came onto the set.

01-25-2009 22:13 UTC+11

Phil Laak Wants You to Know He's Here

[user75032]

As you might expect from this crew, Phil Laak is dominating the table talk. After Niki Jedlicka raised Patrik Antonius from $6,000 to $22,500 on the flop and Antonius folded, Laak quipped, "That's how the young kids do it -- with complete air."

A few hands later, Laak raised and Tom Dwan called out of the big blind. "You never don't defend, do you?" Laak asked. "I just want to make sure I got the memo." He also has so far insisted on calling Dwan "kid" every time he has addressed Dwan.

They're playing hold'em right now. No notable hands yet.

01-25-2009 22:19 UTC+11

Laak Shtick

[user75032]

The game has switched to PLO.

"For those of you at home, you'll notice there's no ante," said Phil Laak, addressing the camera. "That's because PLO plays bigger than hold'em. Scientists will explain why at the break."

He then leaned back in his chair and said to the production staff, "Also can you stop doing that thing where you explain the rules of hold'em? It's not necessary. It's so painful." In the back, one of the staff said, "And that's where we cut to the rules."

Laak's already been out of his seat once to go put his head on Robl's shoulder. By the way, there's a poker game taking place at the table.

01-25-2009 22:24 UTC+11

Short Straw

[user75032]

Jamie Pickering has drawn the short straw at this table. He's in Seat 1, with empty space to his right and the never-ending chatter of Phil Laak to his left. Patrik Antonius, on the other side of Laak, can at least turn to Niki Jedlicka for a break from Laak's antics. Pickering has no such luxury. He looks pretty miserable right now and still hasn't said so much as a word to anyone at the table.

For his part, Laak seems to be ignoring Pickering. So, at least they're square on that point.

01-25-2009 22:30 UTC+11

Pickering Shows Up

[user75032]

Jamie Pickering may have decided to let his cards do the talking.

(Ok, ok, you can groan at that. It was pretty bad. But I can't compete with Phil Laak, who just asked the table, "How do you guys memorize all the cards you have?")

Still playing PLO, Pickering and Andrew Robl called a preflop raise to $3,500 from Patrik Antonius. All three checked the {5-Diamonds}

flop. The turn came {7-Spades}

. Action checked to Antonius. He made it $6,000 to go and was called only by Pickering. Both players checked the {Q-Diamonds}

river.

Pickering said his first word, "Straight," and showed {6-Hearts}

. Antonius mucked.

01-25-2009 22:41 UTC+11

Jedlicka Floats?

[user75032]

Hold'em:

Patrik Antonius raised to $4,200 during a rare moment of silence from Phil Laak. Niki Jedlicka was the only caller.

On a flop of {3-Clubs}

, Antonius continued for $8,000. Jedlicka called again, then took the pot away on the {5-Diamonds}

turn by betting $22,000 after Antonius checked.

Just to clarify an earlier point, Antonius and Dwan did not actually pull any money off the table when we went from heads-up play to six-handed. Patrik has AU$1.9 million in front of him; Dwan has about AU$600,000.

01-25-2009 22:48 UTC+11

Pickering Bets Strong

[user75032]

Hold'em:

Action folded to Tom Dwan on the button. He raised to $3,800, then called when Jamie Pickering reraised to $12,000 from the small blind.

On a flop of {J-Spades}

, Patrik Antonius grabbed two bananas; one for himself and one for Niki Jedlicka. They peeled the bananas and started eating them as Jamie Pickering bet $15,000. Antonius offered a banana to Andrew Robl as well but he declined.

"Three guys in a row eating bananas," said Robl. "Someone's gonna Photoshop it and put it on the internet. I don't want to be involved in that picure."

Unfortunately our photographer is downstairs in the Crown Poker Room, otherwise I would have made sure to get a snap and let 2+2 users run wild. I guess you'll just have to wait until the television broadcast to go Photoshop crazy.

Dwan folded his hand after the banana-eating was complete.

01-25-2009 22:59 UTC+11

Robl Ships It

[user75032]

PLO:

We had a raise and reraise preflop. Andrew Robl made it $9,500 to go from the button. He was called by Patrik Antonius and Niki Jedlicka.

The flop was big cards, {A-Hearts}

. Action checked to Robl, who made it $17,000 to go. Only Jedlicka called. Things slowed down considerably on the {7-Hearts}

turn, with Jedlicka taking more than a minute to check. Robl took his time as well before settling on a bet of $46,000. Jedlicka folded shortly thereafter.