$1 Million Cash Game | 2009 Aussie Millions

01-25-2009 17:26 UTC+11

Game Change

[user75032]

Here's where it really gets fun. Dwan and Antonius are now playing pot-limit Omaha. I'd love to see how Fox produces this for television. One thing ESPN learned during the 2004 WSOP is that producing games other than hold'em for television is very, very difficult.

01-25-2009 17:36 UTC+11

Pot, Re-Pot

[user75032]

"Re-pot" hasn't worked out so well for Dwan so far. Twice he has re-potted to $18,000 from the big blind after Antonius potted to $6,000 from the button. Each time Dwan folded to a bet from Antonius on the flop.

Ten hands into PLO. Despite the reputation of the game as being for true degenerate gamblers, there hasn't been much PLO action so far. But we're only ten hands in.

01-25-2009 17:46 UTC+11

Inside the Studio

[user75032]

It's a different atmosphere in the back side of the studio today. Yesterday, there was an army of crew here doing all sorts of different tasks. Today there are fewer people, and several of them are standing just behind my desk, enraptured by the monitors. There really is something captivating about watching people play poker for these amounts of money.

A couple of times I've heard production staff ask if the players are playing two hands simultaneously, since each is being dealt four cards during the PLO round.

01-25-2009 17:54 UTC+11

Now We're Getting Somewhere

[user75032]

Antonius turned up the pressure on Dwan during the last two PLO hands. After Dwan checked, Antonius bet $76,000 on a board of {8-Diamonds}

. Dwan sighed and craned his neck before mucking.

The next hand was raised preflop to $6,000. Dwan check-called $12,000 on a flop of {K-Diamonds}

, then led into Antonius for $31,000 when the turn came {Q-Clubs}

. Antonius responded by raising pot, a total of $98,000 more to Dwan. He smiled, sighed and said, "Such a cool hand," before giving up the ghost.

They're back to hold'em. If the game were to end right now, Antonius would have the best of it by a couple hundred thousand.

01-25-2009 17:58 UTC+11

Dwan Picks Off a Bluff

[user75032]

The board was {9-Clubs}

. The flop checked through. On the turn, Dwan bet $12,000. Antonius raised him to $38,000. Dwan thought it over and ultimately fired a call into the pot. Antonius immediately shut down, checking behind after Dwan checked the river {9-Hearts}

. Dwan tabled {10-Spades}

for two pair, eights and nines. It was the winner.

01-25-2009 18:11 UTC+11

All Antonius

[user75032]

Every major pot so far has gone to Patrik Antonius. I wouldn't say he's running over Dwan but he definitely has the upper hand right now in terms of aggression.

With the game back to hold'em, Tom Dwan bet $68,000 on the river of a board that showed {6-Diamonds}

after the action checked through on the turn. It was a strange bet as there was only $40,000 in the pot.

Antonius, who is notoriously hard to read, just sat at the table without moving a muscle in his face, slowly blinking his eyes. After about a minute, he raised to $168,000. Dwan quickly mucked.

01-25-2009 18:17 UTC+11

Financial Inducements

[user75032]

Finally some table talk. Antonius and Dwan are discussing what it might take to get someone else to come play with them. Dwan suggested going down to one of the super high roller pits and offering people $20,000 to come play 100 hands. Antonius said maybe he should offer to backstop 20 percent of the losses of anyone who plays.

01-25-2009 18:33 UTC+11

The Offer is Out!

[user75032]

The two players have worked out the details of their offer. They've asked Crown management to go down to the baccarat room and offer players $25,000 to come play. Anyone who is interested must sit down with at least $250,000 and must play 100 hands in order to qualify for the $25,000 inducement.

01-25-2009 18:39 UTC+11

Huge Pot to Antonius

[user75032]

The game switched back to PLO a few hands ago. Like every other pot so far, the action was raised preflop. Dwan and Antonius checked through the {2-Hearts}

flop. On the turn {6-Spades}

, Antonius led out for $10,000. Dwan, his head bobbing like a hula-dancer toy on the dashboard of a New York City taxi, raised to $37,000.

Action was back to Antonius, and as I mentioned before, he was stock still. It's no surprise to anyone who's ever seen Antonius play on television, but it's really amazing to see it live. His foot wasn't even twitching. The only parts of his body that were moving were his eyelids, and I have to imagine that if Antonius could figure out a way to not blink without drying out his eyeballs, he'd do just that.

After some more thought, Antonius re-raised to $118,000. Dwan considered, then considered some more, and finally called to the river {3-Spades}

. Antonius led out for $146,000 and took down the pot when Dwan flipped his cards into the muck.

That one will definitely make the broadcast. Speculation as to their hands begins in the Shout Box in three... two... one...

01-25-2009 18:54 UTC+11

Break Time

[user75032]

Dwan needs to use the little boy's room, so the production staff have decided to take a ten-minute break. On one of the last hands before the break, Dwan made a Broadway straght -- the nuts -- on the river with {A-?}

. He checked to Antonius, who checked behind. Dwan showed a disappointed smile as he tabled his hand.

Counts coming.