Event 4: $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha Day 1 | 2010 Aussie Millions

01-19-2010 12:08 UTC+11

Time For Some Pot Limit Omaha!

[user67765]

Welcome back to the Crown Poker Room in Melbourne for our continued live coverage of the 2010 Aussie Millions Poker Championships.

Today is Event #4 of the schedule which is the $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha event. Last year this event attracted 120 starters with Lee "Final Table" Nelson adding another Aussie Millions title to his impressive resume. We're expecting Nelson to be back to defend his crown, along with a host of talented locals and a sprinkling of International flavour.

Play is set to kick off at 12:30pm local time which is about 20 minutes from now. Stay tuned to PokerNews.com for all of your live updates from the tournament floor!

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/25

Ante: 0

01-19-2010 12:31 UTC+11

We're Underway!

[user67765]

The players are still filtering into the Crown Poker Room and quickly making their way to their seats as Event #4 of the 2010 Aussie Millions is underway!

01-19-2010 12:32 UTC+11

Second Chance Format

[user67765]

The format for today's event is known as a "second chance format". What this means is that players will receive half of their stack (3,000) at the start of the tournament and a "rebuy" card which can be used at any time in the first two levels to receive their remaining 3,000 in chips.

Some players may prefer to use their rebuy at the start of the tournament to kick off with a deep stack, while others may see it as an opportunity to gamble it up early in the knowledge that they have a second chance if things go awry!

01-19-2010 12:40 UTC+11

Who's Here?

[user67765]

On our first lap of the room we've spotted a few notables including Vanessa Selbst, Dani Stern, Annette Obrestad, Steve Topakas, Lee Nelson, Bruno Portaro, Daniel Neilson, Brendan Edmonds, Emad Tahtouh, Josh Field, Barny Boatman, Mel Judah, Michael Guttman, Leo Boxell and "Mr PLO" himself Eric Assadourian.

01-19-2010 12:49 UTC+11

Selbst Shoves Early; Rebuy Chip to the Rescue

[user72279]

We caught up with the action on a flop of {7-Hearts}

and Vanessa Selbst, a member of the DeucesCracked contingency here in Melbourne was all in for her first 3,000 against not only one, but two opponents. The cards on their back revealed Selbst was drawing thin against a higher two pair, and a higher flush draw.

Selbst: {q-Hearts}

Seat 1: {9-Spades}

Seat 3: {a-Hearts}

The turn was the {3-Hearts}

and the river was the {4-Hearts}

giving the player in seat 3 the nut flush for the win. He collected the 9,000 pot and also used his rebuy chip to give him him 12,000. Selbst and the gentleman in seat 2 both used their rebuy chip for another 3,000.

Tags: Vanessa Selbst

01-19-2010 12:52 UTC+11

Table of Death

[user67765]

One table in the center of the room has caught our eye as the table of death this afternoon. It includes Brian Hull, Barny Boatman, Dan Shak, Leo Boxell, Josh Field, Hai Bo Chu and the late arrival of the fast-talking Sam Khouiss!

01-19-2010 12:58 UTC+11

You Must Use Two Cards In Omaha...

[user67765]

To most of us mere mortals, an $1,100 price tag is a sizable amount to be spending on a poker tournament if you don't really know how to play the game. Despite this fact, we've just spotted an "interesting" hand that had us scratching our heads and looking into our wallets.

Two unknown players got their chips in on the turn on a board of {K-Spades}

.

One player one tabled {K-Hearts}

for just a pair of kings - not a particularly strong Omaha holding. However his opponent flipped over {6-Hearts}

and was pretty adamant that he held a straight, even after the {J-Spades}

fell harmlessly on the river.

You can only use two cards in Omaha sir, and after a brief argument with the dealer, the gentleman reached for his second chance rebuy card to try his luck again, much to the amusement of Annette Obrestad seated at the table.

01-19-2010 13:09 UTC+11

Portaro's Self-Imposed Penalty

[user67765]

Bruno Portaro takes matters into his own hands...

Bruno Portaro just wandered over to our blogging desk and our first reaction was "Are you out?"

Portaro replied, "Nah, I'm just on a self-imposed one orbit penalty..."

After we raised our eyebrows in confusion to that statement, Portaro went on to explain that he'd had a bit of luck and won plenty of chips in the early going to have his table a little rattled. He then folded out of turn twice, and since the dealer didn't punish Portaro for his mistake, Portaro decided to take matters into his own hands and banished himself from the table for one orbit!

A rather harsh ruling if you ask us!

Tags: Bruno Portaro

Level: 2

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0