Event #11: $10,600 Main Event
Day 4 Completed
2016 Aussie Millions
Event #11: $10,600 Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
10,000 AUD
Prize Pool
7,320,000 AUD
Entries
732
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
0
Ari Engel and Tony Dunst Headline Aussie Millions Main Event Final Table
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
The 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event has reached its final table. Returning on Sunday, Jan. 31, are Ari Engel, Tony Dunst, Samantha Abernathy, Alexander Lynskey, Kitty Kuo, John Apostolidis, and Dylan Honeyman to battle for the Southern Hemisphere's most prestigious poker prize and the life-changing $1.6 million payday that comes with it.
Leading the final seven was Engel after he bagged up 8.155 million in chips, and the remaining competitors are all guaranteed a cool $210,000.
Along with his chip lead, Engel brings a tough poker résumé to the finale that includes career live tournament earnings in excess of $2.24 million. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Engel spends his days traveling the tournament circuit chasing poker glory. He did live in Melbourne for eight years when he was younger, so winning this title would be extra sweet for the player who has plenty of friends and family nearby.
Only six people stand between Engel and the most remarkable win of his career, but those six will provide quite the competition, led by Tony Dunst and his second-place stack of 5.99 million. Like Engel, Dunst spent time living in Australia and will share a similarly heightened feeling of fulfillment should he go on to victory.
The most interesting part of Dunst's run was that it almost never happened. Prior to buying in, Dunst had lost one of the two $5,000 chips that he was going to buy in with. Angered with himself and plenty flustered, the American World Poker Tour host was ready to up and leave Melbourne altogether, but friends talked him back into playing, and now he has reached the final stage in an epic turnaround of fortune.
Along with the stories of Engel and Dunst, we would be remiss if we didn't mention that two women are still alive in the event as well. In the modern era of the Aussie Millions when the event's buy-in was raised to $10,000, only three prior times did a woman reach the final table — Kirsty Gazes in 2007, Annette Obrestad in 2010, and Jay Tan in 2013. Each of them finished in seventh place, which means that with Samantha Abernathy and Kitty Kuo both making the final table, the event is guaranteed its best female finisher ever.
Honeyman, who was one of three Australians to reach the final table, finished with the shortest stack heading into the final table with 885,000 in chips.
With so much at stake in the event, a much deserved day off will allow the players to rest their tensions and focus on what's to come, but that doesn't mean there won't be plenty of exciting poker action filling Crown Poker Room. Remember, the $100,000 Challenge final table will be taking place on Saturday, as Ben Tollerene heads up the pack containing Connor Drinan, Jason Mercier, Fabian Quoss, Sam Greenwood, and Fedor Holz looking to capture the event's $1.446 million top score.
Final Table Chip Counts and Seat Draw (full)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Honeyman | Australia | 885,000 |
| 2 | Alexander Lynskey | Australia | 2,390,000 |
| 3 | Tony Dunst | United States | 5,990,000 |
| 4 | Samantha Abernathy | United States | 2,485,000 |
| 5 | Ari Engel | Canada | 8,155,000 |
| 6 | Kitty Kuo | Taiwan | 1,005,000 |
| 7 | John Apostolidis | Australia | 960,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,155,000 | 1,795,000 |
|
5,990,000 | 380,000 |
|
2,485,000 | 10,000 |
|
2,390,000 | -65,000 |
|
1,005,000 | -550,000 |
|
960,000 | -240,000 |
|
885,000 | -40,000 |
KC Wong Eliminated in 8th Place (AU$160,000)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
It was a long final table bubble, but it just burst with the elimination of KC Wong.
It happened when Wong raised to 105,000 under the gun and action folded to Ari Engel in the big blind. He put his big stack to use by moving all in, and Wong snap-called off.
Engel: 
Wong: 
It was a classic flip, but not after the 
flop paired Engel. Neither the 
turn nor 
river helped Wong, and he was eliminated in eighth place for AU$160,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Wong Doubles Through Engel
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Ari Engel raised the button to 115,000 and KC Wong shoved for 575,000 from the small blind. The big blind quickly released and Ari Engel went into the tank. He thought about it for about 2 minutes and eventually made the call.
KC Wong: 
Ari Engel: 
With the 
in the window it looked like it was going to be all over for Wong for a second. Fortunately for him the 
and followed. The 
on the turn gave Engel a live flush draw but it didn't materialize with the 
on the river. Double up for Wong.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,360,000 | -575,000 |
|
|
1,220,000 | 645,000 |
Wong vs. Apostolidis in a Classic Flip
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
John Apostolidis limped from the button and Ari Engel did the same from the small blind. KC Wong then three-bet all in from the big and Apostolidis snap-called off for 575,000 total. Engel folded.
Apostolidis: 
Wong: 
Apostolidis was the player at risk and he was looking for his queens to hold. That's just what happened after the board ran out a lowly 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,200,000 | 625,000 |
|
|
575,000 | -675,000 |
Play is Underway
Level 26
: 250,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Play is underway again. Since the tournament is still on the final table bubble, and play is hand for hand, the level has not gone up. Another level of 25,000/50,000 with a 5,000 ante.
Level: 26
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 5,000
Updated Chip Counts
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,935,000 | 385,000 |
|
|
5,610,000 | 95,000 |
|
|
2,475,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
2,455,000 | -45,000 |
|
|
1,555,000 | -175,000 |
|
|
1,250,000 | -365,000 |
|
|
925,000 | -40,000 |
|
|
850,000 | -140,000 |
Remko Report Episode #31: Tony Dunst Talks About His Path in Poker
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
World Poker Tour Raw Deal analyst Tony Dunst joins Remko Rinkema to talk about his path in poker, the importance of having good friends in the game, working for the WPT, and much more.
You can subscribe to the entire PokerNews Podcast Network on iTunes here, or you can access the RSS feed here. The PokerNews family of podcasts is now available on Stitcher.