$100,000 Challenge
Day 1 Started
2018 Aussie Millions
$100,000 Challenge
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
100,000 AUD
Entries
19
Level
16
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
5,000
Welcome to Day 1 of 2018 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge
Now in its 13th year, the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge has handed out just over A$38m in prize money to some of the best players in the world, and the 2018 edition gets underway at 2:15pm local time here in Melbourne.
The tournament has been won by some of the biggest names in world poker. Inaugural winner John Juanda has garnered quite the poker resume since 2006, with the 2008 WSOPE and EPT 12 Barcelona among the highlights. Sam Trickett followed up his 2011 win by finishing runner-up in the $250,000 Challenge the same year, and winning it two years later.
Last year Nick Petrangelo took home the title after beating small field, densely packed with some of the greatest poker players in the world. Petrangelo beat Mike Watson and Fedor Holz into second and third respectively, and it will be interesting to see if any of these players will take to the felt this year.
| Year | Winner | Prize | Entries | Total Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | John Juanda | A$ 1,000,000 | 10 | A$ 1,000,000 |
| 2007 | Erick Lindgren | A$ 1,000,000 | 18 | A$ 1,800,000 |
| 2008 | Howard Lederer | A$ 1,250,000 | 25 | A$ 2,500,000 |
| 2009 | David Steicke | A$ 1,200,000 | 23 | A$ 2,300,000 |
| 2010 | Daniel Shak | A$ 1,200,000 | 24 | A$ 2,400,000 |
| 2011 | Sam Trickett | A$ 1,525,000 | 38 | A$ 3,800,000 |
| 2012 | Dan Smith | A$ 1,012,000 | 22 | A$ 2,200,000 |
| 2013 | Andrew Robl | A$ 1,000,000 | 22 | A$ 2,200,000 |
| 2014 | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | A$ 2,000,000 | 47 | A$ 7,486,000 |
| 2015 | Richard Yong | A$ 1,870,000 | 70 | A$ 6,860,000 |
| 2016 | Fabian Quoss | A$ 1,446,480 | 41 | A$ 4,018,000 |
| 2017 | Nick Petrangelo | A$ 882,000 | 18 | A$ 1,764,000 |
The tournament is a prestigious one, not just in terms of the players that have won it, but in terms of the players who have had repeated success in it. There are only seven players who have cashed multiple times in the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge, and Erik Seidel leads the way with four cashes for over A$3m.
| Player | Cashes | Total Earnings (AU$) |
|---|---|---|
| Erik Seidel | 4 | $3,201,000 |
| David Steicke | 3 | $1,975,000 |
| Tony Bloom | 3 | $1,775,000 |
| Dan Shak | 3 | $1,637,000 |
| Fedor Holz | 2 | $634,060 |
| Masa Kagawa | 2 | $570,000 |
| Tony G | 2 | $342,000 |
Players will each receive 250,000 in chips. On Day 1 the levels will be 40-minutes long, and they will increase to 60 minutes in length from Day 2.
Late registration and re-entries are available until the end of Level 10, with nine levels scheduled for Day 1. Here is today's structure:
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 1,000 | 100 |
| 2 | 700 | 1,400 | 200 |
| 3 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 300 |
| 4 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 500 |
| 5 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 500 |
| 6 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 500 |
| 7 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 1,000 |
| 8 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 1,000 |
| 9 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 1,000 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the action live from the Crown Casino in Melbourne.
Start Delayed
With Sam Greenwood sat ready at the table (coincidentally in the same seat he occupied in the $50,000 Challenge), Malaysian Michael Lim waiting in the room, and Fedor Holz nowhere to be seen, there is a delay to the start of the $100,000 Challenge.
We will bring you updates as soon as we get them.
Play Commences at 15:15
Tournament officials have announced that the $100,000 Challenge will start five-handed at 15:15 local time. It is unclear as yet who the other four players are (in addition to Sam Greenwood).
Level: 1
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Action Underway
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Sam Higgs won his seat in a A$8,000 satellite yesterday and he is joined by fellow Australian Kahle Burns. Michael Lim, and Sam Greenwood were the first two to show up in the poker room of the Crown Casino while the three Germans Jan-Eric Schwippert, Fedor Holz and Dietrich Fast entered in quick succession.
Schwippert already has two runner-up finishes to his name here in Melbourne in the A$25,000 Challenge and the A$50,000 Challenge, will the third High Roller tournament be a charm?
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
||
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
||
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
||
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
Early Skirmishes
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
On a flop of 
Sam Greenwood check-called a bet of 3,500 from his opponent Dietrich Fast. Both players checked the 
turn. The river was the 
and Greenwood bet 22,000. Fast folded.
A short while later, Michael Lim raised to 3,000 on the button and Kahle Burns three-bet to 12,500 from the big blind. Lim called. The flop came 
. Burns checked to Lim who bet 16,500. Burns called.
The players checked the 
turn and river. Lim shook his head turning over 
for a missed flush and gutshot straight draw, while Burns took down the pot with 
for ace-high.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
260,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
240,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
220,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
Higgs Wins a Big Pot Off Lim
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Michael Lim raised to 3,000 and picked up calls from Fedor Holz in the small blind as well as Sam Higgs in the big blind. On the flop of 
, both Holz and Higgs checked and Lim continued for 5,000 to force a fold from Holz and a call from Higgs.
After the 
turn, Higgs checked once more and Lim made it 16,700 to go. Higgs quickly check-raised to 41,700 and Lim called after just brief consideration. The 
river brought a bet of 75,000 by Higgs and Lim called to see the Australian turn over 
for a queen-high straight.
Lim defended his big blind soon after against a raise to 3,000 by Sam Greenwood, but instantly check-folded the 
flop to a continuation bet.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
380,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
265,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
246,000
-4,000
|
-4,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
84,500
-135,500
|
-135,500 |
Schwippert Left Short After Huge Pot
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Sam Greenwood raised to 2,500 from middle position and Jan-Eric Schwippert three-bet to 9,000 from the button. Greenwood called.
The flop came 
and Greenwood check-called a bet of 7,500. The turn was the 
and Greenwood check-called another bet of 30,000.
The river was the . Greenwood checked a third time and Schwippert bet 80,000. Greenwood then check-raised to 213,000. Schwippert took his time before calling.
Greenwood showed 
for trip threes and Schwippert mucked. The $25,000 Challenge winner now has around 3,000 chips behind.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
512,000
247,000
|
247,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,000
-247,000
|
-247,000 |
Small Pot for Holz
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 100 ante
Fedor Holz raised to 2,500 on the button and Sam Higgs three-bet to 7,500 out of the small blind, which Holz called. The flop fell 
and Higgs checked. Holz bet 7,500 and that was enough to force a fold from his opponent, Higgs showed the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
375,000
-5,000
|
-5,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
255,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
|
||