The 2017 Star Sydney Championships 6 Max Champion is Warwick Mirzikinian
Warwick Mirzikinian has won the Star Sydney Championships 6 Max event, tucking away AU$76,498 in prize money. The win provides Mirzikinian with a milestone victory, as his total winnings from live events are now well over $500,000.
This payday was far from being Mirzikinian biggest. His third place finish in the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em - Mixed Max event at the 2012 WSOP netted him $162,443.
The 6 Max Attracted a Stellar Field
Tournament victory is sweet no matter what the stakes, and Mirzikinian decided not to play the modest victor.
“It would have been embarrassing if I had lost in this field,” Mirzikinian said. “Seriously, did you see these guys? It would have been embarrassing.”
Before Twitter erupts with retorts from angry players, it has to be said that Mirkinian’s tongue was firmly in his cheek.
This year, the Star Sydney Championships 6 Max event attracted some of the biggest names in poker, not just Australian poker.
The 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem took part, as did Michael Kanaan – a former ANZPT Sydney Champion with over $1,000,000 in lifetime cashes.
Also present was Peter Dykes - 2016 WSOP Sydney Turbo Champion, 2017 Star Poker Festival Turbo Champion and already a final table at this 2017 Sydney Championships with a 4th place finish in the Turbo event.
The chip leader going into Day 2 was Antonis “Toothpick Tony’ Kambouroglou. The “Toothpick” has already made two final tables at this Championships and was 2nd in chips going into Day 2 of the Monster Stack.
Cracking Aces with 6-2 Suited
By the time play got to heads up, the only opponent left for Mirzikinian to beat was Gavin Tinline. Tinline arrived at the final table as the dominant chip leader with 1.3 million chips. Mirzikinian was second in chips with 700,000.
The final hand was a brutal beat for Tinline, who saw his aces fall to six two suited, one of the weakest hands in poker.
Heads up play is one of the most complex mind games in poker with many factors other than the cards to consider. Hence, Tinline can be forgiven for slow-playing the pair of aces he was dealt.
Instead of raising pre-flop, Tinline simply completed the small blind, and Mirzikinian checked.
The flop came down single suited, all hearts, and Tinline held the A♥. Both players checked, then a 10♦ turn saw Mirzikinian lead out with 100,000 chips. Tinline flat called hoping to get in a big raise on the river.
The river bricked the flush draw leaving a board of 9♥5♥8♥10♦5♦. Mirzikinian made the expected 250,000 chip bet and according to plan Tinline shoved. Unfortunately for Tinline, it was Mirzikinian’s plan not the trap intended by Tinline.
Mirzikinian turned over the 6♥2♥ to show a flopped flush and win the championship.
The Championships Continue
The Star Sydney Championships continue until August 7. The AU$3,000 buy-in Main Event guarantees a prize pool of AU$1 million and the AU$20,000 High Roller also promises big money action.
The full tournament schedule is available on the Star Poker website.
