Event 9: $10,500 Aussie Millions Main Event Day 1a | 2010 Aussie Millions

01-24-2010 11:44 UTC+11

Welcome to the 2010 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Main Event!

[user135779]

Welcome to the 2010 Crown Aussie Millions Poker Championship Main Event!

In the words of the late and great Australian actor Heath Ledger, "Here ... we ... go!"

This is what you've all been waiting for, and today is the day, movers and shakers - we're live at Crown Casino here in Melbourne and we're only moments away from the start the 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event!

Until 2009, the Australians weren't able to keep the championship title on home soil. 2005 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem put the call out to the locals to "Get their acts together."

Stewart Scott was the man who answered the call, taking down the title and a record $2 million AUD in prize money. Now it's up to the rest of the Aussies to peg another one back this year.

That's not say that the foreign invasion won't be putting up a fight! Keep your browsers locked on to PokerNews for every big name, bustout and bad beat as we commence our live coverage of the 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event!

Stay tuned.

01-24-2010 12:30 UTC+11

Setting the Scene

[user38449]

The poker room is absolutely jam packed, full of players, spectators, tournament supervisors, and various members of the media. Amidst all of the chaos, a line has formed leading up to a table at the top of the stairs where Gus Hansen is stationed, signing autographs and posing for pictures with star-struck poker fans.

At the moment, it's practically impossible to walk through the alley that divides the poker room in two. A house band is blasting rock music throughout the halls of the Las Vegas Room and albeit a cliche, there is genuine excitement in the air.

Play was scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m., but judging by the scene on the floor, it's looking like we probably won't get started until 1:00 p.m. or shortly after.

Hang tight! We'll keep you posted.

Tags: Gus Hansen

Level: 1

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

01-24-2010 12:54 UTC+11

It's That Time

[user140344]

After a few words from Joe Hachem and actor Jesse Metcalfe, the infamous words "Let's shuffle up and deal!" were uttered and players took their seats and the cards were in the air.

We're off folks. Stay tuned for all the action from the felt.

01-24-2010 13:03 UTC+11

Of Course!

[user67765]

We've had a bustout on the very first hand! The loser of the hand made a quick exit so we didn't catch his name, but the early chip leader is John Course who hit a perfect flop of {5-Clubs}

holding

against his opponent's {A-Hearts}

.

The last chips were all in on the {8-Hearts}

turn and when the river bricked the {10-Clubs}

, Course doubled to 40,000 after just one hand!

Tags: John Course

01-24-2010 13:10 UTC+11

Sick Table

[user67765]

There's one table standing out as the star-studded table of the room and already we have some early action.

Phil Ivey raised to 250 from early position before Leo Boxell popped it up to 750. Ivey was the lone caller to see a flop of {A-Spades}

. Both players checked.

The turn was the {5-Spades}

and again Ivey checked to Boxell who checked behind.

The river brought a repeat {6-Clubs}

and once again both players checked it down.

Boxell showed {K-Diamonds}

and was happy to get to showdown with his kings on the ace-board flop, but surprisingly Ivey revealed {A-Hearts}

for a slow-played full house!

Boxell avoided the trap as Ivey collected an early pot on a table which also features big name pros Billy "The Croc" Argyros and Tom "durrrr" Dwan!

"Of all the tables in the room, how did we all get drawn on the same table!" laughed the Croc, "I hope we're the first to break!" The bad news for Croc is that this table should be together for most of the day. Expect fireworks!

Tags: Leo Boxell Phil Ivey

01-24-2010 13:16 UTC+11

Graham Gets One Early

[user135779]

It's been a good start for Aussie young gun Jarred "FlopNutsOnYou" Graham, taking down a pot on table 21 to move up to 22,300 in chips.

On a flop that read {9-Hearts}

, Graham checked to his opponent in the cutoff who fired out 1,200. Graham called, then both players checked the {q-Hearts}

on the turn.

Graham checked again on the river {8-Spades}

; the cutoff also checked and Graham rolled up {8-Clubs}

for trips.

The cutoff player looked forlorn as he turned up {a-Spades}

!

01-24-2010 13:16 UTC+11

Lights, Camera, Action (Dan)

[user38449]

Former WSOP Main Event Champ Dan Harrington has just doubled up to 40,000 in chips with the elimination of Australian pro Sam Youssef. A fan on the rail was kind enough to relay the action as he saw it, which was verified by one of the players at the table:

Youssef opened the pot with a raise to 700 from under-the-gun by mistake, accidentally throwing a purple (T500) chip into the middle with two black (T100) ones. Harrington made the call from the cutoff holding a pocket pair of queens and the flop came {Q-?}

.

Youssef then checked the flop to "Action Dan" who fired a 1,000 bet. Youssef responded with a massive raise, kicking it up to 7,000. Harrington, sitting with the mortal nuts, moved all in over the top of Youssef's raise and Youssef made the call holding {A-Spades}

.

The turn and river then filled out {7-Clubs}

,

giving Harrington queens full to send Youssef to the rail.

Tags: Dan Harrington Sam Youssef

01-24-2010 13:19 UTC+11

Only In Australia...

[user135779]

...would Team Full Tilt Pro Gus Hansen be signing a copy of his new book, Every Hand Revealed and taking photos with a local fan called "Chooka."

01-24-2010 13:22 UTC+11

Faces In the Crowd

[user38449]

Here are a few of the players we've spotted in the field thus far:

Jarred Graham, Dan Shak, Dan Neilson, Eric Assadourian, James Akenhead, J.P. Kelly, Emad Tahtouh, Amanda De Cesare, brothers Barny and Ross Boatman, Sam Khouiss, Sorel Mizzi, Perry Friedman and of course, Crown's international celebrity guest for the week, Desperate Housewives star Jesse Metcalfe.

Tags: Jesse Metcalfe