Event #1: No-Limit Hold'em
Day 2 Completed
2011 Aussie Millions
Event #1: No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
1,000 AUD
Entries
1,000
Level
27
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
0
Congratulations to Martin Drewe, Winner of Event 1: $1,100 Opening Event (AUD$200,020)!
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 27
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
The 2011 Aussie Millions welcomed in a new year of poker with arguably the greatest poker championship in the Southern Hemisphere, and there was no better way to kick things off then by launching this year’s Aussie Millions with the Event 1: $1,100 Opening Event!
Another AUD$1,000,000 prizepool was reached here Down Under with 1,000 entrants taking to the felt over the three day ones. Of these 1,000-players, 762 of them were unique entrants – and when we say unique, we base this on the fact that this tournament has a distinctive structure of being a repechage.
Repechage you say? Well any player that is eliminated on day one has the option to re-enter on a subsequent day in an attempt to successfully make day two. International pros James Akenhead, Annette Obrestad, Maria Ho, Tony Dunst, Vladimir Geshkenbein, Richard Ashby and Michael Greco, along with Australasian’s Danny Leaoasavaii, Bruno Portaro, Aaron Benton and reigning Aussie Millions Champion Tyron Krost all took advantage of multiple entries but still fell short of a day two berth.
Of the 143 players that were chasing firstly a top ninety-paying spot before making a run at the final table, Scott Montgomery, Barny Boatman, Simon Watt and Jonathan Karamalikis were waving the flag for the Full Tilt Poker Team while a mixture of online professionals, tournament regulars and complete amateurs were all hoping to snag the AUD$200,020 first prize and coveted gold ring.
Watt and Karamalikis both exited before the money as John Corr was awarded the unwanted moniker of bubble boy before action continued to flow ridiculously fast as David Morton (80th), Nino Marotta (77th), Jackie Glazier (70th), Jamie Pickering (65th), Jeff Sarwer (60th), Daniel Neilson (57th), Jessica Dawley (56th), Graeme Putt (50th), Jack Powell (46th), Yann Pauchon (26th), Kristian Lunardi (25th) and Boatman (21st) were just a handful of notables that exited before the final table of ten was reached after ten hours of play.
The rapid pace that we had witnessed throughout the duration of the tournament then caught up with us as it would take over two hours before we lost Isaac Lau, and a further two hours to lose Jonathan Palmer, Montgomery and Gabriel Xiourouppa. Six-handed play would be an excruciating affair for those on the rail and at the blogging desk as chips see-sawed between players for nearly three hours before Antoine Bechara, Vito Dalessandri, Nik Lackovic and Justin Cohen exited in quick succession to leave Darren Kramer and Martin Drewe in the battle for the title.
It was a South African against an Australian, and if Kramer was to have it his way, he would be hoping that he would join his fellow countryman and roommate by snatching an Aussie Millions gold ring after Jarred Solomon collected the Event 2: $550 PokerPro Shootout title.
Unfortunately, a sick aces against jacks cooler hand would swing the momentum in Drewe’s favor, and then just a few hands later it would be the black ladies of Drewe that would see him capture the title of Event 1 Champion, earning him a handy AUD$200,020 payday as well as an elusive Aussie Millions gold ring.
Congratulations to Martin Drewe for playing an excellent tournament that saw him continually accumulate chips throughout the duration of the event, and apply timely aggression mixed with precision play to be crowned the official first champion of the 2011 Aussie Millions!
For the PokerNews Live Reporting Team, we will be back behind the computers and cameras in just under six hours hours at 12:30 pm EST as the spotlight is put on Event 3: $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha where another highly-skilled field is expected to battle it out with many calls of pot, re-pot and jokingly queries of running it twice!
Darren Kramer Eliminated in 2nd Place (AUD$128,220); Martin Drewe Wins!
Level 27
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
Darren Kramer min-raised from the button, sending the action Martin Drewe's way. Drewe raised to 500,000. Kramer then insta-shoved. Drewe, taking heed from Kramer's instantaneous action, then insta-called.
Drewe: 
Kramer: 
Kramer would need some help if he was going to live to see another hand in this heads-up battle!
The flop turned over 
, no help for Kramer yet.
A 
on the turn and Kramer would have one more sweat.
Fate rested in the hands of one card. Would there be a double-up? Or would we finally have a champion!?
The 
rolled off on the river, a brick crowning our victor!
With no luck for Kramer it was sayonara for the South African, sent home in a very respectable 2nd place, taking home AUD$128,220!
Massive Cooler Goes Drewe's Way
Level 27
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
Martin Drewe opened to 200,000 only to have Darren Kramer three-bet to 575,000 from the big blind.
With the action on Drewe, he slid in a raise to 1,200,000 only to have Kramer move all in and Drewe instantly call for his 3,685,000.
Kramer: 
Drewe: 
The window card of the 
virtually ended the pot as the rest of the board filled out 
to put Drewe on top of the leaderboard with 7,370,000 while Kramer slid down to just 2,630,000 in chips.
Kramer Five-Bet Ships
Level 27
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
Martin Drewe opened for a 200,000-chip min-raise from the button only to have Darren Kramer three-bet to 525,000 from the big blind.
With the action returned to Drewe, he slid in two stacks of chocolate 25,000-denomination chips amounting to a raise to 1,000,000.
Kramer instantly responded by moving all in to force Drewe to fold and slip to 3,550,000 as Kramer collected the first five-bet pot of the heads up battle to move to 6,450,000 in chips.
Level: 27
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 0
Drewe Early
Level 27
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
Martin Drewe min-raised from the button and Darren Kramer made the call early in the heads-up battle.
Flop: 
Karmer checked, at which point Drewe bet 125,000. Kramer folding and Drewe took down the pot.
Heads Up Chip Counts
With both players opting not to take a break, and instead go straight into battle, here are the updated counts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,365,000 | -35,000 |
|
4,635,000 | 235,000 |
Justin Cohen Eliminated in 3rd Place (AUD$85,220)
Level 26
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
Martin Drewe opened the button to 160,000 and Justin Cohen committed his last 200,000 with Drewe making the quick the call.
Drewe:
Cohen: 
The 
flop saw Cohen drawing slim before the 
on the turn gave him some life.
The 
on the river however would end his tournament in third place as he collected an AUD$85,220.
Chippity Chop
Level 26
: 40,000/80,000, 10,000 ante
The very next hand after Justin Cohen took a huge hit to his stack, he found himself with his tournament life at risk again!
Cohen made his move from the button, with Darren Kramer calling from the big blind.
Kramer: 
Cohen:
Flop: 
A seven would chop the pot.
Turn:
Of course!
River:
The pot chopped and Cohen survives to see, at the very least, one more hand.