After twelve grueling levels and nearly nine hours of poker, the first flight of the Event 1: $1,100 Opening Event has come to a close!
Beginning the day with 294 players, some of Australia's best players took to the felt including Aussie Millions title holders such as Michael Pedley, Vincent Wan, David Saab, Chris Chronis, Tino Lechich, Mel Judah, Kristian Lunardi, Sam Khouiss, Billy Argyros and reigning Aussie Millions Champion Tyron Krost. Although the international contingent were still making their way to the Australian shores, James Akenhead, Maria Ho, Tony Dunst, Dan Smith and Michael Greco were just a few that were in town and happily taking their seat to help kick off the 2011 Aussie Millions.
With a fast-paced theme greeting the Crown Poker Room, players flew out the door as the above mentioned players all found themselves on the rail throughout the course of the day as only thirty-eight players managed to survive for a day two berth.
Leading these thirty-eight players is a man by the name of John Overbeek who powered his way to 197,200 courtesy of his pocket kings spiking a third king against aces and queens. Isaac Lau is one player who didn't expect to find himself not only bagging the second most chips, but chips at all, after being left with just 1,000 - less than a big blind - before running that all the way into a 155,000-chip stack.
Lauren McIver (110,000) is one of two remaining females while Joey Baker (112,200) and Tim Balaban (111,400) will be joined by Aussie Millions title holders Jamie Pickering (105,800), Gary Benson (53,800) and Simon Morris (34,000) on Sunday for Day Two.
For the 256-players that found themselves on the rail today, they have the option of re-entering tomorrow or/and the next day on Day 1b or 1c as the Aussie Millions Opening Event carries a unique repechage format.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be back on the felt in just over eight hours time at 12:30 pm EST to provide you with the exclusive live coverage of all the Day 1b action!
With Joey Baker, Michael Ottobre and Tim Balaban the likely players battling it out to be top dog at the end of the night, it seems as though John Overbeek has just soared from nowhere to stake his claim at not only being the overnight chip leader, but first player to crack the 200,000-chip mark.
Having two players all in preflop, it was Overbeek's against one opponent's and another's .
Fortunately for Overbeek, a lone king spiked on the board to see him eliminate two opponent's while soaring up to 182,000 in chips.
With forty-eight players remaining and each player having to commit 5,600 per round (at an average stack of slightly over 60,000), the tally of remaining players today could fall below the forty-mark and even tinker with a possible thirty.
![[user122824]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
to see Rodrigues felted and McIver add some much-needed chips to her stack.
