Event #1: No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1a Started
2011 Aussie Millions
Event #1: No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1a
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
Aussie Millions Set To Kick Off! Opening Event On The Cards!
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Welcome back to the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia for the commencement of the 2011 Aussie Millions!
Unfortunately the Australian weather at the moment isn’t providing glistening rays of sunshine that January visitors normally expect to shine down on them as they make their way into the Crown Poker Room.
Many parts of this country may be buried deep under water due to the floods that have stricken the northern east, but it is no surprise that tournament veterans, professionals, degenerates and pub poker-playing amateurs have put aside the thought of disaster to tussle it out on the felt tonight, and over the eighteen-day schedule.
Tonight sees the Event 1: $1,100 Opening Event kick off the twenty-event poker extravaganza that is the 2011 Aussie Millions where a variety of poker disciplines will be undertaken over the remainder of the month.
Last year saw Australian Matthew Ephraums prove victorious over the 1,143-player field when he bested Brendan “Make It Rain” Edmonds to collect a AUD$200,025 first prize. German Christian Heich collected the title in 2009 after successfully snatching the title from local Stephen Topakas for an AUD$150,000 payday as Vincent “Wonky” Wan collected the gong in 2008 for just over AUD$140,000.
Who will be champion tonight? Only time will tell as individuals from around the state, the country and the world merge on the green felt of the Crown Poker Room to test their skills and see who will be the 2011 Opening Event Champion!
PokerNews will be based at the Crown Casino for the duration of the Aussie Millions, and tonight you will be able to catch all the exclusive live action from 7:00 p.m EST.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Cards In The Air!
Reigning Aussie Millions Champion Tyron Krost has just uttered those immortal words of shuffle up and deal!
Thanks to Krost, the $1,100 Opening Event of the Aussie Millions is now underway!
Plan for the Night
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Every player will begin with a 10,000-chip starting stack and will have to battle through twelve forty-minute levels if they are survive for a day two berth.
However, since this is a repechage tournament, if any player busts, they have the option of re-entering either tomorrow, the next day or even both to continue their ambitions of being crowned the Opening Event Champion.
Roll Call!
Currently the field is chopped up into four sections around the Crown Poker Room.
So far the following players have been spotted - but with the line for registration many players deep - plenty more notables are expected to take their seat over the next few levels.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
10,000 | |
|
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 | |
|
|
10,000 | |
|
|
10,000 | |
|
10,000 |
Aristidou Ain't Telling
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
On a flop of 
we found Peter Aristidou checking the action from the lo-jack to his opponent in the cutoff who opted to fire out a bet of 1,100 into a 1,800-chip pot.
Aristidou contemplated for a few moments before bumping it to 2,500 to force a fold from his opponent as he scooped the pot to move to roughly 13,000.
"So what happened preflop?" asked tablemate and fellow local player Nobbi Tanaka.
"Well I three-bet pre and . . ." responded Aristidou's opponent before the victor of the hand - Aristidou himself - butted in saying, "just click the replay button!"
Akenhead Folds to Flop Three-Bet
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
With three players committing 300 preflop to see a 
flop fall, we found one player push out a bet of 575 before Full Tilt Poker Red Pro James Akenhead made it 1,500 to go.
The third player in the hand - Ismail Ismail - paused for a moment before check-raising to 3,700 to force folds from firstly the flop aggressor before Akenhead kicked his cards to the muck.
As Ismail scooped a small but stack-building pot, Akenhead slipped to just over his starting stack of 10,000.
First Penalty Awarded
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Rob Campbell has just received the first penalty of not only today's tournament, but also of the 2011 Aussie Millions!
Campbell approached our PokerNews reporter and explained that he assumed the tournament was ten-handed and counted two around believe he was in seat eight. Unfortunately for Campbell, the tournament is currently being contested eleven-handed, and consequently sat in seat nine.
With the Tournament Director being notified when the actual seven-seat player was confused, Campbell was forced to hit the rail for an orbit penalty.
For Campbell however, he isn't the only player to have experienced this fate as Tony "Bond18" Dunst approached the PokerNews blogging desk asking if we need a field reporter for a few minutes as he too sat in the wrong seat and was awarded a penalty.
When will poker players learn to count?
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0