Event #12: Pot-Limit Omaha
Day 1 Completed
2011 Aussie Millions
Event #12: Pot-Limit Omaha
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
5,000 AUD
Prize Pool
265,000 AUD
Entries
53
Level
17
Blinds
8,000 / 16,000
Ante
0
Final Table Set; Thorson On Song!
![[user135779]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 0 ante
We started the day with 53 players and now, we're down to just eight. It was a day that certainly didn't disappoint, with a galaxy of stars taking to the felt, including Full Tilt Pros Andy Bloch, Roberto Romanello, Erica Schoenberg, David Williamson III and Carlos Mortensen.
Of course, given it was Australia Day, the home team was also well represented in the form of John Caridad, Leo Boxell, Jamie Pickering and Tino Lechich, while past Aussie Millions Main Event champion Alexander Kostritsyn and Tony Bloom were just some of the other big names in the field.
Sadly, all of these players fell by the wayside (Mortensen was particularly unlucky as this year's "bubble boy"), but we've got eight great players for this final table, headed by William Thorson, who has put on a dominant display to finish with 208,100 in chips.
However, he'll have some work to do if he wants to take down this title, particularly with Casey Kastle consolidating on his fine form from previous events. Of course, the Aussies will be right behind Joe Hachem, who will be more determined than ever to capture that elusive Aussie Millions gold ring.
We certainly can't discount any of these players though - the three Mikes (Michael Zowie, Mike Shklover and Michael Greco) are still in with a chance, and though Graeme "Kiwi G" Putt and David Ewing are the two short stacks, they're more than capable of turning things around. And as we know with Omaha, anything goes!
Final Table Seat Draw & Chip Counts
| Seat | Name | Chip Count |
| 1 | Joe Hachem | 63,700 |
| 2 | Casey Kastle | 122,300 |
| 3 | William Thorson | 208,100 |
| 4 | David Ewing | 30,500 |
| 5 | Michael Greco | 53,500 |
| 6 | Mike Shklover | 95,100 |
| 7 | Michael Zowie | 184,300 |
| 8 | Graeme Putt | 38,200 |
Prizepool Dividends
| Place | Amount (AUD) |
| 1st | $100,000 |
| 2nd | $55,000 |
| 3rd | $35,000 |
| 4th | $25,000 |
| 5th | $15,000 |
| 6th | $15,000 |
| 7th | $10,000 |
| 8th | $10,000 |
The remaining eight players will be returning tomorrow at 2pm AEDT for the conclusion of this tournament. Be sure to join us right here at PokerNews for all the live updates, plus continued coverage of the Aussie Millions Main Event and the $250,000 Super High Roller Event from noon! From all of us here in the Crown Poker Room, thanks for joining us - see you soon!
Mortensen Eliminated, We're in the Money!
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 0 ante
Just when we thought we'd be here grinding it out for another few hours, Full Tilt Red Pro Carlos Mortensen has just been busted in ninth place!
Mortensen limped in from UTG +1 and Michael Zowie called from next door, as did Graeme Putt from the lowjack position. William Thorson limped in from the button and then Michael Greco checked from the big blind to make it five-handed to the flop of 
.
Thorson checked to Mortensen who fired out 10,000 in chips, which then saw the action fold back around to Thorson who quickly check-raised to 35,000. Mortensen looked up in surprise.
"Oh, okay then," he mused before shipping the rest of his stack into the middle and tabling 
for two pair. Thorton showed 
for middle set and it held after the turn and river ran out 
, 
.
Ladies and gentlemen, our official final table is set and we are officially in the money! The chips are now being bagged and tagged - time to wrap this one up!
Level: 11
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 0
Break it All Over!
The players have been sent on a 15-minute break. In the meantime, here are some counts for you:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
187,000 | 13,000 |
|
184,000 | -36,000 |
|
126,000 | 54,000 |
|
94,000 | 27,000 |
|
59,000 | -11,000 |
|
51,000 | -5,500 |
|
40,500 | -15,500 |
|
24,000 | -6,000 |
|
|
18,000 | 4,000 |
The End is In Sight
Level 10
: 1,000/2,000, 0 ante
You may have noticed that we're still nine-handed well after the bewitching hour here in the Crown poker room. The initial plan was to play this event out to a winner, but the math tells us that we still need another five levels or so to reach that goal.
The staff has just told the players that we're going to call it a night once we reach the official final table of eight with each of the survivors safely inside the money bubble. That means we have one more unlucky player to lose before calling it a night. Tomorrow's restart is tentatively scheduled for 4:00 P.M.
Thorson Stretching His Lead
Level 10
: 1,000/2,000, 0 ante
First in from the cutoff, Casey Kastle opened to 6,000, and William Thorson three-bet to 18,200 from the button. Kastle eventually called the reraise, and the flop brought them 
. Kastle checked, and Thorson took a moment to consider before announcing, "Pot."
It was 39,400 to Kastle, and he would spend a minute or three in the tank before releasing his cards into the muck.
Kastle - 72,000
Thorson - 220,000
I'm Shklovin' It!
Level 10
: 1,000/2,000, 0 ante
Mike Shklover limped into the pot, and Carlos Mortensen followed suit. From the blinds, Joe Hachem completed and Casey Kastle knocked the table for a free four-handed flop.
It came 
, and Shklover fired 5,700 at the pot. Mortensen and Kastle called, and the three men checked through the 
turn. The river drew two more checks from the first two players, and Mortensen took his cue to bet 10,000 as the last player to act. Kastle folded, but Shklover quickly called, and Mortensen knocked the table in surrender.
Shklover turned up 
, and two pair takes the pot to move him up to 67,000.
Mortensen has 30,100 chips left.
The Final Table
Level 10
: 1,000/2,000, 0 ante
We're down to our final table of nine players and we're also on the bubble! Play is about to get back underway, so here are the seating allocations and chip counts:
| Seat | Name | Chip Count |
| 1 | Joe Hachem | 70,000 |
| 2 | Casey Kastle | 95,500 |
| 3 | William Thorson | 188,500 |
| 4 | David Ewing | 14,000 |
| 5 | Michael Greco | 56,500 |
| 6 | Mike Shklover | 47,500 |
| 7 | Carlos Mortenson | 48,500 |
| 8 | Michael Zowie | 174,000 |
| 9 | Graeme Putt | 56,000 |
The button has been redrawn and will start with Graeme Putt in seat nine.
Trask's Taken Out
Level 10
: 1,000/2,000, 0 ante
The final table of nine players has been formed after Grant Trask was eliminated courtesy of Michael Greco.
Trask raised to 5,000 and Greco reraised all-in before Trask called all-in, showing 
against Greco's 
.
The flop of 
put Trask ahead, but Greco snatched it back when the spiked on the turn. Both players made the flush when the 
fell on the river, but as the young kids say, "Greco had the nizzles, yo."
Trask is out and now, we're down to one table and only one spot away from the money!