If there was a year that the Aussie Millions came into its own, that year would have been 2007, the year Gus Hansen, who recently sat down in today's tournament, took down the title.
It was a year of records as more than 2,000 entries across 15 events, and more than AUD$10 million in prize money was disbursed. By then, all the notable players in poker were traveling to Melbourne in January, including Mike Matusow, Carlos Mortensen, and Huck Seed. Erick Lindgren found success in Melbourne in 2007 as he took down the AUD$100,000 event, defeating Erik Seidel in heads-up play and earning AUD$1 million.
The 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event drew 747 entrants, thanks in large part to online qualifiers, but when the final table was reached, a plethora of pros headline, though none hailed from Australia. Kristy Gazes and Marc Karam were both at the final table, though they were eliminated in seventh and sixth respectively. Andy Black was also there, though he was sent packing in third place, leaving American Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke to battle Hansen in heads-up play.
It took 47 hands of heads-up play, but Hansen ultimately dispatched the online qualifier to collect the largest first-place prize to date --AUD$1,500,000. Hansen's experience also led to Hansen’s well-received book, Every Hand Revealed, where he reviewed the hands he played on the way to winning the 2007 Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
Sam Cohen opened in late position, John Juanda put in a three-bet from the blinds, and Cohen made the call. The flop fell , and Juanda quickly checked. Cohen tossed out 2,000, and Juanda moved all in for what looked like 15,000 or so. Cohen tanked for quite some time, then folded.
The very next hand, the two took a flop of . All of the money went in the middle, and the hands were opened:
Cohen:
Juanda:
The turn was a , giving Cohen a straight, and a repeat completed the board. Cohen raked in the pot to push her stack over six figures, while Juanda hit the rail.
Australian cricket icon Shane Warne has recently been eliminated. We did not catch the action in his bust-out hand unfortunately, but we did see that his opponent had and the flop was . Warne couldn't catch up against the nuts, and was sent to the rail.
Jens Kyllonen fired 2,600 on the flop, and Jesse Sylvia made the call. The turn was the , and both players checked. The then completed the board on the river, and Kyllonen checked. Sylvia fired 5,200, and Kyllonen folded.
Jeff Lisandro had dwindled to just 6,000 when a player in middle position opened for 1,025. Lisandro defended from the big blind and then checked the flop. The original raiser proceeded to move all in and Lisandro snap-called off his remaining 4,875.
Lisandro:
Opponent:
Lisandro had flopped the stone-cold nuts, but he wasn't in the clear yet as his opponent had a flush draw. The was safe enough for Lisandro, which meant all he needed to do was dodge a club on the river to stay alive. The dealer burned and put out the . Lisandro's hand held and he doubled.
We happened upon a big hand over at Table 10 between Antonion Esfandiari and Italy's Giacomo Fundaro. The latter, who actually won the World Poker Tour Mazagan back in November for $166,704, had just bet 6,175 on a flop into a pot containing around 11,500.
Esfandiari called the bet and then did the same, albeit for 4,700, on the turn. When the peeled off on the river, Fundaro fired out 13,8000, and Esfandiari hit the tank for a little over five minutes before dropping in a call. Fundaro then tabled for queens full, and Esfandiari tossed his cards to the muck.
, and Juanda quickly checked. Cohen tossed out 2,000, and Juanda moved all in for what looked like 15,000 or so. Cohen tanked for quite some time, then folded.
. All of the money went in the middle, and the hands were opened:
, giving Cohen a straight, and a repeat 
and the flop was 
. Warne couldn't catch up against the nuts, and was sent to the rail.
flop, and Jesse Sylvia made the call. The turn was the 
then completed the board on the river, and Kyllonen checked. Sylvia fired 5,200, and Kyllonen folded.
flop. The original raiser proceeded to move all in and Lisandro snap-called off his remaining 4,875.
. Lisandro's hand held and he doubled.
turn. When the 
for queens full, and Esfandiari tossed his cards to the muck.
