Level 3
: 500/1,000, 0 ante
Players are now on their first 15-minute break of the day.
2013 Aussie Millions
$100,000 Challenge
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2013 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
100,000 AUD
Prize Pool
2,167,000 AUD
Entries
22
Level
14
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
2,000
Martin Finger opened for 2,500 from the button and received calls from Andrew Robl and John Juanda in the small and big blind respectively. Two checks on the 
flop put action on Finger and he continued for 3,500. Robl, who is featured prominently in the new book Ship It Holla Ballas!, then woke up with a check-raise to 8,000, Juanda folded, and Finger made the call, bringing about the 
turn.
Robl took a few moments before tossing out 12,000, and a resigned Finger wasted little time in send his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
110,000 | |
|
89,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
||
|
75,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
||
With 18,000 in the pot and a flop of 
, Tobias Reinkemeier bet 9,000 from the small blind only to have Igor Kurganov raises to 23,000 from the button. Reinkemeier thought for a long time before releasing his hand, and Kurganov continued to roll as he is now up to 200,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
200,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
85,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
Level 3
: 500/1,000, 0 ante
Igor Kurganov raised to 2,300 from the hijack seat, and Jason Mercier called from the big blind. The flop came down 
, and both players checked.
The two players also checked the 
turn and 
river. Mercier showed the 
and Kurganov the 
. Mercier won the pot.
We haven't heard much from Fabian Quoss nor Eric Liu here in the early goings, but the two did just play a decent-sized pot together.
It happened when Quoss opened for 2,500 from under the gun and cleared the field to Liu, who three-bet to 7,500 from the button. The blinds folded, the 
appeared on the flop, and Quoss check-called a bet of 8,000. The German then checked for a second time on the 
turn, but he ended up snap-folding when Liu came out firing 18,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
112,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
82,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
Igor Kurganov has been on a roll over at Table 19 and appears to be the early chip leader.
We caught the action in a recent hand with 40,000 already in the pot and a board reading 
. Jurganov had just bet 16,000 from the small blind to put the pressure on Jason Mercier in the hijack. The latter thought for about 30 seconds, and then folded his cards. We didn't catch the juicy stuff, but it still gave us the chance to update you on both their stacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
||
|
66,000
34,000
|
34,000 |
|
||
Level 3
: 500/1,000, 0 ante
Lynn Gilmartin spotted Oliver Speidel in the 2013 Aussie Millions Main Event registration line, back in the Crown Poker Room to defend his title.
Back in 2006, John Juanda topped a field of 10 players to win the A$100,000 Speed Poker Million Dollar Challenge right here at the Crown during the Australian Poker Championship (now called the Aussie Millions) to win A$1,000,000. It was a glorified Sit n’Go tournament featuring Phil Ivey (10th), Tony G (9th), Michael Sampoerna (8th), Ralph Burd (7th), Tony Bloom (6th), Barry Greenstein (5th), Mike Sexton (5th), Jason Gray (3rd) and Jeff Lisandro (2nd).
Speaking of Bloom, he’s had quite a bit of success here at the Aussie Millions. Back in 2004, he won the Main Event for A$426,500, and then won a ring in the A$1,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event a year later for A$24,650, not to mention his runner-up finish in the A$5,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em tournament for A$32,000 that same year. Then, in 2009, Bloom made his presence known in this very event by finishing as runner-up to David Steicke for A$600,000.
His $100,000 Challenge success continued in 2010 when he placed fourth for A$200,000, and then again in 2011 when he finished runner-up again, this time to Sam Trickett. That performance earned him A$975,000 and made him perhaps the most storied player in the $100,000 Challenge that has never claimed the title. Could this be his year?
In a recent hand (that happen just before the level went up) between Juanda and Bloom, who’re both receiving massages, the former opened for 1,600 from the button and the latter defended from the big blind. The 
flop saw Bloom check-call a bet of 2,400, and then he promptly checked the 
turn. Juanda took the opportunity to bet 6,300, but this time Bloom woke up with a check-raise to 17,500. Juanda gave up on the hand and Bloom was pushed the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
130,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
90,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 3
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 0
Gus Hansen opened for 1,300 under the gun and was met by a three-bet to 3,000 by Chris "Genius28" Lee from the button. The blinds folded, Hansen called, and the flop fell . Hansen proceeded to check-call a bet of 4,200, and then both players checked the turn.
Hansen checked for a third time on the 
river, and Lee thought for about 30 seconds before betting 10,600. Hansen double checked his cards and then sent them to the dealer.
Despite that hand, Lee is still up above the starting stack, as is Hansen.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
117,000
17,000
|
17,000 |
|
||
|
105,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
