After 12 levels of 40 minutes each, the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship A$2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Event #16 has whittled down its field of 190 entries to its last 34 hopefuls, who will return to the poker room of the Crown Entertainment complex in one hour from now at 2 p.m. local time.
Only the top 21 spots get paid at least A$4,255 whereas the winner can look forward to a payday of A$106,920 and the elusive LK Boutique championship ring. Leading the field of survivors is Germany's Ferenc Riech with 183,700, who already had the top spot after Day 1 of the Opening Event #1 and eventually finished 10th. Michael Bouskila is in second place with 171,500 and the Aussie already claimed a title here in Melbourne back in 2013 by taking down a Six Max Event for A$ 110,000.
Other big stacks and notables include World Series of Poker bracelet winner Paul Hoefer (150,000), 2015 WSOP $ 1,500 No Limit Hold'em Millionaire Maker (Event #16) runner-up Javier Zarco (119,000), Frank Williams (107,400), Piyush Gupta (105,400), Geoffrey Mooney (103,600), James Atkin (92,200), Elliot Smith (57,800), Jorn Walthaus (46,200), two times WSOP bracelet winner Brian Yoon (38,000) and Sergio Aido (36,800).
Action recommences with level 13 at blinds 1,200-2,400 and a running ante of 300. The event is scheduled to play down to a winner today and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to provide all key hands until the last river card is dealt.
"I am banana," Robert Nguyen joked in the one seat after just having raked in a huge pot and sent Ferenc Riech to the rail. Nguyen had been the most active player at the table and showed bluffs at least twice, also pretending to be on tilt while listening to music on his headphones.
Just now, Nguyen opened and called the three-bet to 34,000 before the flop came . Nguyen check-called a bet of 28,000 before both checked through the turn. On the river, Nguyen moved all in instantly, which he had done previously already with the nuts to double up.
Riech had 108,000 chips behind and pondered about his decision for some time, then eventually called and much to the surprise of everyone at the table flipped over for a bluff catcher. This time, Nguyen had it again with the for a flush and jumped into the lead.
"He cannot call there with king-high," Vic Spadavecchia said in the two seat while Najeem Ajez replied "if he is bluffing, the king-high is good." The German left the tournament area, but not without saying "if he continues like this (Nguyen), you will have a lot of fun ahead."
In the very last hand of the level over on table 34, Karib Yustinus raised and Michael Bouskila defended his big blind. The flop came and Bouskila check-raised big by investing 100,000 already. Yustinus shoved and Bouskila called it off:
Bouskila:
Yustinus:
Neither the turn nor the river changed anything whatsoever and Bouskila headed to the payout desk, sending his stack of 167,000 over to Yustinus.
The action folded around to Piyush Gupta in the small blind and he moved all in for 79,000 chips out of the small blind. Paul Hoefer asked the dealer for an exact count and then tossed in the chips.
Gupta:
Hoefer:
The flop changed not much for Gupta, as he still needed to pair one of his two hole cards in order to stay in the tournament. Once the appeared on the turn, Gupta now needed a six to chop but blanked with the river. Hoefer's full house took down the pot and Gupta headed to the payout desk in order to collect A$10,685 for his efforts.
Robert Nguyen raised to 40,000 in middle position and it was folded around to Karib Yustinus in the small blind who moved all-in for 152,000. Mogens Hansen folded his big blind and Robert Nguyen made the call, tabling . Karib showed and needed some help from the board.
The board was no help, running out and eliminating the Crown Poker Room regular Karib
In the most dramatic turn of events, Robert Nguyen has just been eliminated from this event. In the biggest hand of the night so far, Paul Hoefer doubled through Nguyen, then busted the one-time monster chip leader a few hands later.
In the crippling hand, Hoefer raised to 53,000 from the cutoff and Nguyen three bet to 149,000 from the big blind. Hoefer tanked for a while before announcing "all-in". Nguyen stood straight to his feet and was in obvious distress. He took off his hat, looked at the 2 short stacks on the table and asked for a count of Hoefer's chips. The Dealer performed the count, to which he had 810,000. Nguyen looked at his own stack and stated he would be basically all-in. He looked visibly conflicted, then all of a sudden said "CALL!"
Hoefer showed .
Nguyen tables and yelled, "Yes, hold!"
The flop was safe for Nguyen with the . The turn was also safe, bringing the , but it would be the river that would do the damage, leaving him with less than 100,000 in chips.
A few hands later he moved all in for his last 50,000 in chips from the button with and was called by Hoefer holding . The board ultimately ran out to send Robert Nguyen to the rail in 5th place.
![[user127999]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
.
and apologized after the board ran out 
to pair his ace and send Atkin out 20th.
. Nguyen check-called a bet of 28,000 before both checked through the 
turn. On the 
river, Nguyen moved all in instantly, which he had done previously already with the nuts to double up.
for a bluff catcher. This time, Nguyen had it again with the 
and did not improve on the 
board, busting in tenth.
appeared on the turn, Gupta now needed a six to chop but blanked with the 
flop was good for Ajez, but the 
. Karib showed 
and yelled, "Yes, hold!"
. The turn was also safe, bringing the 
, but it would be the river