On a full board of Max Silver checked to Antoine Saout, who bet 1,500 into a pot of 2,200. Silver then check-raised to 6,500 and his opponent folded. Both players are up over starting stack, with Saout boasting a stack of close to 60,000.
Meanwhile, Patrick Serda, Thomas Muehloecker and Dave Heskin saw a flop of . Each player checked and Serda bet 800 on the turn. Muehloecker called and Heskin folded.
The river was the and Serda checked to his opponent, who checked back. Serda turned over for a straight, and pulled a face when Muehloecker mucked, perhaps annoyed at missing out on some value on the river.
Michael Addamo has already accumulated more than $1million in cashes in the live circuit and almost added an Anton Championship ring here at the Aussie Millions on home soil. Ultimately, Addamo fell short and finished runner-up to Benedikt Eberle in the Opening Event, adding further A$194,690 to his bankroll.
Addamo is also in action today and was just spotted in a battle of the blinds against Max Silver. A raise to 1,000 by Addamo was called by Silver, who called bets of 1,300 on the flop, 3,300 on the turn and 3,500 on the river. Addamo flipped ober and Silver chopped it up with the .
One table over, Michael Gathy bet the river for 7,500 on the button and fellow Belgian Kenny Hallaert in the small blind reluctantly called. Gathy turned over the for a full house and that won the pot.
Further new entries include Marc MacDonnell, JC ALvarado and Preben Stokkan.
2017 was a breakout year for Jack Sinclair; finishing eighth in the WSOP Main Event, and following it up by winning the €25,000 German Poker Championships Super High Roller.
And after a deep run in the PCA, Sinclair is now in Melbourne for his first taste of the Aussie Millions.
"2018 has started well for me," said Sinclair. "PCA was a lot of fun, and having already cashed in my first event here at the Aussie Millions is very encouraging!"
"Melbourne is a great place to be, especially in January, as it is usually pretty depressing in Europe right around now. The people here are outrageously friendly, being a Brit it is was initially a little disconcerting having so many strangers talk to me, but I am getting used to it. "
Sinclair said that everyone he had asked said that the Aussie Millions is one of their favourite stops on the tour, and it was one that he himself was excited for.
"The actual poker here is incredible, not like anywhere else. It seems like Australia has been isolated from the rest of the poker world for some time, they have a lot of crazy rules, and the Aussies play a very unconventional style. At the same time, it feels a lot like Vegas in the summer, which may possibly be due to the heat, but there is a real sense of excitement & grandeur surrounding the series."
And what does the future hold for the Brit after such a successful 2017?
"My short, medium & long term goal is always the same: trophies. I don't set financial goals for poker, and if I do they are very modest. I just want to make enough to keep playing. My only concern is getting better... and winning trophies for the glory!"
Four players including Dominykas Karmazinas and Ludovic Geilich limped in and Dietrich Fast raised to 1,600 out of the big blind. The cutoff and Geilich called and three players headed to the flop and Geilich checked. Fast bet 1,500, which forced two folds, but a check-raise to 5,200 by Geilich did the trick to win the pot uncontested.
After a raise to 500 and a three-bet to 1,000 by Geilich on the button, Christian Christner in the big blind four-bet to 3,000 and picked up one caller only. Christner immediately bet the flop for 2,700 and that ended the hand right there.
New faces in the field include Neill Farrell, Christian Christner, Manig Loeser, Dietrich Fast, Kristen Bicknell, Xixiang Luo and Jack Sinclair. The latter faces Martin Kozlov and Schwippert while Christner battles against Ludovic Geilich and Fast.
The very first "Seat Open" of the tournament was heard and we headed over to see Ben Heath standing looking dejectedly at his .
The board in front of him was meaning Heath had turned a full house. However, his opponent Dave Heskin, who satellited into the $25,000 Challenge last night, held for a rivered full house to knock out his opponent.
According to tablemate Max Silver, in a three-bet pot Heskin bet both flop and turn, with Heath calling. On the river Heskin bet and Heath raised. Heskin moved all in and Heath called and was shown the bad news.
As is customary in these High Roller events, the early stages have thrown up a belter of a starting table.
Seat 1: Kitty Kuo
Kitty Kuo is no stranger to the international poker circuit, with the immensely popular player's biggest result came in 2016 here at the Aussie Millions where she finished 6th in the Main Event for A$270,000.
Seat 2: Antoine Saout
Two-time WSOP final tablist Antoine Saout is next up. Saout has previous in the Aussie Millions $25,000 Challenge, finishing 3rd last year for A$383,040.
Seat 3: Steven van Zadelhoff
Big hair, big player! Steven van Zadelhoff took down the 2017 WCOOP Main Event for $1.6 million, and is looking to have a big 2018.
Seat 4: Jack Salter
No stranger to big buy-in events, Jack Salter has a resume full of poker success. One of his biggest scores came here at the Aussie Millions in 2014, finishing second for A$516,960. He also has three second-place finishes in Aussie Millions ring-events
In a battle button versus big blind, Chance Kornuth's bet of 5,000 on the river of a king-high board was called and the former $25,000 Challenge winner turned over for a turned full house, sevens over queens, to boost his stack early on.
One table over, Felipe Ramos defended his big blind against a raise to 600 by Max Silver. Both players checked the flop and Ramos' bet on the turn won the pot right there. Ramos dropped some chips soon after when calling off a bet of 1,325 on the river and mucked when his opponent showed the for a pair of jacks.
Among the very international field, some locals also stand out to claim the title on home soil. Besides Martin Kozlov, this includes Kahle Burns, Daniel Neilson and Jonathan Karamalikis. The latter ended up on the same table as former $25,000 Challenge winner Chance Kornuth and Alex Foxen.
Max Silver checked to Antoine Saout, who bet 1,500 into a pot of 2,200. Silver then check-raised to 6,500 and his opponent folded. Both players are up over starting stack, with Saout boasting a stack of close to 60,000.
. Each player checked and Serda bet 800 on the 
turn. Muehloecker called and Heskin folded.
and Serda checked to his opponent, who checked back. Serda turned over 
for a straight, and pulled a face when Muehloecker mucked, perhaps annoyed at missing out on some value on the river.
.
river for 7,500 on the button and fellow Belgian Kenny Hallaert in the small blind reluctantly called. Gathy turned over the 
for a full house and that won the pot.
flop and Geilich checked. Fast bet 1,500, which forced two folds, but a check-raise to 5,200 by Geilich did the trick to win the pot uncontested.
flop for 2,700 and that ended the hand right there.
meaning Heath had turned a full house. However, his opponent Dave Heskin, who satellited into the $25,000 Challenge last night, held 
for a rivered full house to knock out his opponent.
for a turned full house, sevens over queens, to boost his stack early on.
flop and Ramos' bet on the 
