$10,600 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2018 Aussie Millions
$10,600 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2018 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
10,600 AUD
Prize Pool
8,000,000 AUD
Entries
800
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000
2018 Aussie Millions Main Event Off to a Good Start; Former Champions Stavropoulos and Gorr Advance on Day 1a
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
The 2018 Aussie Millions $A10,600 Main Event is off to a good start at the Crown Casino in Melbourne after a total of 212 players entered the first of three available flights, exactly the same as last year on Day 1a. Seven levels of 90 minutes each saw the field cut down in more than half as only 96 hopefuls remained at the end of the night.
It was a very close race for the overnight lead with several contenders for the top spot, and Lee Armstrong ended up on top with 165,400, narrowly ahead of John Overbeek's 164,400. Other big stacks and notables of the first flight include Mike Del Vecchio (153,900), Alex Lee Lin Hwaa (151,900), Cale Treacy (151,000), Najeem Ajez (150,800), Michael Egan (126,700), Duff Charette (96,700), Harry Demetriou (83,200), Benny Spindler (75,700), Daniel Neilson (59,000), Max Silver (44,900) and Kristen Bicknell (19,900).
Two former Aussie Millions Main Event champions took part in Manny Stavropoulos and David Gorr, the latter in fact spent the majority of the day right below his winning shot in the biggest casino complex of the Southern hemisphere. Stavropoulos scored a vital double with aces versus kings mid-way through the day and bagged up a very healthy 105,200, while Gorr advanced to Day 2 with 35,600.
"I've played a couple since (I won) but it's great. The long answer is it doesn't feel all that different, but it's always good to play and have some chips to go through to Day 2 with. It always feels good. But as everyone says, you want to go far and make another deep run!" the 2015 champion Stavropoulos shared in the last level of the night.
Another big name Down Under took part and steadily grinded up his stack in Australian Poker Hall of Fame member Mel Judah
(86,900), Billy "The Croc" Argyros was less fortunate and busted. Judah sent several players to the rail including three-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gathy, who flopped an ace with ace-six suited only to see Judah turn a set of tens to eliminate the Belgian.
The day started with a bang when some 120 players had just taken their seats, as Kenny Hallaert endured a nightmare of just 13 minutes. Seven minutes into the Main Event, the Belgian turned top two pair with ace-ten suited in a three-bet pot and reluctantly called a big river shove only to lose all but one big blind against pocket aces for top set.
Samantha Abernathy, who finished third in the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event two years ago, was eliminated in a three-way all in that also saw David “MissOracle” Yan hit the rail. Yan jammed a five-way flop with bottom pair and a gutshot to pick up calls from Abernathy and George Mamacas. Abernathy bet a king on the turn and shoved the river when a five appeared. Mamacas called with six-four for top pair that improved to a straight and Abernathy's set of kings was no good.
Other big names that took part and left the poker room of the Crown Casino empty-handed were Jake Balsiger, Jake Schwartz, Steven van Zadelhoff, Heidi May, Vojtech Ruzicka, Christopher Soyza, Rory Brown and Lily Kiletto to name just a few.
Action for the second flight will get underway at 12.30 p.m. local time on Monday, January 29, and the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor to provide all the action.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
165,400 | 13,400 |
|
164,400 | 4,400 |
|
153,800 | -11,200 |
|
151,900 | -8,100 |
|
|
151,000 | 51,000 |
|
150,800 | -24,200 |
|
126,700 | 16,700 |
|
|
123,600 | -11,400 |
|
117,400 | -27,600 |
|
|
117,200 | |
|
113,200 | -16,800 |
|
105,200 | -16,800 |
|
|
98,400 | 13,400 |
|
96,700 | 1,700 |
|
95,900 | 60,900 |
|
92,300 | |
|
|
90,300 | |
|
|
89,700 | -10,300 |
|
89,500 | 4,500 |
|
86,900 | 6,900 |
|
84,400 | |
|
83,900 | -19,100 |
|
83,200 | -16,800 |
|
|
83,200 | 3,200 |
|
81,100 | 6,100 |
Four More
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
Each table will deal four more hands before bagging for the night.
Armstrong Forced to Sweat
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
Facing a bet of 14,000 on a 
flop, Lee Armstrong shoved all in for approximately 30,000 more effective and received a call from his opponent in the big blind. Armstrong tabled 
for top two and was miles ahead of his opponent's 
. The board ran out 
and 
, enabling Armstrong to dodge a turned straight draw.
After the hand, he told his neighbor that he had opened the pot early and gotten three-bet by the player with ten-six, who was in the big blind.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
152,000 | 2,000 |
Mamacas Caught Bluffing
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
George Mamacas was in late position and fired in a nearly pot-sized bet of 12,000 after two players checked to him on 
. The first player mucked but the second was stickier and put in a call after some thought.
"I guess we're chopping," Mamacas joked, tossing 
into the middle.
His opponent rolled over 
and took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
135,000 |
Big Stacks Near the End
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
It appears to be a close race for the chip lead at the end of Day 1a and several players aim for the top spot with John Overbeek, Alex lee Lin Hwaa, Mike Del Vecchio and Najeem Ajez as most likely contenders.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
175,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
165,000 | 25,000 |
|
|
160,000 | 4,000 |
|
|
160,000 | |
|
|
150,000 | 84,000 |
|
|
135,000 | -5,000 |
|
|
130,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
110,000 | 32,000 |
|
85,000 | 85,000 |
Silver Chases Bicknell
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
Kristen Bicknell and Max Silver built a pot with multiple raises preflop and each put in 5,400 on a 
flop, though we didn't see who the aggressor was. Both checked the turn and Bicknell checked the 
river. Silver fired in 13,000 and earned the pot without showdown when Bicknell folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
44,000 | 16,000 |
|
33,000 | -15,000 |
Puia Eliminates Two Players
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
Eddie Puia raised to 2,500. Rory Brown three-bet all in for 10,800 from the button and Jim Andreadis four-bet all in for 17,200. Puia thought for a while before calling, putting two players at risk.
Eddie Puia: 
Rory Brown: 
Jim Andreadis:
The flop came 
handing Puia the lead. The turn 
and river changed nothing and both Andreadis and Brown were sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
85,000 | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Another Bounty for Stavropoulos
Level 7
: 300/600, 100 ante
Manny Stavropoulos looked up the all in of a short stack for 10,600 and had the dominating hand in 
, while the player at risk turned over . On the 
flop some outs were gone and the 
turn and 
river bricked off. After his big double earlier on, the 2015 Aussie Millions champion continues with a comfortable stack of double the average in the last level of Day 1.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
122,000 | 7,000 |