In a blind battle, action was on Shane Vijayaram in the big blind. With the board reading 
, Vijayaram bet 4,900 and his opponent called.
On the 
river, the small blind opted to lead out for 7,700. Vijayaram grumbled and instantly flung his 
open in the muck. The small blind showed the 
and raked in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
15,500
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
||
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
49,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
44,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
35,500
1,500
|
1,500 |
|
||
|
33,500
1,500
|
1,500 |
|
||
|
32,000
20,400
|
20,400 |
|
31,000 | |
|
||
|
31,000 | |
|
22,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
15,200
16,100
|
16,100 |
|
|
||
|
12,000
4,500
|
4,500 |
|
||
|
9,400
9,700
|
9,700 |
Gerald Karlic bet 1,800 when the blinds checked to him on a 
flop and everyone stuck around to see the turn. That checked through, bringing a 
. Karlic bet 6,200 after his opponents checked, and the small blind tanked awhile then flicked in a call. Matt Berkey mucked in the big.
Karlic tossed 
into the middle and lost a showdown to 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
42,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
More people than ever before have travelled to the Crown Casino in Melbourne to contest for Aussie Millions glory. With 374 entries on Day 1c after four levels of play, the total number of entries for the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event is currently at 782, making it the largest field ever in the tournament's rich 21-year history.
The previous record was set in 2008 when 781 players entered, and where eventual winner Alexander "joiso" Kostritsyn laid the foundation for his later high stakes career.
The total number of players is expected to rise, as players are still able to register up until the end of level 8, which is the first level of Day 2.
| Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 74 | A$74,000 | Alex Horowitz | A$25,900 |
| 1999 | 109 | A$109,000 | Milo Nadalin | A$38,150 |
| 2000 | 109 | A$173,500 | Leo Boxell | A$65,225 |
| 2001 | 101 | A$151,500 | Sam Korman | A$53,025 |
| 2002 | 66 | A$330,000 | John Maver | A$150,000 |
| 2003 | 122 | A$1,220,000 | Peter Costa | A$394,870 |
| 2004 | 133 | A$1,330,000 | Tony Bloom | A$426,500 |
| 2005 | 263 | A$2,630,000 | Jamil Dia | A$1,000,000 |
| 2006 | 418 | A$4,180,000 | Lee Nelson | A$1,295,800 |
| 2007 | 747 | A$7,470,000 | Gus Hansen | A$1,500,000 |
| 2008 | 780 | A$7,758,500 | Alexander Kostritsyn | A$1,650,000 |
| 2009 | 681 | A$6,810,000 | Stewart Scott | A$2,000,000 |
| 2010 | 746 | A$7,460,000 | Tyron Krost | A$2,000,000 |
| 2011 | 721 | A$7,210,000 | David Gorr | A$2,000,000 |
| 2012 | 659 | A$6,590,000 | Oliver Speidel | A$1,600,000 |
| 2013 | 629 | A$6,290,000 | Mervin Chan | A$1,600,000 |
| 2014 | 668 | A$6,680,000 | Ami Barer | A$1,600,000 |
| 2015 | 648 | A$6,480,000 | Manny Stavropoulos | A$1,385,500 |
| 2016 | 732 | A$7,320,000 | Ari Engel | A$1,600,000 |
| 2017 | 725 | A$7,370,000 | Shurane Vijayaram | A$1,600,000 |
| 2018 | 782* | TBD | TBD | TBD |
* Late registration still open.
Unlike on Day 1b there was no massive big stack before the dinner break and there is none thus far either, but Chul-Hyon Park has just emerged with a six-figure stack after sending Sam Greenwood to the rail.
According to Matthew Wakeman and other players at the table, it was a classic coin flip that saw Greenwood run out of chips. Wakeman had raised to 900 from under the gun and Greenwood from one seat over three-bet to 2,700. Park was in the big blind and four-bet to 9,400, forcing a fold from Wakeman. Greenwood moved all in for 32,000 and was called to see the Canadian turn over 
and Park had a flip with 
. Three nines on the flop and a blank 
on the turn brought no upset just yet, but a king on the river improved Park.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
We found Mustapha Kanit all in for 16,375, which looked to be only a little under the size of the pot. The board had come 
and Kanit was in middle position facing an under-the-gun opponent deep in the tank. It appeared a clock had already been called, and Kanit's opponent sighed and then called as the final countdown was beginning.
The Italian slapped down 
for a bluff and took his leave when the 
got shown down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
||
Chi Zhang raised and called a three-bet by Marc Foggin to see a flop of 
, on which he checked and subsequently check-raised from 2,200 to 6,600. Foggin called and the 
on the turn brought a bet of 12,300 by Zhang. Foggin moved all in and Zhang needed quite some time to act. It was as much time that the clock was called on him, and one minute ran down without any decision to see Zhang's cards declared dead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
31,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
For those of you following the coverage from the Northern hemisphere, the name Adam Goodes might not ring a bell. Here down South, however, Goodes is widely known and considered a legend in Aussie Rules football. Goodes is a two-time Australian Football League (AFL) Premiership winner with the Sydney Swans, the team he played for his entire professional career.
Goodes is considered one of the best utility players and is also a two-time Brownlow medalist, awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the AFL during the home-and-away season.
The Australian's versatility stretches beyond the oval-shaped Aussie Rules football field. After Goodes had raised to 1,000 on the button and the small blind called, the player in the big blind three-bet to 3,500. Goodes then four-bet to 9,000, leaving himself with 32,000 behind. The big blind considered it briefly, before flashing what appeared to be two paint cards in the muck. Goodes showed a measly pair, 
, and added more chips to his stack.
"The best thing about poker is the people you get to play against. I've been playing against some awesome professional poker players, but instead of sitting there in awe of them I've been watching and trying to learn." Goodes said yesterday before he announced the shuffle up and deal for Day 1b. "The biggest thing to learn is that you have to minimize your mistakes because if you make one on the big stage it'll cost you your stack!"
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
48,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
According to a player at Ben Heath's old table, the Brit's fast start did not portend a big day as he went bust. Ironically, one year after Heath bluffed it all off heads up for the Aussie Millions title, he went bust on another bluff. This time, the player said, Heath tried piling on a four-flush board but didn't have it and mucked when he got called.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
80,000 | |
|
48,600
7,600
|
7,600 |
|
||
|
48,000
14,800
|
14,800 |
|
||
|
|
39,300
15,300
|
15,300 |
|
38,500
500
|
500 |
|
|
26,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
23,500
12,500
|
12,500 |
|
18,200
2,200
|
2,200 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Antonis Kambouroglou, to most in Australia also known as "Toothpick Tony", had a short stack at risk for 17,125 on the 
and turned over the . Unfortunately, his opponent had flopped trips with 
and the 
turn and river were both blanks.
Below are further assorted counts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
115,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
110,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
80,000
48,000
|
48,000 |
|
|
||
|
64,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
49,000
49,000
|
49,000 |
|
40,000
13,300
|
13,300 |
|
||
|
39,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
30,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
18,000
15,500
|
15,500 |
|
|
||
