AU$100,000 Challenge
Day 1 Completed
2019 Aussie Millions
AU$100,000 Challenge
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
100,000 AUD
Prize Pool
4,116,000 AUD
Entries
42
Level
19
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Cary Katz Tops 33-Entrant Field to Lead Remaining 14 Players into Day 2 of AU$100,000 Challenge
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Day 1 of Event #20: AU$100,000 Challenge from the 2019 Aussie Millions has come to a conclusion with the 33-entrant field reduced down to just 14 players with Cary Katz the overall chip leader.
Katz has been a regular on the high roller scene around the world collecting cashes and victories on his way to amassing over $17.3 million in lifetime earnings. The one result missing on Katz's poker resume is a tournament score on the shores of Australia, but with his start here on Day 1, Katz has put himself in fantastic position to make a run at the AU$100,000 Challenge title to join the likes of fellow Americans Nick Petrangelo, Andrew Roble, Dan Smith, Dan Shak, Howard Lederer, and Erick Lindgren as previous winners of the Aussie Millions AU$100,000 Challenge.
Day 1 action began at Crown Melbourne with a table of players that swiftly developed into two. Two changes were made to the structure of the tournament which included the implementation of the big blind ante and the addition of a 30-second shot clock and four 60-second time extension buttons to speed up play throughout the event.
As players continually joined the field, many were forced to re-enter as the likes of Rainer Kempe, Manig Loeser, Kristen Bicknell, Kahle Burns, and Thomas Muehloecker were forced to fire re-entries. Bicknell and Burns found themselves on the rail at the conclusion of play alongside the likes of AU$50,000 Challenge winner Toby Lewis, Tobias Ziegler, Julien Martini, and Koray Aldemir as just 14 players survived into Day 2.
Courtesy of a turn check-raise all-in on the penultimate hand of the day, Katz snatched the chip lead and ended the day with 1,108,000. On his heels is Alex Foxen who shot out to the chip lead in the first few levels, and although he slipped back to the middle of the pack, he finished strong to end with 999,000 in chips. Behind Foxen is Manig Loeser who fired three bullets in the event but fortunately ended with 872,000 and will be looking to improve on his second-place in this event last year. Abraham Passet (751,000), Johannes Becker (730,000) and Tsugunari Toma (713,000) are the only other players that sit with an above-average chip stack.
Day 2 is set to begin at 12:10 p.m. (AEDT) on Saturday, February 2, and registration and re-entries are open through the first level of play and will close at the beginning of level 11 (approximately 1:10 p.m.). With the Aussie Millions Main Event having a scheduled day off before the final table, several players are likely to jump in the AU$100,000 Challenge including Bryn Kenney and Michael Addamo.
Play kicks off at 12:10 p.m. (AEDT) with the PokerNews Live Reporting Team providing continuous live updates of all the AU$100,000 Challenge. So stay tuned right here to PokerNews.com for all the live coverage from the 2019 Aussie Millions.
End-of-Day 1 Chip Counts and Seating Draw
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | Michael Zhang | United Kingdom | 496,000 | 41 |
| 8 | 2 | Johannes Becker | Germany | 730,000 | 61 |
| 8 | 3 | Mustapha Kanit | Italy | 419,000 | 35 |
| 8 | 4 | Alex Foxen | United States | 999,000 | 83 |
| 8 | 5 | Abraham Passet | Germany | 751,000 | 63 |
| 8 | 6 | Huang Shan | China | 489,000 | 41 |
| 8 | 7 | Tsugunari Toma | Japan | 713,000 | 59 |
| 8 | 8 | Thomas Muehloecker | Austria | 528,000 | 44 |
| 10 | 1 | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | 242,000 | 20 |
| 10 | 2 | Michael Soyza | Malaysia | 399,000 | 33 |
| 10 | 3 | Dominik Nitsche | Germany | 390,000 | 33 |
| 10 | 4 | -- empty -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 10 | 5 | Cary Katz | United States | 1,108,000 | 92 |
| 10 | 6 | -- empty -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 10 | 7 | Manig Loeser | Germany | 872,000 | 73 |
| 10 | 8 | Rainer Kempe | Germany | 107,000 | 9 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,108,000 | -16,000 |
|
999,000 | 63,000 |
|
872,000 | 7,000 |
|
751,000 | 164,000 |
|
730,000 | -32,000 |
|
713,000 | 63,000 |
|
528,000 | -15,000 |
|
496,000 | 161,000 |
|
489,000 | -56,000 |
|
419,000 | -71,000 |
|
399,000 | 119,000 |
|
390,000 | -190,000 |
|
242,000 | 60,000 |
|
107,000 | 50,000 |
Katz Scoops Penultimate Hand of the Night to Take Chip Lead
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Cary Katz opened with a raise and Tsugunari Toma three-bet him next to act.
Katz called, and on the 
flop, he check-called another bet as the turn landed the 
.
Katz checked, Toma bet 200,000, and Katz used one of his time extension chips before check-raising all in for 528,000.
Toma folded, and Katz scooped the pot and soared into the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,124,000 | 319,000 |
|
|
650,000 | -682,000 |
Two More Hands
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
The tournament director has announced that there will be just two more hands in the day.
Becker Doubles Through Zhang
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Johannes Becker raised to 26,000 from the cutoff. Michael Zhang was in the small blind and moved all in for 706,000. Rainer Kempe folded his big blind. With the decision back on Becker, he thought for a moment, then called with 371,000 in his stack.
Johannes Becker: 
Michael Zhang: 
The board ran out 
to see Becker dodge all of Zhang's outs heading to the river before taking down the pot with two pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
762,000 | 342,000 |
|
|
335,000 | -291,000 |
Loeser Clips Katz
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Cary Katz opened to 25,000 in middle position and Manig Loeser defended his big blind.
The flop landed 
and both players checked to reveal the 
on the turn.
Loeser led out for 38,000 and Katz bumped it up to 90,000. Loeser called, and then both players checked the 
on the river.
Katz tabled his 
, but it would be Loeser's that would see him collect the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
865,000 | 65,000 |
|
|
805,000 | -145,000 |
Katz Flushes Loeser
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Cary Katz raised to 21,000 from under the gun before Manig Loeser re-raised to 74,000 from the hijack. Katz called.
The flop fell 
and Katz checked. Loeser continued for 56,000. Katz called.
The turn dropped the and Katz reached for his chips and splashed out 131,000. Loeser called moments later.
Both players then opted to check after the 
completed the board.
Katz then tabled his 
for a turned flush and took down the pot after Loeser reluctantly mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
950,000 | 275,000 |
|
|
800,000 | -243,000 |
Chen Eliminated by Toma
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
On a flop of , Tao Chen was all in for roughly 300,000 against Tsugunari Toma.
Chen: 
Toma: 
The turn and river landed the and 
and Chen was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,332,000 | 398,000 |
|
Busted |
Bicknell Eliminated by Zhang
Level 9
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Kristen Bicknell was all in for her last 151,000 from the small blind against Michael Zhang on the button.
Bicknell: 
Zhang:
The board ran out 
and Bicknell was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
626,000 | 141,000 |
|
Busted |