AU$50,000 Challenge
Day 2 Completed
2019 Aussie Millions
AU$50,000 Challenge
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
50,000 AUD
Prize Pool
3,007,000 AUD
Entries
62
Level
20
Blinds
12,000 / 24,000
Ante
24,000
Toby Lewis Leads Final 5 in AU$50,000 Challenge; AU$971,850 for the Winner
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
After nearly 13 levels of tournament poker, the Event #12: AU$50,000 Challenge has concluded for the evening with just five players remaining from yet another record-setting field here at the 2019 Aussie Millions
Following a shortened day yesterday that saw 23 players survive from the 37-entrants, an immediate influx of returning players and new entrants started Day 2 as the tournament swelled to final number of 62-entrants. International tournament veterans such as Chino Rheem, Bryn Kenney, Mustapha Kanit, Alex Foxen, Jack Salter, Kristen Bicknell, Cary Katz, and Maria Ho were a handful of the names in the field alongside local players Kahle Burns, Rory Young, Sam Higgs, and Luke Martinelli.
Unfortunately those players all found themselves on the rail throughout the day as just five players would bag chips and enter the unscheduled Day 3 on Tuesday, January 29 at 2 p.m. (AEDT).
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bjorn Li | Hong Kong | 847,000 | 53 |
| 2 | Toby Lewis | United Kingdom | 1,040,000 | 65 |
| 3 | Dominik Nitsche | Germany | 464,000 | 29 |
| 4 | Manig Loeser | Germany | 605,000 | 38 |
| 7 | Thomas Muehloecker | Austria | 144,000 | 9 |
Defending Aussie Millions Champion Toby Lewis is the current chip leader with 1,040,000 fresh off his second-place in the AU$25,000 Challenge. Bjorn Li sits second in chips after eliminating Tobias Ziegler in sixth-place, while Manig Loeser held the chip lead for the majority of the final table until he slipped late and finished third overall. Dominik Nitsche and Thomas Muehloecker round out the final two chip counts.
The final five players will all be looking to capture their lion's share of the over AU$3 million prize pool, and with the title of an Aussie Millions Champion, and the ANTON Championship awaiting the eventual winner, here is how the payouts sit for the remaining players:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (AUD) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | -- | -- | $971,850 | $699,732 |
| 2nd | -- | -- | $618,450 | $445,284 |
| 3rd | -- | -- | $412,300 | $296,856 |
| 4th | -- | -- | $323,950 | $233,244 |
| 5th | -- | -- | $235,600 | $169,632 |
| 6th | Tobias Ziegler | Germany | $206,150 | $148,428 |
| 7th | Michael Zhang | United Kingdom | $176,700 | $127,224 |
Play resumes in the Event #12: AU$50,000 Challenge at 2 p.m. (AEDT) with the PokerNews Live Reporting Team back to provide all the continued updates until a winner is crowned. So stay tuned right here to PokerNews.com as we crown the newest Aussie Millions Champion along with providing all the exclusive coverage of the remainder of the 2019 Aussie Millions.
End-of-Day 2 Chip Counts
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,040,000 | |
|
847,000 | -18,000 |
|
605,000 | 5,000 |
|
464,000 | 95,000 |
|
144,000 | -104,000 |
Lewis Takes From Loeser
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
The board read 
and there was a pot of almost 200,000 already in the middle of the table.
Manig Loeser was in the big blind and bet out 92,000. Toby Lewis was seated on the button and thought for 30 seconds before raising to 250,000. Loeser was taken back by the raise but called moments later.
Lewis then tabled 
for a full house and took down the pot after Loeser mucked his hand in disbelief.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,040,000 | 213,000 |
|
|
600,000 | -320,000 |
Lewis Pressures Li
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Bjorn Li raised to 26,000 from under the gun before Toby Lewis re-raised to 90,000 from the cutoff. Li called.
The flop came 
and Li checked. Lewis bet 70,000. Li called.
Both players checked the 
on the turn before the 
completed the board.
Li checked. Lewis took his 30 seconds before announcing 180,000 and sliding out the bet. Li thought for a moment before opting to fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
865,000 | -145,000 |
|
|
827,000 | 222,000 |
Tobias Ziegler Eliminated in 6th Place (AU$206,150)
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Tobias Zielger raised to 240,000 from the cutoff leaving himself 10,000 behind. Bjorn Li was in the big blind and quickly called not realising the chips behind.
Both players then watched the flop fall 
before Li moved all in. Ziegler called off for his remaining chips.
Bjorn Li: 
Tobias Ziegler: 
Li had Ziegler dominated with his pocket pair and would hold on to win the hand after the board ran out the 
and .
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,010,000 | 265,000 |
|
Busted |
Michael Zhang Eliminated in 7th Place (AU$176,700)
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Toby Lewis opened to 27,000 from middle position before Michael Zhang shoved from the big blind for roughly 150,000. Lewis called.
Zhang:
Lewis: 
The board ran out 
and Zhang was eliminated in seventh-place for a AU$176,700 payday.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
605,000 | 135,000 |
|
Busted |
Muehloecker Doubles Through Nitsche
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Thomas Muehloecker moved all in for 112,000 from the hijack before the decision fell on Dominik Nitsche in the small blind. He asked for a count then called. Manig Loeser peeked at his cards from the big blind and opted to muck his hand.
Thomas Muehloecker: 
Dominik Nitsche: 
Muehloecker was at risk until the board ran out 
seeing him flop a pair to take down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
369,000 | -146,000 |
|
|
248,000 | 91,000 |
Top Pair for Nitsche
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Bjorn Li raised to 26,000 from the hijack and Dominik Nitsche called on the button.
The flop landed 
and both players checked to reveal the on the turn.
Li bet 28,000, and Nitsche called as the 
landed on the river.
Li bet 50,000 and Nitsche called. Li tabled his , but it would be Nitsche's 
that would earn him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
745,000 | -70,000 |
|
|
515,000 | 148,000 |
Loeser the Aggressor
Level 17
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Manig Loeser raised to 25,000 from under the gun and was called by Dominik Nitsche in the big blind.
The flop came 
and Nitsche checked. Loeser continued for 16,000. Nitsche called.
The turned brought the and Nitsche checked. Loeser reached for his chips and splashed out 54,000. Nitsche shook his head before tossing his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
920,000 | 50,000 |
|
|
367,000 | -7,000 |