Winner Set to be Crowned in Event #2: AUD$2,500 H.O.R.S.E.
4,751 days since winning the 2006 Aussie Millions Main Event, and 2,552 days since his last record cash (according to HendonMob.com) Lee Nelson has made the final table of Event #2: AUD$2,500 H.O.R.S.E. here at the 2019 Aussie Millions.
Despite the gap in his poker resume, Nelson has an impeccable Aussie Millions record. With five victories including winning $949,694 for his 2006 Main Event triumph and 12 more top-ten finishes, Nelson could likely set a record for longest time between Aussie Millions titles.
However there are seven other players standing in his way of collecting the AUD$40,095 in prize money. Here's how the final eight stack up:
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count |
| 1 | Tim Marsters | Australia | 141,500 |
| 2 | Srdjan Brkic | Australia | 83,500 |
| 3 | Lee Nelson | New Zealand | 89,500 |
| 4 | Luke Edwards | Australia | 114,000 |
| 5 | Ashish Gupta | Australia | 39,500 |
| 6 | Billy "The Croc" Argyros | Australia | 131,000 |
| 7 | Michael Moore | United States | 152,500 |
| 8 | Daniel Mayoh | Australia | 58,500 |
Tim Marsters
A third-place finish in this year's USD$3,000 WSOP H.OR.S.E. event as well as cashes in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo and $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha events shows that Marsters is a dangerous mixed game player.
Marsters has previous in H.O.R.S.E. events here in Australia as well, winning a AUD$340 H.O.R.S.E event back in 2008 at the Melbourne Poker Championships. Currently sitting second in chips he'll be looking for an opening to push on towards another victory.
Srdjan Brkic
A regular here at the Crown Casino in its recurring tournaments, Brkic narrowly missed out on an Aussie Millions title last year when he finished second in the 6-Max for AUD$20,350.
Back in 2014, Brkic final-tabled this event finishing third for AUD$18,000.
Lee Nelson
Nelson told PokerNews that his reason for coming back to the Aussie Millions after a long period of not attending was due to his "wife's fortune teller." Apparently, the fortune teller was "1000% sure" that Nelson would win at least one tournament.
Well, the Australian Poker Hall of Famer has a chance to prove the fortune teller was right today when play resumes. A favorite of many on these shores, he certainly has the history at the venue to secure another victory.
Luke Edwards
With his last cash in Barcelona last summer, Edwards snuck into the top 100 on the Australian all-time money list, with just shy of USD$500,000 in cashes. His only cashes at the Aussie Millions are a pair from 2014 in the Bounty and 6-Max tournaments, but appears to have branched out and now is poised to cash in a mixed game event for the first time.
Ashish Gupta
With Aussie Millions cashes stretching back to 2009, Gupta will start the final table as the short stack. The Australian has a string of cashes from the WSOP including cashing the USD$1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The best result of his career came here in Melbourne, winning the APPT Main Event for AUD$235,875 back in October 2016. Can he run the short stack up to victory here just under three years later?
Billy 'The Croc' Argyros
Argyros allegedly gained the nickname 'The Croc' whilst playing against Johnny Moss in a satellite for the WSOP. He introduced himself as 'Crocodile Billy', copied from the movie 'Crocodile Dundee' which was popular at the time.
With a fourth-place finish in the 2008 World Series of Poker, 'The Croc' has shown he has more than enough bite and won a special AUD$10,500 H.O.R.S.E. event at the 2008 Aussie Millions. Sitting third in chips, Argyros will be eyeing up another win in the same format.
Michael Moore
This time last year, Moore cashed both Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments at the 2018 Aussie Millions for combined cashes of AUD$30,000.
This year, on his fourth visit to Melbourne for the Aussie Millions Moore bagged the chip lead in the AUD$2,500 H.O.R.S.E. and will prove tough opposition when play resumes.
Daniel Mayoh
It appears that three fewer games haven't proved to be the difference for Mayoh, who has recorded strong performances in 8-Game Events at both the 2017 and 2018 Melbourne Poker Championships.
Mayoh comes into the final table second-shortest in chips behind Ashish Gupta, but the Crown Casino regular will certainly put in a battling performance in another mixed game event.
