Aussie Millions Highlights
Day 4 Completed
2019 Aussie Millions
Aussie Millions Highlights
Day: 4
Aussie Millions Opening Event Keeps Getting Bigger
The Opening Event at the 2019 Aussie Millions was always going to be big, but as the flights have progressed the numbers have continued to climb and today was no exception.
A total of 446 players entered the penultimate starting flight of the AUD$1,000,000 guaranteed Opening Event, over double the amount that started yesterday's flight. This brings the total number of entrants so far to 1,016 with one flight still to go.
Such was the size of the field today, the tournament was split between the Crown poker room and Exhibition Hall. Eventually, after 12 levels of play, just 56 players joined the 68 already advancing to Day 2 on Sunday.
They include 2014 Aussie Millions runner-up Sorel Mizzi, 2018 WSOP Main Event final tablist Michael Dyer and Frenchman Julien Sitbon.
Mizzi finished in second place to fellow Canadian Ami Barer in 2014, his fourth cash in the Main Event which includes a third and ninth place finish.
In a curious turn of events, there are joint chip leaders after the fourth flight of the Opening Event. Mostafa Haidary and 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event seventh-place finisher Johan Schumacher both finished with 179,900 in chips.
"Very happy to be back," said Schumacher. "I almost forgot how great the people are here. Good atmosphere on every table. A really great day, my first day, and I'm very happy.
"I arrived on Sunday and I decided to just relax and remove all the jet lag. Now I'm full of energy and I've prepared really well. I feel more than comfortable here."
Here is a full list of the players advancing:
| Name | Chip Count |
|---|---|
| Mostafa Haidary | 179,900 |
| Johan Schumacher | 179,900 |
| Thomas Schalze | 152,100 |
| Matt Edwards | 142,500 |
| Michael Dyer | 118,800 |
| Luke Stoke | 114,300 |
| Christos Andreadis | 109,600 |
| Shoshiro Karita | 105,400 |
| Timothy Kuok | 100,800 |
| Scott White | 99,000 |
| Ben Lai | 98,000 |
| Ryucairo Yamhkawa | 93,700 |
| Christoph Strehl | 91,800 |
| Julien Sitbon | 88,700 |
| Sorel Mizzi | 80,300 |
| Yang Lei | 79,000 |
| Scott Davies | 73,100 |
| Scott Wilson | 72,600 |
| Stevan Krmpotic | 68,400 |
| Percy Chao | 65,600 |
| Chico | 61,200 |
| Vera Milinkovic | 60,000 |
| George Giannolidis | 59,600 |
| Rob Raymond | 57,200 |
| Nurbin Boobekov | 57,100 |
| Htet Kwayzin | 56,200 |
| Kim Kyunghoon | 51,900 |
| Suzy Khouris | 47,600 |
| Matthew Wantman | 45,300 |
| Camil Debsia | 44,500 |
| Wu Wei Dai | 43,500 |
| Michael Egan | 42,100 |
| Rodinigo Meneses | 40,500 |
| Andrian Chin | 39,200 |
| Carl Booth | 37,300 |
| Yang Li | 37,100 |
| David Ryan | 34,400 |
| Joel Dodds | 34,300 |
| Adriano Scagnetti | 33,600 |
| Matt Roche | 33,500 |
| Daniel Woscik | 30,900 |
| Matthew Richards | 30,300 |
| Dale Fox | 29,600 |
| Rolf Swannack | 28,100 |
| Kerry Chambers | 26,500 |
| Mosca Enrico | 25,400 |
| I. Ismal | 22,200 |
| Wilson Burridge | 22,100 |
| Bade Connelly | 22,000 |
| Wu Ite Ru | 21,800 |
| Nima Moghini | 21,500 |
| Andrew Michael | 20,400 |
| Rodney Bhan | 19,700 |
| Amanda Onions | 18,600 |
| Toby Meredith | 15,900 |
| Alan Schubert | 11,200 |
With one more flight to go in the Opening Event, stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you continued highlights from the first week of the 2019 Aussie Millions.
Players Flock to the Aussie Millions 'Flip Zone'
Some players dream of playing in a $10,000 tournament such as the Aussie Millions, and will try their hardest each year to satellite into one in the hopes of turning a few hundred bucks into a big score.
However, for those who are reluctant to sit and grind out a satellite in the hopes of binking a seat, the Aussie Millions has something a little different: the Flip Zone.
The rules are simple. Each player gets dealt two cards face up. The dealer runs the board and the winner wins a ticket. However, there is an extra dynamic with several levels of flips.
For example, we caught up with Jack Brown who had just won a ten-handed AUD$106 flip. With no rake, his total winnings came to AUD$1,060 which he then had the option of parlaying into another ten-handed flip, the winner of which would win a AUD$10,600 Aussie Millions Main Event seat.
"I play a couple of them every year," Brown told us shortly after winning the first round flip. "It's just for the mere fact that to me even if you win a $1060 it's like playing a proper Phase 3 satellite but without having to sit there! You end up either getting a seat or you don't. Either way you're going to be happy."
Last year Brown finished 55th in the Main Event for AUD$25,000.
"It was great last year, finishing well into the tournament so I was very happy. I think they've just improved every year. Having Exhibition Hall for all the extra space is great for the poker. I just think they do a fantastic job."
Having watched the festival evolve for the last ten years, Brown says that the Main Event is still an amazing tournament.
"It's just amazing, and it comes with a great structure. The floor staff do a great job every single year without fail. I've been coming for ten years and I've had an absolute ball.
"I don't think I'm in front yet, but I'm getting pretty close!"
Joshua Abady Back in Melbourne One Year On From Deep Aussie Millions Main Event Run
Last year, Joshua Abady rounded off his first full year playing poker with a deep run in the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event, finishing 33rd for AUD$35,000.
He also cashed three times on that trip, and now one year later he's back for more action here in Melbourne and hoping to bring some of his 2018 run good with him!
"At the time it was like my greatest achievement," Abady told PokerNews "At the time I'd never even made a Day 3 before, so making Day 3 and then instantly making Day 4 and playing on feature...I was so proud."
"Last year it was almost like it was impossible for me not to bag! It was like I won every pot. I definitely made a lot of mistakes that's for sure, and I feel like I've improved a lot as a player. I kind of wish that I could take that run good I had last year and bring it with me this year with some more of the skills to go with it.
Abady says that although having a similar international feel to the playing field, the players at the Aussie Millions are a lot more polarized.
"You have some absolute legends and some absolute bananas. The play style is totally different from the WSOP; you have the same mixed bag of international players, but Melbourne is unique. It takes some getting used to."
With the 2019 festival only a few days old, how has Abady found the atmosphere both at the tables and in the casino?
"It seems tougher this year. Everyone has heard that the Aussie Millions is great value; the food, the weather, the Australian Open - and it's summer in January. There are lots of reasons to come.
"Every year you hear people say 'One year I'll go to the Aussie Millions' because it's a big trip to come here. I think that this is the year for a lot of people. I'm expecting some tougher fields, but overall I think it's still pretty good.
And how does he rank his chances of coming, as he puts it, "32 spots higher" in this year's Main Event?
"I'm feeling good. If I can get some holds and run up a stack in one of these events, I like my chances!"
Today at the Aussie Millions: Big Opening Event Flight Field Awaits
A big field is expected in the penultimate flight of the 2019 Aussie Millions AUD$1,150 Opening Event after the first three flights attracted over 500 players.
The Crown is expected to be filled to the brim over the next two days with players hoping to follow in the footsteps of Benedikt Eberle who took down this event for over AUD$300,000 last year.
Players will be hoping they won't need the final flight in the Opening Event which gets underway tomorrow at 12:10 pm.
Here's what's going on today:
| Day | Event | Time | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th January | Opening Event Day 1 Flight 4 | 12:10 PM | AUD$1,150 |
Players will receive 10,000 chips and play 12 40-minute levels. Late registration is open for the first six levels. The final flight is tomorrow at 12:10 pm and is open to all players eliminated from previous flights as well as new players.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the action and highlights from the day's play!
Aussie Millions Highlights
Day 4 Started