AU$10,600 Main Event Day 1b | 2019 Aussie Millions

01-28-2019 14:35 UTC+10

Assorted Counts

Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Chen	50,000 5,000	5,000
[Removed:415]	50,000 13,000	13,000
Dominik Panka	48,000 48,000	48,000

Josip Simunic	43,000 13,000	13,000
Srdjan Brkic	43,000 6,000	6,000
Ashley Sleeth	36,000 2,000	2,000
Yuri Ishida	30,000 30,000	30,000
Scott Davies	30,000 30,000	30,000

[Removed:172]	21,000 -9,000	-9,000
Julien Sitbon	19,000 -4,000	-4,000

Stephen Graner	10,000 -11,000	-11,000

01-28-2019 14:20 UTC+10

Lodge Up at Table of Big Names

Will Shillibier

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

In a field of qualifiers, three big names are seated at the same table. Harry Lodge, Oliver Gill and Usman Siddique are all seated at table 32, with Lodge the big winner so far today.

In one hand Usman Siddique opened to 500 and the big blind called. The big blind check-called 400 on the flop and the pair checked the turn. Siddique folded on the river when the big blind bet out 1,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Harry Lodge	45,000 5,000	5,000

Oliver Gill	28,000 -3,000	-3,000
Usman Siddique	27,000 -2,000	-2,000

Tags: Harry Lodge Oliver Gill Usman Siddique

01-28-2019 14:12 UTC+10

Colman Ships One on Short-Handed Table

Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Two players were missing from their seats while Maxi Lehmanski, Steven Warburton and Julius Colman were involved in the action. Lehmanski bet the turn for 2,500 and Warburton called in the cutoff. Colman raised it up to 8,000 on the button and Lehmanski folded, as did Warburton with the words "I see you raise me so many times" towards Lehmanski.

The reason for the table playing short is the fact that Jonathan Abdellatif and another player had gotten in a hefty discussion and both received a three hand penalty when a rather innocent starting table chat got out of hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Abdellatif	60,000
Steven Warburton	28,000 28,000	28,000
Julius Colman	26,000 -4,000	-4,000
Maxi Lehmanski	23,000 -7,000	-7,000

Tags: Jonathan Abdellatif Julius Colman Maxi Lehmanski Steven Warburton

01-28-2019 14:02 UTC+10

Assorted Counts From Level 2

Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Clinton Taylor appears to be the current chip leader while Shivan Abdine has vanished from the very same table. Among the new entries is Bart Lybaert, who has won an Aussie Millions ring during this festival after taking down the Six Max event for A$ 124,355 .

Player	Chips	Progress
Clinton Taylor	75,000 34,000	34,000
Albert Sapiano	48,000 11,000	11,000
Andrew Chen	45,000 11,000	11,000
Sam Cohen	42,000 9,000	9,000
Daniel Laidlaw	33,000 3,000	3,000
Bart Lybaert	32,000 32,000	32,000
Oliver Gill	31,000 1,000	1,000
Jonathan Roy	30,000 -2,000	-2,000
Sarah Bilney	27,500 -4,500	-4,500
Jonathan Karamalikis	12,000 -18,000	-18,000
Shivan Abdine	Busted

Tags: Aussie Millions Bart Lybaert Clinton Taylor Shivan Abdine

01-28-2019 13:51 UTC+10

Early Double for Abdellatif

Will Shillibier

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Jonathan Abdellatif opened to 600 from the cutoff and got one call before the small blind three-bet to 2,500. Abdellatif was the only caller and the flop came .

The small blind continued for 4,000 and Abdellatif called. The turn was the . This time it checked to Abdellatif who bet 6,500. His opponent then check-raised to 16,000 and Abdellatif called.

The river was the . The small blind bet enough to put Abdellatif all in and the Belgian snap-called.

Player:
Abdellatif:

Abdellatif's opponent simply nodded and handed over the 7,200 chips that Abdellatif behind as he earned an early double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Abdellatif	60,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Jonathan Abdellatif

01-28-2019 13:48 UTC+10

Terminator Update

Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

From a field of 489 entries, the A$ 1,150 Terminator Side Event is down to the last 17 players with Gavin O'Rourke among the big stacks. Fellow Irishman Dara O'Kearney just busted when he got his last 13 big blinds in with versus . The board came and O'Kearney bowed out in 18th place for A$ 2,695.

Ioannis Angelou-Konstas is also still in to chase the Aussie Millions ring and top prize of A$ 59,695.

O'Kearney won't be jumping into the Main Event just yet as the Hyper Turbo Side Event with 10 minute levels has just kicked off, the Irishman will be in action on Day 1c.

Tags: Aussie Millions Dara O'Kearney Gavin O'Rourke Ioannis Angelou Konstas

01-28-2019 13:40 UTC+10

Abdellatif Among New Entries

Christian Zetzsche

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Jonathan Abdellatif just entered while fellow countryman Terry Schumacher busted at the start of level two.

Player	Chips	Progress
Harry Lodge	40,000 10,000	10,000

Ashley Sleeth	34,000 4,000	4,000
Sarah Bilney	32,000 2,000	2,000
Jonathan Abdellatif	30,000 30,000	30,000
Angel Guillen	30,000 30,000	30,000

Usman Siddique	29,000 29,000	29,000
Pascal Rabany	26,000 26,000	26,000
Christian Nolte	17,000 -3,000	-3,000
Terry Schumacher	Busted

Tags: Jonathan Abdellatif Terry Schumacher

01-28-2019 13:35 UTC+10

Getting to Know Deaf Poker World Champion Alisha Wormald

Will Shillibier

Level 2 : 100/200, 0 ante

Alisha Wormald playing in the 2019 Aussie Millions Opening Event

Twelve months ago, Alisha Wormald was railing the Aussie Millions, reporting for Deaf Poker Australia on some of the greatest poker players from around the world, who flock to Melbourne every January for the southern hemisphere’s most prestigious poker tournament.

This year, after a year that even she perhaps could not have predicted, Wormald has been sitting and playing among them as the new Deaf Poker World Champion.

After playing – and winning – her first poker tournament in 2012 at a ladies invitational tournament, Wormald continued to play in tournament home games with Sydney Deaf Poker and at local pub games in the Sydney area.

In October, the Australian Poker Championships were held in Melbourne, with the Main Event doubling as the 2018 International Deaf Poker Federation (IDPF) World Championship.

“I’d been analysing my own performance and adapting better strategies on and off the felt,” said Wormald when we asked her how she had prepared for the tournament. "I know there’s always the small matter of variance and certain things that will be out of your control, but I just wanted to play every hand right.

“On the morning of the tournament, after a solid big breakfast, I just felt this quiet fire within. I expected to crush it and surpass my personal best.”

Not only did Wormald surpass her personal best, but she also ended up winning the 114-player field for AU$5,930 and in doing so become the new Deaf Poker World Champion. She also earned a seat in the 2019 Aussie Millions Opening Event.

2018 Deaf Poker World Champion Alisha Wormald

“It felt absolutely great,” Wormald told PokerNews. “I played my purest poker yet, I was absolutely in the zone for 14 hours straight and I had zero regrets about my plays. I felt pride in how I’ve really focused and honed my game.”

As well as playing, Wormald often blogs and reports for Deaf Poker Australia on major tournaments in Australia, including the Aussie Millions.

Wormald says that when it comes to the reporting side of things, there’s an element of glamorisation of famous poker players when they’re playing. She says that everyone at the poker table is human and has their own specific way of playing, something that reporters often are unable to pick up on.

“When you’re reporting, you don’t see the full story. You note down the players, positions, stacks and hands, but you’re never standing in one place for too long, you’re hopping from table to table like you’re playing online so you don’t get to notice a player’s hand history.

“When you’re playing, you get a deeper insight into the players’ psyche and strategies in the moment; observing, reading being able to develop a mental image of the players’ style and really getting a feel for the nuances of their game.”

So what are the similarities and differences between playing poker as a deaf person and as someone with their hearing?

“The rules and nature of the game are accessible and the same for all. There are basic gestures and visual cues used which are universally understood.

“A disadvantage would actually be for those who aren’t deaf; we definitely have a slight advantage when it comes to picking up tells - reading micro-expressions and body language – they come more naturally to us.”

Looking to the future, Wormald has high hopes of playing in even bigger tournaments.

“I look forward to developing my game further and playing more events both home and abroad. I would love to play the Aussie Millions Main Event, and eventually one day, of course, at the WSOP.

Tags: Alisha Wormald

Level: 2

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

01-28-2019 13:11 UTC+10

Break

Will Shillibier

Level 1 : 50/100, 0 ante

Players are going on their first 15-minute break of the day.