With plenty of chips already in the middle, the flop saw Michael Ryan and Clinton Taylor invest 4,000 each in a battle cutoff versus button. On the turn, Ryan check-called a bet of 5,400 and the river was checked. Ryan flashed red aces and Taylor won the pot with for a straight.
Do Hoang also chipped up on the same table soon after when his jacks held up versus for a busted straight draw. They are joined by Shivan Abdine and Jonathan Karamalikis.
The German-speaking regulars at the international poker tables are slowly but surely tricking in with Julian Stuer, Maxi Lehmanski and [Removed:172] now all in action. They are joined by Jesse Sylvia, who can now be found over on table 25, as well as Daniel Hachem.
According to Tatjana Zizic, Jan Suchanek lost all the big hands he played early on and word on the street is that the final hand of the Kiwi saw it get in with pocket aces and Amanda De Cesare hit a flush on the river. Suchanek will likely be back in poker action later on, albeit at the higher stakes limit cash game tables in the Crown poker room.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
flop saw Michael Ryan and Clinton Taylor invest 4,000 each in a battle cutoff versus button. On the 
turn, Ryan check-called a bet of 5,400 and the 
river was checked. Ryan flashed red aces and Taylor won the pot with 
for a straight.
for a busted straight draw. They are joined by Shivan Abdine and Jonathan Karamalikis.
versus 
. The board came 
and O'Kearney bowed out in 18th place for A$ 2,695.
.
. This time it checked to Abdellatif who bet 6,500. His opponent then check-raised to 16,000 and Abdellatif called. 
. The small blind bet enough to put Abdellatif all in and the Belgian snap-called.
