This Week's Big Winner: Shurane Vijayaram Wins 2017 Aussie Millions Main Event

In mid-January, Shurane Vijayaram decided to try his hand in an AUD $130 rebuy event at Crown Casino and ended up winning a seat in the 2017 Aussie Millions main event. The Melbourne local made the most of his opportunity, defeating a field of 725 entrants to capture the title and the first-place prize of $1,600,000 AUD ($1,216,000.)

This was Vijayaram’s first recorded live-tournament cash, as the amateur poker enthusiast usually plays in low-stakes cash games or pub poker tournaments. His lifetime live earnings literally went from $0 to more than $1.2 million overnight.

Vijayaram’s road to victory was far from easy, however, even though he entered the seven-handed final table as the runaway chip leader. He was joined there by a number of seasoned opponents including Jeff Rossiter, David Olson, Ben Heath, and Fedor Holz, who is fresh off winning more than $16 million in 2016 on the live tournament circuit.
Here are the five biggest hands that propelled Vijayaram to the win.

Tournament – Aussie Millions Main Event
Buy-In: AUD $10,000 ($7,555)
No. of Entries: 725
Prize Pool: AUD $7,685,000 ($5,477,919)
1st Place Prize: AUD $1,600,000 ($1,216,000)

The Action

After cracking the pocket aces of Nino Marotta with a turned straight, Shurane Vijayaram saw himself atop the leaderboard. Then, with 11 players remaining, he raised to 90,000 from middle position and Mustapha Kanit three-bet him to 330,000 from the button. Vijayaram called and the flop fell J 8 2. Vijayaram checked and Kanit bet another 330,000. Vijayaram called and the turn was the 5. Vijayaram checked again, and this time, Kanit bet 780,000. Vijayaram asked for a count before then moving all-in for 3,590,000. Kanit went into the tank for more than three minutes before finally folding.

The Action

After securing a monster chip lead entering the final table, Vijayaram mostly stayed out of trouble until four-handed play began. Sitting in second place, he raised to 280,000 from under the gun and was three-bet by Tobias Hausen in the big blind to 1,100,000. Vijayaram then moved all in for a total of 5,700,000 and Hausen wasted no time calling with A K. Vijayaram held pocket sixes, meaning this flip was worth a potential 60 percent of the chips in play. The board ran out J 9 5 6 7 and Vijayaram doubled to take a huge lead over his three remaining competitors.

The Action

Less than two orbits after Vijayaram’s double, Jeff Rossiter raised to 240,000 from under the gun and Vijayaram moved all in from the big blind. Rossiter went into the tank for several minutes before eventually calling with pocket sixes. Vijayaram showed K J for two overs, and they connected as the board rolled out K 10 8 10 J. Despite Hausen sitting on 12 big blinds, he moved up the pay ladder while Rossiter took home AUD $440,000 for his fourth-place run. The pot gave Vijayaram roughly two-third of the chips in play.

The Action

Vijayaram raised to 380,000 from the button and Hausen moved all in for 1,265,000 from the small blind. Vijayaram thought it over for about a minute before calling with J 10, only to see he was dominated by Hausen’s A J. According to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator, Vijayaram was only about 28 percent to win the hand. The flop of A K 2, gave him a gutshot straight draw, but left him with only a 16 percent chance of winning. Instead, the Q hit the turn, giving him a Broadway straight. The river was the 8 and Hausen was eliminated, taking home AUD $620,000 for his third-place showing.

The Action

Vijayaram raised to 350,000 on the button and Ben Heath called from the big blind. The flop fell 9 7 6 and Heath checked. Vijayaram bet 400,000 and Heath called. The turn was the 3 and Heath checked again. Vijayaram bet 500,000 and this time, Heath check-raised to 1,390,000. Vijayaram called and the river was the Q. Heath moved all in for 3,200,000. Vijayaram went into the tank for a long time, about five minutes, before finally convincing himself to call with pocket fives. Heath reluctantly turned over K 8 for a busted draw and Vijayaram dragged the final pot of the tournament. Heath banked AUD $1,000,000 for his effort, while Vijayaram took home the AUD $1,600,000 first-place prize and the title.

Final Table Results

1. Shurane Vijayaram — AUD $1,600,000 ($1,216,000)
2. Ben Heath — AUD $1,000,000 ($760,000)
3. Tobias Hausen — AUD $620,000 ($471,200)
4. Jeff Rossiter — AUD $440,000 ($334,400)
5. Fedor Holz — AUD $335,000 ($254,600)
6. David Olson — AUD $270,000 ($205,200)
7. Luke Roberts — AUD $210,000 ($159,600)