This Week's Big Winner: Vincent Wan Wins 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event

The 2020 Aussie Millions $10,600 AUD no-limit hold’em main event attracted a field of 820 total entries, falling just three entries short of breaking the event’s attendance record which was set in 2019. The massive turnout built a prize pool equivalent to more than $5.6 million USD. In the end, Melbourne resident Vincent Wan emerged victorious with the title, earning $909,420 USD for the win.

“I’m lost for words. I’m just tripping out at the moment. I was just wanting to min-cash at one point so I’m struggling; I’m just delirious at the moment,” Wan said when interviewed by Aussie Millions Tournament Director Joel Williams after securing the title. “I can’t believe my luck. Thank you to all the other players. Basically, it’s ten years of my life just grinding and working and trying to get here. I can’t believe I did it.”

In addition to the title and the money, Wan was also awarded 2,280 Card Player Player of the Year points as the champion of this event. The massive victory was enough to see Wan surge into the outright lead in the 2020 POY race standings, which are sponsored by Global Poker.

Wan came into the final day of this event in third chip position with seven players remaining, but had plenty of time to work his way back at a final table that lasted more than 400 hands and ran for 15 hours. Here are the five key hands that propelled him to the title.

Tournament – Aussie Millions Main Event
Buy-In: AUD$10,000 • No. of Entries: 820 • Prize Pool: AUD$8,200,000
1st Place Prize: AUD$1,318,000

The Action

Sideridis raised to 90,000 and was called by Wan in the small blind and Weis in the big blind. The flop fell J 3 2 and Sideridis continued with a bet of 100,000. Wan then check-raised to 300,000, which prompted Weis to move all in for 1,295,000 behind him. Sideridis asked for a count and then went into the tank for nearly five minutes before moving all in himself. Wan snap-called immediately with pocket threes for middle set, but his hand was very vulnerable against Sideridis and his nut flush draw. Weis, the shortest stack at risk, held 6 5 for a worse flush draw and gutshot straight draw. The turn was the 10, keeping Wan in the lead for a double knockout, but the river was the 4, giving Weis an unlikely triple up with a straight. Wan’s set won the small side pot, and Sideridis was eliminated in 11th place, earning AUD$123,000.

The Action

Pupillo raised to 125,000 and Del Vecchio called from the button. Wan then three-bet to 425,000 from the small blind and Pupillo folded. Del Vecchio four-bet all-in for 915,000, however, and Wan quickly made the call. Del Vecchio held pocket kings, but he had run right into Wan’s pocket aces. The board fell A J 2 2 5, and Del Vecchio was eliminated in tenth place, earning AUD$123,000. This was Del Vecchio’s third consecutive deep run in the Aussie Millions main event, having finished fifth in 2018 for AUD$370,000, and second in 2019 for AUD$1,272,162.

The Action

Wan raised to 325,000 in the cutoff and Seidel three-bet all in for his last 2,875,000. Wan decided to call with A J, and he had Seidel in bad shape with his A 10. The flop paired both players, which only left less outs for Seidel. The turn and river were bricks, and the most accomplished player at the table was eliminated in fifth place, earning AUD$378,660. Seidel now has more than $37.5 million in career live tournament earnings.

The Action

Pepper still had 25 big blinds when he moved all in from the small blind and was perhaps surprised to be called by Wan’s A 3 in the big blind. Pepper could only produce 9 2, but at least he was drawing to live cards. The flop of A K 8, however, put him on the brink of elimination. The 9 on the turn gave him some hope, but the river 7 ended his run in third place. He earned AUD$1 million for his performance over the week.

The Action

Shortly after his A-9 got lucky to double against Hoang’s A-Q, the two clashed yet again in a nearly identical situation. This time, Wan had A 10, against Hoang’s A Q, and was at risk for his last 11,050,000. The flop of A 6 3 kept Hoang in the lead. The 2 on the turn left Hoang drawing to three outs. Miraculously, the 10 hit the river, giving Wan two pair and a double up worth 90 percent of the chips in play. Hoang had lost big twice, despite being a dominating favorite in both spots. He then got the rest of his stack in with another ace, this time A 3, only to get rundown by the 10 9 of Wan. Both players earned AUD$1,318,000 after striking a deal during three-handed play, but it was Wan who took home the title and the trophy.

Final Table Results

1. Vincent Wan — AUD$1,318,000 ($909,420)*
2. Ngoc Tai Hoang — AUD$1,318,000 ($909,420)*
3. Gareth Pepper — AUD$1,000,000 ($690,000)*
4. Nino Ullmann — AUD$480,160 ($331,310)
5. Erik Seidel — AUD$378,660 ($261,275)
6. Oliver Weis — AUD$307,820 ($212,396)
7. Nicolas Malo — AUD$240,080 ($165,655)
8. Nick Pupillo — AUD$178,080 ($122,875)

*Based on a deal made during three-handed play.