Dan Smith Wins Aussie Millions $100k Challenge

Dan Smith won the largest tournament of his career early this morning in Melbourne, taking down the 2012 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge for $1,012,000 AUD. Smith overcome a 22-player field that featured many of poker’s biggest names.

Smith, known as “KingDan23” online, is no stranger to high-stakes action, and has been playing in large cash games for years. He entered the final day of play in third chip position out of the remaining eight players. Only four made the money, with the unfortunate fifth-place finisher busting on a $242,000 AUD bubble. That ill-fated man was Gus Hansen, who entered the final day as the chip leader, only to leave empty-handed.

Tony G was the first player eliminated in the money, leaving Smith to play three handed with Australia’s own Joe Hachem and chip leader Mikhail Smirnov. Hachem was eventually eliminated when he ran A9 into Smiths A10 preflop. Hachem flopped a pair and made trip-nines on the turn, only to have Smith complete a runner-runner flush. Hachem earned $330,000 AUD for his third-place finish.

Heads-up featured a number of lead changes, but Smith eventually dealt the decisive blows by winning a few key pots with pocket pairs, first taking the lead when his pocket jacks held over Smirnov’s pocket tens. He then won a massive race with pocket sixes against the AQ, and then finished off his opponent soon after with his 22 outracing Q6. Smirnov earned $616,000 AUD for his runner-up finish.

Here is the complete payout information for the top four finishers:

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