Aussie Millions -- Dan Shak Wins the $100,000 Poker ChallengeShak Takes Home the Top Prize Worth $1.2 Million After Defeating Phil Ivey in the Heads-Up Final |
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The 2010 Aussie Millions $100,000 AUD no-limit hold’em challenge began on Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament attracted a field of 24 talented poker professionals, and the total prize pool was a handsome $2.4 million. The top five players would walk away with prize money in the event, and the eventual champion would take home $1.2 million. Eight players returned for the final table on Sunday, Jan. 24. Here were the chip counts and seating chart when play began on the final day of the tournament:
Seat 1: Bill Jordanou — 195,000
Seat 2: Phil Ivey — 328,000
Seat 3: Tony Bloom — 227,000
Seat 4: Jonathan Karamalikis — 508,000
Seat 5: Howard Lederer — 141,000
Seat 6: Dan Shak — 453,000 (pictured above right)
Seat 7: Tony G — 200,000
Seat 8: Barry Greenstein — 388,000
It was just over 10 minutes before Howard Lederer decided to move all in at the final table on his short stack. He ran A-10 into the pocket aces of Tony G, and after the board brought him only one 10, he left the table empty handed in eighth place. The next major action took place when Billy Jordanou (pocket kings) doubled up through Tony G (pocket jacks) to grow his stack to 370,000.
Tony Bloom then doubled up with pocket tens to grow his stack to 330,000, and he doubled up again to take the chip lead (700,000) when he cracked the pocket kings of Barry Greenstein. Bloom held pocket jacks, and he found a third jack on the turn to win the hand. Dan Shak took his turn to double up with a pocket pair after that. Shak held pocket eights and they held strong against the A-2 of Jonathan Karamalikis.
Karamalikis was crippled a short time later when he raised all in on a board of 10
9
2
4 after Phil Ivey bet 145,00 into a 200,000 pot. Karamalikis flipped over J
9 and Ivey turned up A 10. The river was a blank and Karamalikis held just 16,000. He moved all in preflop one hand later and the pocket nines of Shak were enough to eliminate Karamalikis in seventh place.
Greenstein’s stack had dwindled down to 55,000, with blinds at 10,000-20,000 on the money bubble, when he decided to move all in preflop with Q 10 in the hole. Bloom called him down with pocket kings, and they held to eliminate Greenstein in sixth place. Twenty minutes later, Tony G was eliminated in fifth place ($100,000) when he moved all in preflop with pocket tens. Shak called him down with A-K, and the board ran out A-K-5-J-3 to send Tony G to the rail.
Jordanou doubled up for the second time at the final table after Tony G exited the field. Jordanou shoved on an A-10-7 flop with A-7 in the hole, and Bloom made the call with J-10. The turn and river were blanks, and Jordanou survived with 350,000. Bloom was not so lucky when he was the next player to move all in. His Q-9 was dominated by the Q-10 of Ivey on a flop of Q-J-3. The turn and river fell 8 and 9, which gave Bloom two pair, but Ivey made a straight. Bloom was eliminated in fourth place, and he took home $200,000.
Jordanou then doubled up for a third time when his A-Q dominated the A-J of Ivey preflop. The board ran out blanks, and Jordanou grew his stack to 680,000. Shak grew his chip lead to 1 million during three-handed play before Jordanou put all of his chips at risk for the fourth time at the final table. Ivey raised to 68,000 preflop from the big blind, and Jordanou made the call in the small blind after initially completing. The flop was dealt J 10 6, and Jordanou bet 150,000. Ivey raised all in, and Jordanou made the all-in call. Jordanou showed J 10, and Ivey flipped over Q Q. The turn and river fell Q and 3 to give Ivey a flush and send Jordanou home in third place ($300,000).
Heads-Up Chip Counts:
Phil Ivey: 1,381,000
Dan Shak: 1,057,000
Shak pulled even and eventually took a slight lead during a series of small pots that started the heads-up final, and then he took a large lead. Ivey raised to 90,000 preflop from the button, and Shak made the call. The flop was dealt J 10 5, and Shak checked. Ivey bet 120,000, and Shak called. The turn fell 8, and Shak checked again. Ivey bet 300,000, and Shak raised all in. Ivey quickly mucked, and Shak grew his chip lead to a 3-1 advantage.
The final hand came a short time later, when Ivey opened the action with a 100,000 raise from the button and Shak reraised all in preflop. Ivey made the call, and they flipped over their cards:
Ivey: A 10
Shak: A 7
Board: Q 7 5 4 4
Ivey was eliminated in second place on the hand ($600,000), which gives him more than $12 million in career earnings. Shak won the tournament to take home $1.2 million in prize money.
Final Results:
1: Dan Shak — $1,200,000
2: Phil Ivey — $600,000
3: Billy Jordanou — $300,000
4: Tony Bloom — $200,000
5: Tony G — $100,000
The $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event is currently under way, as well, at the 2010 Aussie Millions. The first two flights of day-one competition have attracted 476 players, which puts this year’s event on pace to top last year’s field of 681 players. Stay tuned for a full recap of day-one events in the main event when day 1C concludes on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
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