Friday, January 13, 2012

A Historical Look at the Aussie Millions from 2003-2011

The following two articles originally appeared on PokerNews and were appropriated for the Crown's Aussie Millions Poker Championship website. Here are the links to all the articles and the articles themselves.

http://www.aussiemillions.com/news/articles/11/an-historical-look-at-the-aussie-millions-from-2003-2007

http://www.aussiemillions.com/news/articles/13/aussie-millions-recent-history

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/01/a-historical-look-at-the-aussie-millions-from-2003-2007-11759.htm

http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/01/a-historical-look-at-the-aussie-millions-from-2008-2011-11760.htm

A Historical Look at the Aussie Millions from 2003-2011


Aussie Millions
On Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, the Aussie Millions Poker Championshipwill celebrate its 10th Anniversary at the Crown Casino is Melbourne, Australia. The tournament series, which runs for nearly three weeks and features 26 different events, has become one of the premiere poker events on the circuit.
In preparation for the 2012 Aussie Millions, we're taking a look at the event’s history, beginning with the inaugural event in 2003, the year credited with sparking the poker boom.
“Silver Fox” Becomes the First Aussie Millions Champion
By today’s standards, the maiden Aussie Millions was quite small. Aside from the Main Event, the largest buy-in of the series’ 10 events was AUD$5,000, modest compared to the AUD$250,000 tournament that debuted last year. That first year was comprised mainly of players from the South Pacific, as well as a smattering of pros from the United Kingdom including Harry DemetriouRam VaswaniJoe Beevers, and Lucy Rokach. In addition, a few Americans traveled to Melbourne including Erik Seidel, who has since become a regular at the Aussie Millions.

2003 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$360 Pot-Limit Hold’emLuke Chezick (NZ)
$360 Limit Hold’emCarlo Citrone (U.K.)
$1,500 Limit Hold’emMichael Tomeny (USA)
$1,000 Pot-Limit OmahaSherkhan Fernood (Afghanistan)
$5,000 Heads-up No Limit Hold’emGeorge Mamacas (Australia)
$200 NLHE Pioneers EventPaul Pedersen (NZ)
$1,000 Pot-Limit Hold’emSherkhan Fernood (Afghanistan)
$1,500 Limit Omaha Hi/LoMel Judah (Australia)
$5,000 Pot-Limit OmahaLucy Rokach (U.K.)
$10,500 NLHE Main EventPeter Costa (U.K.)
The first Aussie Millions Main Event attracted 122 players and created a prize pool of AUD$1,220,000. The final table ended up being a battle between Australia and the U.K., with the former having five runners in contention against the latter’s four. Appropriately, Leo Boxell of Australia squared off against the U.K.’s Peter Costa in a heads-up match considered one of the best in Aussie Millions history. It contained 14 all-in bets and in the end, the Englishman, nicknamed “Silver Fox,” took down the AUD$394,870 prize and became the first Aussie Millions champion.
Costa, who was known by many through his appearances on Late Night Poker, was certainly the big story from that first year, but it is also worth noting that two of the Hendon Mob’s four members (Ram Vaswani and Joe Beevers) made the final table, and another member, Barny Boatman, bubbled in 10th place.
2003 Aussie Millions Champion Peter Costa
2003 Aussie Millions Champion Peter Costa

2003 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500122$1,220,000
PlacePlayerPrize
1stPeter Costa (U.K.)$394,870
2ndLeo Boxell (Australia)$225,640
3rdHarry Demetriou (U.K.)$124,640
4thSam Khouiss (Australia)$101,538
5thJoe Cabret (Australia)$78,974
6thRam Vaswani (U.K.)$67,696
7thMartin Comer (Australia)$56,410
8thErich Kollmann (Austria)$45,128
9thJoe Beevers (U.K.)$33,846
Another U.K. Victory in Aussie Land
The Aussie Millions began to grow in 2004, and an extra tournament was added to the schedule. In addition to the Australian and U.K. contingents, a group of Americas made the trek and found success. In fact, three U.S. citizens captured preliminary titles: Seth TowleSteve Zolotow, and Andy Glazer, who took down two events.

2004 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$100 No Limit Hold’emMarty Wilson (U.K.)
$500 Limit Hold’emJohn Homann (Australia)
$500 Limit OmahaArul Thillai (Australia)
$500 Pot Limit Hold’emAndy Glazer (USA)
$500 Pot Limit OmahaSeth Towle (USA)
$1,600 Limit Hold’emSam Korman (Australia)
$1,600 Limit Seven-card StudAndy Glazer (USA)
$5,200 Heads-up NLHEPer Werner Swennson (Sweden)
$2,100 Limit Omaha Hi/LoMichael Guttman (Australia)
$1,100 Pot Limit Hold’emMike Ivin (Australia)
$5,200 Pot Limit OmahaSteve Zolotow (USA)
$10,500 NLHE Main EventTony Bloom (England)
The final table was comprised of two Americans, two Englishmen, and five Australians, making the probability of a local capturing the national title quite high. Unfortunately, that hope diminished significantly when the first four eliminations were Aussies. Not long after, the last Australian, David Hatzis, was sent packing in fourth place, leaving Americans Kenna Jamesand Jesse Jones to take on England’s Tony Bloom.
James was the first to fall in third place, and Jones followed him back across the Pacific in second. Bloom became the second Englishman in a row to win the title, and took home AUD$426,500 for his performance.
2004 Aussie Millions Champ Tony Bloom
2004 Aussie Millions Champ Tony Bloom

2004 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500133$1,330,000
PlacePlayerPrize
1stTony Bloom (England)$426,500
2ndJesse Jones (USA)$243,700
3rdKenna James (USA)$134,000
4thDavid Hatzis (Australia)$109,700
5thMark Banin (England)$85,300
6thBrian Hull (Australia)$73,100
7thMike Ivin (Australia)$60,900
8thHan Luu (Australia)$48,700
9thTino Lechich (Australia)$36,600
Field Nearly Doubles in 2005
Tony Bloom, the defending Aussie Millions champ, returned to the Aussie Million in 2005 and found success in the preliminary events, taking down the AUD$1,600 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo tournament, but the real story was the explosion in attendance. This was evidenced by the appearance of some new poker sharks including Mike SextonScotty Nguyen, and Marcel Luske.
Sexton had the best series of the three, placing third in the AUD$5,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em event for AUD$16,000, finishing 11th in the Main Event for AUD$30,000, and winning the AUD$20,000 Non-Australian High Stakes Speed Pokerevent for AUD$120,000.

2005 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$200 No Limit Hold’emRichard Ashby (U.K.)
$500 Limit Hold’emBaden Logan (Australia)
$560 Pot Limit OmahaMarty Wilson (U.K.)
$550 Pot Limit Hold’emMick Guttman (Australia)
$550 Tag TeamJames Potter/Nick Georgoulas (Australia)
$1,100 Pot Limit Hold’emTino Lechich (Australia)
$1,100 Limit Seven-card StudHan Luu (Australia)
$1,600 Speed PokerMichael Thuritz (Sweden)
$1,600 Limit Omaha Hi/LoTony Bloom (U.K.)
$5,000 Pot Limit OmahaMarcel Luske (Netherlands)
$5,000 Two-card ManilaCarlo La Rosa (Australia)
$5,200 Heads-Up NLHEMartin Comer (Australia)
$20,000 High Stakes Speed Poker (World)Mike Sexton (USA)
$20,000 High Stakes Speed Poker (Australia)Lee Nelson (NZ)
$10,000 NLHE Main EventJamil Dia (NZ)
Marcel Luske headlined that year’s Main Event final table, though he made a quick exit in ninth place. Once again, an Australian failed to captured the title, despite three nationals making the final table, though a local player emerged victorious.Jamil Dia, a Lebanese banker from nearby New Zealand, defeated American Mike Simkins in heads-up action to capture the first Aussie Millions AUD$1 million first-place prize.
2005 Aussie Millions Champion Jamil Dia (Picture courtesy of PokerNetwork)
2005 Aussie Millions Champion Jamil Dia (Picture courtesy of PokerNetwork)

2005 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,000263$2,630,000
PlacePlayerPrize
1stJamil Dia (NZ)$1,000,000
2ndMike Simkins (USA)$465,000
3rdGeorge Mamacas (Australia)$250,000
4thMartin Comer (Australia)$170,000
5thStephen McLean (Ireland)$110,000
6thWarwick Dunnett (USA)$80,000
7thJonathan Paul (USA)$70,000
8thGary Benson (Australia)$60,000
9thMarcel Luske (Netherlands)$50,000
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie . . . Enter Hachem
The poker scene in Australia boomed like no other after Joe Hachem, a regular at the Crown Casino, won the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2005. There was six months of anticipation between Hachem’s big win and the 2006 Aussie Millions, and expectations were high. The allure of money attracted even more poker stars from North America, including Phil IveyDaniel NegreanuBarry GreensteinKathy LiebertDavid WilliamsJohn JuandaAntonio Esfandiari, and Scott Fishman.
Juanda was the only one of the aforementioned players to find success at the Aussie Millions that year, winning AUD$1 million for emerging victorious in the $100,000 Speed Poker Million Dollar Challenge. He defeated such pros as Ivey, Greenstein, Mike Sexton, Tony G, and Jeff Lisandro.

2006 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$560 No Limit Hold’emPaul Taylor (Australia)
$565 Pot Limit /No Limit Hold’emRobert Lumb (U.K.)
$1,100 Limit Hold’emAndrew Kanaridis (Australia)
$1,100 No Limit Hold’emOlle Sundin (Sweden)
$1,600 Speed PokerRay Sanchez (Sweden)
$1,100 Limit Omaha Hi-LoSteve Hegyi (Australia)
$3,200 Two-card ManilaFred Bart (Australia)
$1,150 No Limit Hold’emSam Khouiss (Australia)
$3,200 Pot Limit OmahaSteve Hegyi (Australia)
$100,000 Speed Poker Million Dollar ChallengeJohn Juanda (USA)
$1,100 Teams’ Event Pot Limit Hold’emRobin Saab & David Saab (Australia)
$560 No Limit Hold’emSteve Accardo (Australia)
$10,500 NLHE Main EventLee Nelson (NZ)
The 2006 Main Event Final Table had some familiar names in Kenna James (his second appearance at a Aussie Millions Main Event final table), Shannon Shorr, and Nenad Medic. The final table belonged to 63-year-old Lee Nelson, however, who outlasted the competition and captured the AUD$1,295,000 prize, the largest prize in tournament poker outside of the U.S. up to that point. Lee, who became the second New Zealander to capture the title in as many years, was no stranger to poker, being ranked the top Australian poker player from 2000 to 2006 by PokerNetwork.
2006 Aussie Millions Champion Lee Nelson
2006 Aussie Millions Champion Lee Nelson

2006 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500418$4,180,000
PlacePlayerPrize
1stLee Nelson (NZ)$1,295,800
2ndRobert Neary (USA)$689,700
3rdNenad Medic (USA)$376,200
4thShannon Shorr (USA)$271,700
5thJeff Sealey (USA)$209,000
6thRussell Davies (Australia)$167,200
7thWes Bugiera (Australia)$125,400
8thMark Vos (Australia)$83,600
9thKenna James (USA)$83,600
The Great Dane Avoids Getting Fricke-Rolled
If there was a year that the Aussie Millions came into its own, that year would have been 2007. It was a year of records as more than 2,000 entries across 15 events, and more than AUD$10 million in prize money was disbursed. By then, all the notable players in poker were traveling to Melbourne in January, including Mike MatusowCarlos Mortensen, and Huck SeedErick Lindgren found success in Melbourne in 2007 as he took down the AUD$100,000 event, defeating Erik Seidel in heads-up play and earning AUD$1 million.

2007 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’emGabriel Xiourouffa (Australia)
$1,100 Limit Hold’emNick Sutar (Australia)
$1,050 Omaha Hi-LoJethro Horowitz (Australia)
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em w/ $1,000 rebuysGary Benson (Australia)
$1,000 PokerPro No-Limit Hold’emAdam Weiss (USA)
$3,200 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ $3,000 rebuysJesse Jones (USA)
$1,650 No-Limit Hold’em Feature EventAlex Masterman (UK)
$100,500 No-Limit Hold’emErick Lindgren (USA)
$5,200 Australian Heads-up ChampionshipDavid Saab (Australia)
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em TeamsMark Roland/Matt Vengrin (USA)
$550 No-Limit Hold’emJozef Berec (Australia)
$3,200 Two-card Manila w/ $3,000 rebuysMark Ericksen (Australia)
$10,500 NLHE Main EventGus Hansen (Denmark)
The 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event drew 747 entrants, thanks in large part to online qualifiers, but when the final table was reached, a plethora of pros headline, though none hailed from Australia. Kristy Gazes and Marc Karam were both at the final table, though they were eliminated in seventh and sixth respectively. Andy Black was also there, though he was sent packing in third place, leaving American Jimmy “Gobboboy” Fricke to battle “The Great Dane,” Gus Hansen, heads up.
It took 47 hands of heads-up play, but Hansen ultimately dispatched the online qualifier to collect the largest first-place prize to date --AUD$1,500,000. Hansen's experience also led to Hansen’s well-received book, Every Hand Revealed, where he reviewed the hands he played on the way to winning the 2007 Aussie Millions Poker Championship.
2007 Aussie Millions Champion Gus Hansen
2007 Aussie Millions Champion Gus Hansen

2007 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500747$7,470,000
PlacePlayerPrize
1stGus Hansen (Denmark)$1,500,000
2ndJimmy Fricke (USA)$1,000,000
3rdAndrew Black (Ireland)$700,000
4thJulius Colman (Vic)$500,000
5thHans Martin Vogl (Germany)$400,000
6thMarc Karam (Canada)$300,000
7thKristy Gazes (USA)$220,000


The Aussie Millions Poker Championship is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia. In preparation for the 2012 Aussie Millions, we're taking a look back at the event’s esteemed history. We already examined the Aussie Millions’ early years,from 2003 to 2007, so now we thought we’d round it out by surveying the latter years — 2008 to the present.
Kostritsyn Conquers Largest Main Event Ever
The preliminary events of the 2008 Aussie Millions saw eight Australians, four Americans, one Englishman, and one Swede capture titles, includingJimmy Fricke, who followed up his 2007 Main Event runner-up finish with a win in the $550 Limit Seven Card Stud/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo/Razzevent. If you recall, Fricke had satellited into the Main Event the year prior, which resulted in a small boom for the Aussie Millions; in fact, online stars such as Annette “Annette_15” ObrestadJosh “JJProdigy” Field, andTom “durrrr” Dwan all made the trip Down Under, and online qualifiers comprised a large portion of the Main Event field.

2008 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’emVincent Wan (Australia)
$1,100 Pot-Limit Hold’emChristopher Chronis (Australia)
$550 Limit Seven-Card Stud/Stud Hi-Lo/RazzJimmy Fricke (USA)
$1,100 Limit Hold’emJamie Pickering (Australia)
$1,150 No-Limit Hold’em w/ $1,000 rebuysMichael Pedley (Australia)
$1,650 No-Limit Hold’em Feature EventMarlon Goonawardne (Australia)
$3,250 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ $3,000 rebuysLee Watkinson (USA)
$100,000 Hold’em ChallengeHoward Lederer (USA)
$2,200 Pot Limit Hold’em/Omaha/Omaha Hi-LoMichael Pesek (USA)
$5,300 Australian Heads-up ChampionshipJeff Garza (UK)
$1,500 No-Limit Hold’em TeamsRoss Stewart & Alex Williamson (Australia)
$2,200 No-Limit Hold’em Six-handedFelix Berglund (Sweden)
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em TurboDavid Lee (Australia)
$10,200 H.O.R.S.E.Billy Argyros (Australia)
$10,500 NLHE Main EventAlexander Kostritsyn (Russia)
Speaking of the Main Event, 2008 was the peak of the event’s attendance, as 780 players took to the felt and created a prize pool of AUD$7.8 million. Some of the pros who played and cashed included Erick Lindgren (73rd), Tom “durrrr” Dwan (62nd),Kenna James (53rd), Kevin Saul (45th), Andy Black (34th), Matt Stout (24th), and Max Pescatori (10th).
No Australian had ever captured the Aussie Millions title, but the odds of it happening were good because five of the seven final tablists were Aussies; in fact, Michael Chrisanthopoulos was the massive chip leader with 6.81 million in chips. Even so, another player headlined the final table — the legendary Erik Seidel.
Slowly but surely, the Australian players began to hit the rail and eventually left Chrisanthopoulos to do battle against Seidel and a 21-year-old Russian by the name of Alexander Kostritsyn. The Aussie was soon felled in third place, meaning the title would leave the country for the sixth year in a row.
In this instance, experience was no match for the vivacity of youth, with Kostritsyn dispatching Seidel when his {J-Hearts}{9-Hearts}connected on a flop of {J-Diamonds}{8-Spades}{7-Spades}. Kostritsyn checked, Seidel bet 550,000 with {A-Spades}{Q-Clubs}, Kostritsyn moved all-in, and Seidel, who was committed, made the call. Neither the {3-Hearts} turn nor {K-Hearts} river changed a thing, and Kostritsyn laid claim to the AUD$1.65 million first-place prize, becoming the youngest player to win the Aussie Millions Main Event, a record that still stands today.
2008 Aussie Millions Champion Alexander Kostritsyn
2008 Aussie Millions Champion Alexander Kostritsyn

2008 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500780AUD$7,800,000
PlacePlayerPrize (AUD)
1stAlexander Kostritsyn (Russia)$1,650,000
2ndErik Seidel (USA)$1,000,000
3rdMike Chrisanthopoulos (Australia)$700,000
4thPeter Ling (Australia)$500,000
5thNino Marotta (Australia)$400,000
6thAntonio Casale (Australia)$300,000
7thPeter Mobbs (Australia)$225,000
Great Scott! An Australian Wins the Aussie Millions
Entering the 2009 Aussie Millions, the Australian contingent had yet to capture the Main Event title, despite numerous final table appearances by Aussies. So it was no surprise to see them enter the new year with a fire in their bellies.
It showed in the preliminary events as several Australians captured titles including Mitchell CarleMel JudahMark Kassis,Saidal WardakAdam Peck, and Billy Argyros. They were joined by other winners including former champ, Lee Nelson (U.K.), who won the $1,100 Pot Limit Omaha event, Michael Binger (USA), who took down the $3,250 PLO with rebuys, and the defending champion, Alexander Kostritsyn, who proved he was not a one-hit wonder as he emerged victorious in the $10,500 H.O.R.S.E. tournament.

2009 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
$550 No-Limit Hold’emStuart Barclay (U.K.)
$550 Pot-Limit OmahaDavid Morton (U.K.)
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’emChristian Heich (Germany)
$1,050 PokerPro No-Limit Hold’emMitchell Carle (Australia)
$1,100 Limit Omaha Hi-LoMel Judah (Australia)
$1,100 Limit Hold’emZach Gruneberg (USA)
$1,100 H.O.R.S.E.Jarred Solomon (South Africa)
$1,150 No-Limit Hold’em w/$1,000 rebuysMark Kassis (Australia)
$1,650 Feature Event (Bounties)Saidal Wardak (Australia)
$100,000 Hold’em ChallengeDavid Steicke (Hong Kong)
$5,300 Australian Heads-up ChampionshipJohn Tabatabai (U.K.)
$1,100 Pot-Limit OmahaLee Nelson (NZ)
$3,250 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ rebuysMichael Binger (USA)
$1,100 Mixed Hold’emAdam Peck (Australia)
$2,200 No-Limit Hold’em Six-handedThomas Lindbjerg (Denmark)
$2,200 No-Limit Hold’em TeamsNick & Effie Bouyioukos (Australia)
$10,500 H.O.R.S.E.Alexander Kostritsyn (Russia)
$1,100 No-Limit Hold’em TurboMatthew Dietrich (Canada)
$1,100 Two-card ManilaBilly Argyros (Australia)
For the first year in Aussie Million history, the attendance dropped in the Main Event; even so, 681 players entered the tournament and created a prize pool of AUD$6.81 million. Quite a few notable players managed to notch cashes includingScotty Nguyen (50th), JP Kelly (43rd), Patrik Antonius (41st), Clonie Gowen (32nd), Annette Obrestad (21st), and Sorel Mizzi (16th).
The final table featured three Australians, two Americans, two Canadians, and two U.K. pros, and for the first time in Aussie Millions history, the trophy stayed on native soil. It happened when Australia’s Stewart Scott defeated the United States’ Peter Rho in heads-up play. Scott's pocket aces held against the Rho’s {A-Hearts}{J-Clubs}. In addition to becoming the first Australian to win the Aussie Millions title, Scott collected a first-place prize of AUD$2 million.
2009 Aussie Millions Champion Stewart Scott
2009 Aussie Millions Champion Stewart Scott

2009 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500681AUD$6,810,000
PlacePlayerPrize (AUD)
1stStewart Scott (Australia)$2,000,000
2ndPeter Rho (USA)$1,000,000
3rdElliot Smith (Canada)$700,000
4thRaj Ramakrishnan (Australia)$400,000
5thSam Capra (Australia)$300,000
6thZach Gruneberg (USA)$210,000
7thRichard Ashby (U.K.)$150,000
8thBarny Boatman (U.K.)$100,000
9thZac Fellows (Canada)$100,000
Seidel, Obrestad, and Bach Capture Preliminary Titles
Perhaps the most notable story from the 2010 Aussie Millions was the list of notable players who captured one of the series’ 20 titles. It included Erik Seidel, who conquered a field of 26 players in the $10,500 PLO, 2009 World Series of Poker $50,000 Poker Player’s ChampionDavid Bach, who once again proved his mettle in mixed games by winning the $10,500 H.O.R.S.E. event, and Annette Obrestad, who took down Event #4 $1,100 PLO for AUD$40,000.

2010 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
Event #1: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’emMatthew Ephraums (Australia)
Event #2: $550 PokerPro No-Limit Hold’emAndrew Hinrichsen (Australia)
Event #3: $1,100 Limit Hold’emSimon Morris (Australia)
Event #4: $1,100 Po- Limit OmahaAnnette Obrestad (Norway)
Event #5: $1,650 No-Limit Hold’em w/ BountiesJonathan Karamalikis (Australia)
Event #6: $1,100 H.O.R.S.E.John Joannou (Australia)
Event #7: $1,150 No-Limit Hold’em w/ RebuysMike Watson (Canada)
Event #8: $100,000 ChallengeDan Shak (USA)
Event #9: $10,500 Main EventTyron Krost (Australia)
Event #10: $550 PokerPro No-Limit Hold’em ShootoutPeter Vratsidis (Australia)
Event #11: $550 PokerPro Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-LoEugene Portlen (Australia)
Event #12: $550 PokerPro Seven Card StudLeo Boxell (Australia)
Event #13: $5,300 Australian Heads-Up ChampionshipKyle McMurphy (Canada)
Event #14: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em Teams EventMel Judah & Mick Guttmann (Australia)
Event #15: $10,500 Pot-Limit OmahaErik Seidel (USA)
Event #16: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’emVincent Van Der Fluit (The Netherlands)
Event #17: $1,150 NLHE/PLO w/RebuysMark Segal (U.K.)
Event #18: $10,500 H.O.R.S.E.David Bach (USA)
Event #19: $2,200 6-Handed No Limit Hold’emKristian Lunardi (Australia)
Event #20: $550 No-Limit Hold’em TurboRoland Hawkins (Australia)
Speaking of Obrestad, she topped off the 2010 Aussie Millions by navigating a field of 746 players to make a Main Event final table appearance, though her deep run came to an end in seventh place. Also of note, Sorel Mizzi followed up the previous year’s 16th-place finish by making the final table, ultimately finishing in third place for AUD$715,000.
Mizzi’s elimination left Australia’s Tyron Krost with a 2-1 chip lead over Denmark’s Frederick Jensen, and the 23-year-old finance and psychology graduate from Sydney put it to good use. In the final hand, Krost’s {K-Spades}{9-Diamonds} bested Jensen’s {K-Diamonds}{6-Spades}on a flop of {K-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}. The turn and river were of no consequence, and for the second year in a row, and Australian took home the title.
2010 Aussie Millions Champion Tyron Krost
2010 Aussie Millions Champion Tyron Krost

2010 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500746AUD$7,460,000
PlacePlayerPrize (AUD)
1stTyron Krost (Australia)$2,000,000
2ndFrederick Jensen (Denmark)$1,100,000
3rdSorel Mizzi (Canada)$715,000
4thKosta Varoxis (Australia)$450,000
5thPeter Jetten (Canada)$350,000
6thSteve Friedlander (USA)$250,000
7thAnnette Obrestad (Norway)$175,000
8thStephen Shelly (Australia)$125,000
20 Players Enter $250,000 Event
Prior to the 2011 Aussie Millions, a rumor had circulated that a $250,000 Super high Roller tournament would take place. It did, and an astounding 20 players were willing to pay the hefty price tag, including Tom “durrrr” Dwan, Phil IveyJohn Juanda,Daniel “jungleman12” Cates, and Chinese businessmen Paul PhuaRichard Yong, and Wang Qiang.
The event was designed as a turbo to ensure the aforementioned businessmen could catch a flight. Sam Trickett, who had won the $100,000 High Roller event earlier in the 2011 Aussie Millions ended up facing off against Erik Seidel in heads-up play.
Trickett entered with the chip lead, but Seidel managed to turn the tables and dispatched his opponent within 45 minutes. Seidel took down the AUD$2.5 million prize and became the winner of the largest buy-in poker tournament in history, which contributed greatly to his unbelievable year.

2011 Aussie Millions Results

EventWinner
Event #1: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’emMartin Drewe (Australia)
Event #2: $550 PokerPro No-Limit Hold’em ShootoutJarred Solomon (South Africa)
Event #3: $1,100 Pot-Limit OmahaSean Dunwoodie (Australia)
Event #4: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em ShootoutSoren Blanner (Denmark)
Event #5: $1,100 8-Game Mixed EventRichard Ashby (U.K.)
Event #6: $1,100 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’emTim O’Shea (Australia)
$25,000 Shootout InvitationalDavid Oppenheim (USA)
Event #7: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em w/ RebuysOliver Speidel (Australia)
Event #8: $100,000 ChallengeSam Trickett (U.K.)
Event #9: $10,500 Main EventDavid Gorr (Australia)
Event #10: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em Teams EventChristian Svensen (USA) & Neil Stewart (Scotland)
Event #11: $550 No-Limit Hold’emAge Spets (Norway)
Event #12: $5,300 Pot-Limit OmahaMike Shklover (USA)
Event #13: $10,500 Australian Heads-Up ChampionshipCarlos Mortensen (Spain)
Event #14: $550 No-Limit Hold’emHun Lee (Australia)
Event #15: $10,500 8-Game Mixed EventAndy Bloch (USA)
Event #16: $550 No-Limit Hold’emRob Versluis (U.K.)
Event #17: $2,200 6-Handed No Limit Hold’emLeo Boxell (Australia)
Event #18: $550 No-Limit Hold’emSeonglee Ang (Australia)
Event #19: $1,650 No-Limit Hold’em BountiesGerasimos Deres (Sweden)
Event #20: $1,100 No-Limit Hold’em TurboAntonio Fazzolari (Australia)
Event #21: $250,000 Super High RollerErik Seidel (USA)
It was hard to overcome the excitement of the $250,000 Super High Roller, but the 2011 Aussie Millions is also remembered as having one of the most stacked final tables in Main Event history. That event drew 721 entries, creating a prize pool of $7.21 million, and saw Sorel Mizzi make the final table for the second year in a row, finishing in ninth place for $130,000.
Also at the final table were Patrik AntoniusChris Moorman, and Randy Dorfman, the latter entering as the chip leader. However, as all three would soon learn, the day belonged to Australian David Gorr, who dispatched each in turn.
Antonius fell in eighth place when Gorr’s two pair defeated his pocket kings, and Moorman, who missed a flush draw against Gorr’s flopped trips, followed him out the door. A little while later, Dorfman was eliminated in fifth place when Gorr spiked an ace on the river to crack his pocket tens. Gorr went on to win the event for AUD$2 million.
2011 Aussie Millions Champion David Gorr
2011 Aussie Millions Champion David Gorr

2011 Aussie Millions Main Event Results

Buy-inEntrantsPrize Pool
$10,500721AUD$7,210,000
PlacePlayerPrize (AUD)
1stDavid Gorr$2,000,000
2ndJames Keys$1,035,000
3rdJeff Rossiter$700,000
4thMichael Ryan$450,000
5thRandy Dorfman$325,000
6thSamad Razavi$225,000
7thChris Moorman$175,000
8thPatrik Antonius$130,000
9thSorel Mizzi$130,000