On a five-way flop of , [Removed:17] in the small blind moved all in for 12,425. Samantha Abernathy called and after tanking, George Mamacas called in late position while the other two players including Michael Del Vecchio folded.
The turn was the Abernathy bet 10,000 and Mamacas called.
The river was the . Abernathy announced all in for 14,650.
"All in," announced Mamacas, and there was some confusion at the table. Mamacas motioned all in with his chips and his intent was clear. All cards were turned over.
Yan showed for a rivered two pair. Abernathy had that beat with for a set of kings.
"Straight," said Mamacas, showing for a rivered six-high straight, sending Abernathy and Yan to the rail.
Srdjan Brkic moved all in from under the gun for 6,000. The player in the next position three-bet to 12,000. Daniel Neilson was on the button and four-bet all in for 23,025. It folded back to the raiser who called.
Srdjan Brkic:
Player 2:
Daniel Neilson:
"You need diamonds," said tablemate Steven van Zadelhoff to Brkic. The flop came giving Brkic a gutshot straight draw. The turn was the but the river the .
"What a time to get them," remarked Neilson's opponent as Brkic was sent to the rail, "You had my suits as well..."
Steven van Zadelhoff lost almost all of his stack in a set under set scenario against Dinesh Velupillay and was left with crumbs. According to Velupillay, the duo got into a three-bet pot and headed to a flop with bet and call incoming. Velupillay check-called a bet of 10,000 on the turn and check-shoved the river into a bet of 26,000 by van Zadelhoff. The Dutchman called with pocket fives only to get shown by Velupillay.
Then, Zachary Tay "raised" 700 and as that was less than 50%, it was ruled as a limp from middle position only. It folded to van Zadelhoff, who checked in the big blind and the duo checked the flop and the turn. The river brought a bet of van Zadelhoff for 1,000 and a call by Tay.
The Dutchman showed and Velupillay turned over the . "Nice limp," van Zadelhoff joked and caused laughter at the table. Soon after he was all in for 2,950 with against the of Velupillay and doubled thanks to the board .
"Can you please double through someone else?" Velupillay grinned.
As if it was destiny, the two clashed again shortly after, and it would be Van Zadelhoff's last hand in the 2018 Main Event. With 5,500, Van Zadelhoff was up with against Velupillay's , who told Van Zadelhoff he didn't want to bust him.
Velupillay's mercy wasn't answered by the poker gods, as the dealer fanned out to seal Van Zadelhoff's fate.
The 2018 Aussie Millions $A10,600 Main Event is off to a good start at the Crown Casino in Melbourne after a total of 212 players entered the first of three available flights, exactly the same as last year on Day 1a. Seven levels of 90 minutes each saw the field cut down in more than half as only 96 hopefuls remained at the end of the night.
It was a very close race for the overnight lead with several contenders for the top spot, and Lee Armstrong ended up on top with 165,400, narrowly ahead of John Overbeek's 164,400. Other big stacks and notables of the first flight include Mike Del Vecchio (153,900), Alex Lee Lin Hwaa (151,900), Cale Treacy (151,000), Najeem Ajez (150,800), Michael Egan (126,700), Duff Charette (96,700), Harry Demetriou (83,200), Benny Spindler (75,700), Daniel Neilson (59,000), Max Silver (44,900) and Kristen Bicknell (19,900).
Two former Aussie Millions Main Event champions took part in Manny Stavropoulos and David Gorr, the latter in fact spent the majority of the day right below his winning shot in the biggest casino complex of the Southern hemisphere. Stavropoulos scored a vital double with aces versus kings mid-way through the day and bagged up a very healthy 105,200, while Gorr advanced to Day 2 with 35,600.
2015 Aussie Millions Main Event champion Manny Stavropoulos
"I've played a couple since (I won) but it's great. The long answer is it doesn't feel all that different, but it's always good to play and have some chips to go through to Day 2 with. It always feels good. But as everyone says, you want to go far and make another deep run!" the 2015 champion Stavropoulos shared in the last level of the night.
Another big name Down Under took part and steadily grinded up his stack in Australian Poker Hall of Fame member Mel Judah
(86,900), Billy "The Croc" Argyros was less fortunate and busted. Judah sent several players to the rail including three-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gathy, who flopped an ace with ace-six suited only to see Judah turn a set of tens to eliminate the Belgian.
The day started with a bang when some 120 players had just taken their seats, as Kenny Hallaert endured a nightmare of just 13 minutes. Seven minutes into the Main Event, the Belgian turned top two pair with ace-ten suited in a three-bet pot and reluctantly called a big river shove only to lose all but one big blind against pocket aces for top set.
Samantha Abernathy, who finished third in the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event two years ago, was eliminated in a three-way all in that also saw David “MissOracle” Yan hit the rail. Yan jammed a five-way flop with bottom pair and a gutshot to pick up calls from Abernathy and George Mamacas. Abernathy bet a king on the turn and shoved the river when a five appeared. Mamacas called with six-four for top pair that improved to a straight and Abernathy's set of kings was no good.
Other big names that took part and left the poker room of the Crown Casino empty-handed were Jake Balsiger, Jake Schwartz, Steven van Zadelhoff, Heidi May, Vojtech Ruzicka, Christopher Soyza, Rory Brown and Lily Kiletto to name just a few.
Action for the second flight will get underway at 12.30 p.m. local time on Monday, January 29, and the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor to provide all the action.
, [Removed:17] in the small blind moved all in for 12,425. Samantha Abernathy called and after tanking, George Mamacas called in late position while the other two players including Michael Del Vecchio folded.
Abernathy bet 10,000 and Mamacas called.
. Abernathy announced all in for 14,650.
for a rivered two pair. Abernathy had that beat with 
for a set of kings.
for a rivered six-high straight, sending Abernathy and Yan to the rail.
giving Brkic a gutshot straight draw. The turn was the 
.
flop with bet and call incoming. Velupillay check-called a bet of 10,000 on the 
river into a bet of 26,000 by van Zadelhoff. The Dutchman called with pocket fives only to get shown 
by Velupillay.
flop and the 
turn. The 
river brought a bet of van Zadelhoff for 1,000 and a call by Tay.
against the 
of Velupillay and doubled thanks to the board 
.
