2009 Aussie Millions Million Dollar Cash Game Part I

2009 Aussie Millions Million Dollar Cash Game Part I
by Chad Holloway of Predictem.com

The 2009 Aussie Millions Million Dollar Cash Game began as a heads-up battle between Patrik Antonius and Tom “Durrrr” Dwan. The minimum buy-in was $1 million, which both players exceeded when Dwan bought in for $2 million and Antonius for $1.5 million. The blinds began at $1,000-$2,000 with no ante. This heads-up battle was of particular interest since it was the first major live encounter since Antonius accepted Dwan’s online poker challenge. Both players agreed that they would rotate between twenty hands of hold’em and twenty hands of pot-limit Omaha, while allowing other players to buy-in for a minimum of $200,000.

Antonius got off to an early lead when he bet $10,000 on a Ah Qs 7h flop. Dwan called and then checked when the 8s hit on the turn. Antonius bet $25,000, while Dwan called and checked the Jd on the river. Antonius fired 65,000 and forced Dwan to muck. Antonius increased his lead on the very next hand when he called a $31,000 bet by Dwan on a Js 8d 2h 9c 6c board. Dwan flipped over Jc 10s but was second best to the 8s 6d held by Antonius, who increased his stack to $1,550,000.

In order to entice more players to the game, Antonius and Dwan have decided to offer $25,000 to any player who joins the game for a $250,000 minimum buy-in. Then, if they can manage to survive 100 hands they will receive $25,000. In the meantime, a large hand developed when Antonius bet $10,000 on a Ah Kc 2h 6s board and was raised to $37,000 by Dwan. Antonius reraised to $118,000 and Dwan made the call. The 3s fell on the river and Antonius fired out $146,000 only to have Dwan fold. This brought Antonius up to $1,866,500 and dropped Dwan to $633,500, with a $1 million reload behind. Dwan’s downward spiral continued after he checked a Jh 6d 5h flop and then called Antonius’s $12,000 bet. Dwan checked the 8c on the turn and Antonius bet $32,000. Once again Dwan called and the 6c fell on the river. This time Dwan bet out $73,000 only to have Antonius raise it to $175,000 after going into the tank. Dwan mucked his cards as Antonius scooped the largest pot thus far.

Dwan managed to win $130,000 in the first two hands back from a dinner break and continued to roll when Antonius bet $22,000 on a Ad 8h 3s flop. Dwan raised to $71,000 and Antonius called as both players checked the 2s on the turn. When the Ks hit on the river Dwan fired out $122,000 and Antonius mucked. Dwan’s heater slowed down, however, in a hand of Omaha where he held Ks 8c 7c 7s against Antonius’s Kc Qs 7d 6c. Dwan was out in front when he hit a straight on a 9c 6s 5c flop, only to have Antonius hit a gutshot with the 8d on the turn. The Ad on the river changed nothing and the two ended up splitting the pot.

After watching the action throughout the evening, four players have decided to join in the high stakes cash game. The blinds were changed to $500-$1,000 with a $200 ante for no-limit hold’em and the game will still rotate every 20 hands. With the new additions the chip counts around the table were as follows:

Patrik Antonius: $1,900,000
Tom Dwan: $1,600,000
Phil Laak: $200,000
Andrew Robl: $200,000
Jamie Pickering: $200,000
Niki Jedlicka: $200,000

Concluded in 2009 Aussie Millions Million Dollar Cash Game Part II . . .