2007 Aussie Millions Wrap Up

AND NOW WE COME TO THE BIGGEST AND BEST SO FAR --- THE 2007 CROWN AUSSIE MILLIONS WRAP UP
The face of tournament poker in Australasia (Australia and New Zealand = Oz) has now changed forever. From the 2003 Baltic Invasion of the Millions and the subsequent assault by younger online trained players, this has now become the norm with multiple satellite entries, million dollar pots, Hitech reporting and TV coverage. No longer is the experienced poker veteran the favourite. The field is open for all and sundry as this year’s results indicate. This can only lead to stronger fields and more Poker interest in Casinos, Clubs and Pubs.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 – 19 Jan 07 #13 $3200 2 Card Manila (4.15 PM / 18 Jan 07)
As expected the old timers scooped the pool in this event. No smoky back of house pool room or coffee shop but otherwise a true clash of Aussie roadrunners. Gold Coaster Mark Erickson ($90K) led the field followed by Fred Bart ($55K), Kiwi G Putt ($37K), Nick Assioti ($25) and Arthur Tsakalos ($15K). If you would like a run down of Aussie poker ‘as it is’ over the last century ask these guys. 100% result for the locals in this one ($222K). Fred was the winner of this event last year and would now qualify as ‘Australasia’s best Manila player’?
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 – 19 Jan 07
#12 $550 No Limit Holdem (12.45 PM / 18 Jan 07)
The Captains and the Kings had almost departed for this event but it was still a major field with a very good turnout of beginners and newer players who took out the major places. Jozef Berec finished first from Jim Ghabrial. Only 4 name players Brian Hull, Kosta Varoxis, James Potter and Tino Lechich in the top 45 cashes. Poker skill being a given, tournament poker is still about ‘when and where you get the cards’, which is a great encouragement for the up and coming champions.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 11 $1,100 Teams Event No Limit Holdem (12.45 PM / 17 Jan 07)
This popular team’s event attracted 145 teams for a prize pool of $145000 with winners from USA, Denmark and Oz. 5 of 18 cash outs were Oz players led by Colin Adamopoulous and Marlon Goodwardana 3rd for $15,950. Oz share of the prize pool was $38,063. Veteran players Samia/Potter, Youssef/Vandersluis made a good showing whilst some newer groups took out 6th and 9th place.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 10 $5,200 Australian Heads Up Poker Championship (12.45 PM / 16 Jan 07)
2 of 8 cashouts were Australian including David Saab for a $64K win and Ralph Burd $8K. An exciting finish gave David his first major for a while and we should see more of him in the future. Prize pool was $160000 with $72000 going to Oz.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 8 $100,000 Holdem Event (12.30 PM / 12 Jan 07)
The buy in was a bit rich for most players but it was a great spectator event with many internationals playing. Eric Lindgren USA $1.000.000 took out the event from Eric Seidel USA $550,000, both former visitors to the Millions. These high buyin events plus HORSE and other variations would seem to be growing in popularity as a alternative to the classic Millions main event. 18 players with a prize pool of $1.8 million. Oz players missed out on the cash in this event.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 7 $1,650 No Limit Holdem Feature Event (12.30 PM / 11 Jan 07)
533 entrants with a prize pool of $799,500. Oz players took out a total of $426,451. Again the Aussies did well in this event with 13 cashouts from the top 20, including veteran Sam Korman 2nd, Martin Comer 3rd, Van Marcus 4th and Weng Wong 5th. Alex Masterman from the UK was a worthy winner.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 6 $3,200 Pot Limit Omaha (12.30 PM / 10 Jan 07) 55 entrants in this event for a prize pool of $495,000. Four of the nine cashouts went to Oz players Steve Hegyi, Van Marcus, Ralph Burd and Mark Vos for a total of $168,500. Popular international favourite Jesse Jones USA the winner $176K and runner up Andrew Black Ireland $116K. Didn’t spot any newcomers to this event. It was one for the more experienced players.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 5 $1,050 Poker Pro Holdem Championship (10.00 AM / 10 Jan 07)
The Poker Pro was a new innovation following the success of the introduction of the tables this year. USA took out first and second with Dennis Huntley and Barry Warner Australia next. 32 entrants with a prize pool of $31,000 of which $9300 went to Oz.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 4 $1,150 No Limit Holdem with Rebuys (12.30 PM / 09 Jan 07)
164 entrants for a total of $464,000. Oz players took out $308,560 of this. This was a very popular and successful event for the Australians taking 13 of the 18 cash outs. Gary Benson, WSOP Stud Bracelet was the popular winner leading into what may be a very successful year for him. Strong representation of veteran Oz players in the final cashouts.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 3 $1,100 Limit Omaha Hi Lo (12.30 PM / 08 Jan 07)
96 entrants and not a big field but a very experienced one with young pro Jethro Horowitz Australia first. 8 out of the 10 cash outs were from Australia. Prize pool $96,000 with majority $71,040 going to the Oz players.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 2 $1,100 Limit Holdem (12.30 PM / 07 Jan 07)
This event was a lower limit buy in and proved very successful for the local players with 15 of the first 18 cash outs going to local players. Total of 170 entrants with a prize pool of $170,000, $136,000 going to Oz players. Nick Suter from the West took out first prize with a close heads up to Billie Argyros Victoria. Popular internationals John Juanda USA, Jesse Jones USA and Harry Demetriou took out 3rd, 4th and 14th places.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown 05 Jan 07 - 19 Jan 07
• # 1 $1,100 No Limit Holdem (12.30 PM / 06 Jan 07)
This was a good result for Crown with 26 of the 30 top places going to Oz players. Alex Xiourouffa from Adelaide took out first $140K with Zia Ma from Sydney second.. Many of our seasoned Melbourne players filled the rest. A feature was the number of newer players who managed to make a cashout and feature on a main event final table. 515 entrants for a total prize pool of $517060 with $484,872 going to the 42 out of 46 Oz players in the cash outs.
And for the 2007 Main event all records were broken with a 747 player entry and a $1.5 million first prize.
2007 Aussie Millions Crown No Limit Holdem $10500 05 Jan 07 – 19 Jan 07
.# 9 $10,500 No Limit Holdem (12.30 PM / 14 Jan 07)
This was a massive 5-day tournament with the world’s best players competing for the Aussie Millions 2007 Title. Twenty-seven Australasians finished in the money with the top 5 being relative unknowns. Julius Colman Vic 4th for $500,000 followed by Dennis Huntley Vic 9th, Emmanuel Seal 10th, Patrick Fletcher NSW 14th and Michael Ismael NSW 15th.. Nathan Bobik 18th from Victoria was the leading Aussie name player. World Champ Joe Hachem a creditable 23rd and Lee Nelson Millions Champ 2006 36th. Kosta Veroxis, semi pro from Queensland was 29th. Early final day favourite Joe Humunicki Victoria came in 45th with Nick Georgoulas 42nd. Six Aussies in the top 25 with only two big names Hachem and Bobik is something serious to say about the rising stars of OzPoker.
Total prize pool $7.47 million of which $1.3 million stayed home with the Oz players.
The final table was restricted to 7 this year and there were three low chippers amongst whom was our own newcomer Julius Colman who came a very creditable 4th. What a massive introduction for the first major competition by Julius. Sensational effort and a great thrill for the large spectator group.
The 2007 Aussie Millions was an event of records. Over 2000 players all events, 747 main event, 50 plus tables, 200 plus dealers and over 1500 international visitors. Over $12.5 million distributed in prize money and a main event $7.47 million prize pool with $1.5 million first prize. Total prize money retained by the local Australian and New Zealand players was over $3,250,000.
Plus the release of a spectacular commemorate edition of Bluff Poker Magazine. It was the culmination of three years hard work by players, Crown Staff, Management and the Pokernetwork website.
If we separate the Main event from all others we would have an approximate prize pool of $5,000,000 and of this the Oz players managed to retain about$3,000,000. This is a measure of the progress that Poker has made Downunder in the last few years.
Coupled with this is the enormous success of the millions overseas with this year a total of 387 overseas players entering the main event, 167 USA and 57 UK. Online support was fantastic with major numbers coming from Full Tilt and Pokerstars and the associated satellites. Full TV coverage was available and multi screen reporting through Pokernews was a feature.
It heralded a trend for beginner players qualifying cheaply online who had tremendous success in most events. It was a year for the Y generation and all indications are that this will continue. Star City, Sky City, Burswood, Christchurch and Auckland as well as Crown, will be delighted with the success of the many players they sent to these Australasian Titles.
Aussie Millions 2008? 1000 entrants, $10,000,000 for the main event and a total of 3000 players, $15,000,000 all events. OF COURSE ? ? ? However 2007 will still take some beating. It will be long remembered.