In 15 minutes from now at 5 p.m. local time, the final table of the A$1,650 Bounty Event #10 of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship will get underway at the poker room of the Crown Entertainment Complex. A field of 349 entrants has been whittled down to its last eight players after Day 2 resumed with 32 hopefuls.
They were gathered on four eight-handed tables and the shootout format determined the final two of each to set up the final table. Among those to cash were 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event champion Tyron Krost (32nd), Jonathan Karamalikis (31st), Matt Salsberg (22nd), Andrew Hinrichsen (21st) and Billy "The Croc" Argyros (9th).
Leading the remaining field is Xixiang Luo from China with 1,190,000 closely followed by Brendon Rubie (1,085,000). Four of the finalists are from Australia whereas Joris Ruijs (806,000), Michael Dix (425,000) and UK's Stephen Woodhead (239,000) want to avoid a home victory. Action resumes with blinds of 6,000-12,000 and a running ante of 2,000.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand until a winner is crowned, so make sure to tune back in regularly.
The action folded around to Brendon Rubie and he raised to 25,000. From one seat over in the cutoff, Brian Payne announced all in and all other opponents folded. Rubie asked the dealer for a count and once it had been determined to be 159,000 in total, he took a sip from his coffee.
Half a minute later, Rubie made the call and found himself behind with the worse kicker:
Payne:
Rubie:
The in the window was bad news for Payne and he failed to regain the lead after the board ran out to bust the Aussie in 8th place for A$14,645.
Brendon Rubie raised to 42,000 from under the gun and then folded to the shove of Joris Ruijs out of the big blind. The very next hand, the action folded around to the Dutchman and he moved all in for approximately 19 big blinds. Rubie glanced at his cards and then quickly called, tabling the .
Ruijs was behind with the and failed to improve despite an added flush draw on the turn of the board . The Dutchman was sent to the rail in 6th place for a payday of A$24,825.
Dennis Huntly moved all in for 41,000 from under the gun and Shivan Abdine reshoved from one seat over. The action folded to Brendon Rubie and he asked for an approximate count of the shove and then quickly let go when it was around 640,000 in total.
Huntly:
Abdine:
The player at risk paired his jack on the flop and stayed in the lead with the turn, however the river gave Abdine the higher pair and he scored the knockout. Huntly was the last bounty in the field and handed over token as well to give Abdine an extra payday of A$1,000.
Michael Dix opened the betting, making it 72,000 and Xixiang Luo pushed all in for 540,000 behind.
"I hope I'm racing," said Dix, calling with the . He wasn't. Lou had the and was ahead, until the board ran out to the turn, giving Dix a come-from-behind set of fours.
Lou was devastated, but that changed fast on the river. He exploded with happiness when the was revealed on the end, making him a bigger set, doubling him up to over one million in chips and leaving Dix short.
Just one hand after his double up, Xixiang Luo open-shoved as first to act and the action folded around to Michael Dix. He peeked at both his hole cards and then announced the call.
Dix:
Luo:
The board left Luo with only 15,000 chips and 5,000 of those disappeared for the ante. He was forced all in the next hand and Brendon Rubie limped in, Dix called from the small blind. Rubie then bet the flop for 50,000 and Dix "folded a winner".
Luo:
Dix:
Again the ace-rag found no help as the turn and river were both blanks. Luo's story from hero to zero lasted all but 10 minutes after the dinner break and he finished fourth.
Michael Dix defended his big blind and rivered a straight with to get paid off by initial raiser Brendon Rubie for 210,000 on a board of . One hand later, Dix folded the button and Rubie open-shoved into short stack Shivan Abdine. The latter had around 525,000 chips remaining and nodded, then turned over his cards for the showdown:
Abdine:
Rubie:
The flop was a sweat for Abdine, as Rubie had a gutshot and flush draw. It was all over after the turn, making the river meaningless. Abdine takes home A$49,650 for his efforts and Rubie enters heads-up with a 3-2 lead over Dix.
Michael Dix made it 80,000 and Brendon Rubie three-bet to 215,000.
Dix called and checked the flop. Rubie bet 190,000 and Dix called. Both checked the turn, but when Rubie also checked the river, Dix fired out a bet of 325,000.
Rubie tanked, called and mucked when Dix turned over the , having made trip fives.
Shortly after having his paid off for 240,000 on the river, Brendon Rubie faced the all in of Michael Dix for what looked like 1,200,000 in the very next hand. The bet was called and this time Rubie had his opponent at risk of elimination with the better hand.
Dix:
Rubie:
The board ran out and the straight for Rubie scooped the pot and exclusive LK Boutique championship ring whereas Dix had to settle for a payday of A$79,440.
![[user38873]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
in the window was bad news for Payne and he failed to regain the lead after the board ran out 
to bust the Aussie in 8th place for A$14,645.
, Woodhead was on the 
, and aces held in a classic cooler on a 
board.
.
and failed to improve despite an added flush draw on the turn of the board 
. The Dutchman was sent to the rail in 6th place for a payday of A$24,825.
and stayed in the lead with the 
turn, however the 
. He wasn't. Lou had the 
and was ahead, until the board ran out 
to the turn, giving Dix a come-from-behind set of fours.
flop for 50,000 and Dix "folded a winner".
to get paid off by initial raiser Brendon Rubie for 210,000 on a board of 
, having made trip fives.
