Event 12 of the 2017 Aussie Millions, the $100,000 Challenge, was supposed to kick off at 2:10 p.m. yesterday, but that never came to be. With just Stephen Chidwick and Ben Tollerene registered at first, nobody was eager to drop in and start three- or four-handed play. There were more than enough players interested, but in the end the tournament was postponed.
The new plan is to commence Day 1 of the tournament today at 1 p.m. local time (in about two hours). As an incentive to have players sign up today, rake is slashed in half from $2,000 to $1,000 for the players that register before the start of Level 2.
Instead of the scheduled three-day event, the $100,000 Challenge has been turned into a two-day event. The final table will still play out after a four-day break on Saturday 28 Jan at 2:10 p.m., so players don't have to miss out and can still play the Main Event.
Boasting 60-minute levels with late registration and re-entries available until the start of Level 7 (most likely at the conclusion of the dinner break). This event has a shot clock format with players having 30 seconds to act on their hand. Players will be issued with two Time Breaker buttons at the start of both days of play. These cannot be accumulated and are each worth an additional one minute of time when used.
German High Roller specialist Fabian Quoss is the current defending champion after taking down the 2016 event for a cool AU$1,446,480 (roughly $1 million). He has told PokerNews yesterday, though, he will not defend his title since he hasn't played poker much lately and isn't up for a $100,000 buy-in event.
Charlie Carrel opened to 1,200 from the button and Dan Shak made the call from the big blind to take action heads-up to a flop of .
Both players checked and the dealer peeled off the turn which brought another check from Shak and a bet of 1,500 from Carrel, which Shak called.
The river brought a third check from Shak and a near pot-sized bet of 5,000 from Carrel. Shak thought it over but did make the call but folded when Carrel turned over for a turned two pairs.
Fedor Holz plays his first tournament of the year here in Australia, and so far things work out for him pretty well.
Alexandros Kolonias raised to 2,500 under the gun and cutoff Fedor Holz called. Over on the button sat Rainer Kempe and he tanked for a bit before he made his action. With only seconds left to act, he decided to over call. Both blinds folded.
Kolonias opted to check the flop and so did Holz. Kempe bet 4,200 and Kolonias folded, Holz called.
Holz checked again on the turn and Kempe again needed some time. He had just two seconds left to act when he bet 14,100. Holz called.
The completed the board and Holz checked. Kempe ran down his clock and tossed in a time breaker chip to add some time. He eventually bet 27,800 with just 22,000 back. Holz asked to see how much he had behind and tossed in a single 25,000-chip to call.
Kempe confidently showed but that was no good as Holz tabled .
A blind on blind battle between Ben Tollerene and Dan Shak saw Tollerene make a monster.
Preflop Tollerene opened for 3,500 from the small blind and Shak made the call from the big blind and the flop fell .
Tollerene continuation bet 2,500, Shak made the call and the dealer burned and turned a very wet. Tollerene slowed down and checked which opened the door for Shak to bet 7,000. After nearly timing out Tollerene made the call to bring the action to the river.
This brought checks from both players before a smiling Tollerene turned over for the turned straight flush.
“Wow!” Exclaimed Shak, flashing before pitching his cards into the muck.
Fedor Holz opened the button for 2,500 and was soon facing a three-bet from big blind Ben Tollerene to 12,500.
Tollerene bet 6,500 on and Holz called in position. Both then checked the on the turn and Tollerene checked again on the river. After 15 seconds, the shot clock was activated by the dealer. With literally a second left, Holz bet 36,500.
Now it was time for Tollerene to consider his action, and he needed some moment to come up with it. After his initial 30 seconds had run down, he announced to use a time breaker to add a minute. When that had run down, he tossed in another to gain one more minute.
Tollerene eventually called but mucked soon enough after Holz showed .
We missed the preflop action but there was obviously some heavy betting as we arrived just in time to see Dan Shak move all in on a flop of in a hand against Alexandros Kolonias.
Kolonias called quickly and the cards were turned over.
Dan Shak:
Alexandros Kolonias:
Shak was trailing to Kolonias’ set of nines and the turn left the US player drawing dead. The river was merely a formality and Shak became the first casualty while Kolonias climbed to 148,000.
The hand right after Dan Shak's departure saw three players take a flop of . As all of them decided to check, the hit the turn. Holz (hijack) checked again and Kempe (cutoff) bet 4,100. Tollerene (ghost button) folded, Holz called.
The completed the board and Holz checked again. Kempe shoved all in for the few remaining chips he had left and Holz called so quick we couldn't count how much Kempe was all in for.
Kempe showed but was beat as Holz tabled for the same pair of jacks but with the better kicker.
Action folded to Steffen Sontheimer in the small blind and he open-raised. Big blind Mikita Badziakouski shoved for a little over 60,000 and Sontheimer called.
Mikita Badziakouski:
Steffen Sontheimer:
The board brought nothing for Badziakouski with .
Badziaksouski jokingly gave his three remaining time breaker chips to Petrangelo and got up and made his exit.
Down to just 22,900 in chips, small blind Charlie Carrel shoved all in over the top of the button raise of Mike Watson. Fedor Holz folded his big blind but Watson, somewhat reluctantly, called.
Charlie Carrel:
Mike Watson:
Watson did not immediately hit the flop, but the flop did give him a lot of extra outs. The on the turn was one of his initial ones and the on the river was so too. Carrel eliminated, Watson a bit richer.
Mike Watson raised his cutoff and one position over, on the button, it was Fedor Holz three-betting to 17,500. Small blind David Peters shoved for 56,700 and the big blind and Watson folded. Holz thought about it for maybe 20 seconds before he called.
David Peters:
Fedor Holz:
Peters was in good position to double to starting stack, but it wasn't going to be. Holz flopped a set on and did not get in trouble after that with the on the turn and on the river.
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turn which brought another check from Shak and a bet of 1,500 from Carrel, which Shak called.
river brought a third check from Shak and a near pot-sized bet of 5,000 from Carrel. Shak thought it over but did make the call but folded when Carrel turned over 
for a turned two pairs.
flop and so did Holz. Kempe bet 4,200 and Kolonias folded, Holz called.
turn and Kempe again needed some time. He had just two seconds left to act when he bet 14,100. Holz called.
completed the board and Holz checked. Kempe ran down his clock and tossed in a time breaker chip to add some time. He eventually bet 27,800 with just 22,000 back. Holz asked to see how much he had behind and tossed in a single 25,000-chip to call.
but that was no good as Holz tabled 
.
.
. Tollerene slowed down and checked which opened the door for Shak to bet 7,000. After nearly timing out Tollerene made the call to bring the action to the 
river.
.
turn left the US player drawing dead. The 
hit the turn. Holz (hijack) checked again and Kempe (cutoff) bet 4,100. Tollerene (ghost button) folded, Holz called.
completed the board and Holz checked again. Kempe shoved all in for the few remaining chips he had left and Holz called so quick we couldn't count how much Kempe was all in for. 
for the same pair of jacks but with the better kicker.
