A large entry field of 1,211 for the opening A$1,150 buy-in first event ensured a good start in this year’s Aussie Millions Poker Championship, generating a winner’s prize of $215,000 for local player Vic Spadavecchia, along with a winner’s gold ring and a Rolex watch.
Four starting days were required to get the competition rolling, and eventually 108 players cashed, with the final table comprising Spadavecchia, Derek Wolters, Amer Akkari, Andrew Hinrichsen, George Tang, Robert Raymond, Don Mishra, Camil Debsia and Robert Spano.
The elimination of Amer Akkari at third for A$117,000 saw Spadavecchia enter the heads up with a chip advantage of over 2 to 1 against his final opponent, Derek Wolters, which he quickly transformed into a victory in a final pot worth 2.54 million.
Wolters took home a consolation second prize of A$152,000.
Other final table pay-outs were:
Andrew Hinrichsen A$92,000
George Tang A$72,000
Robert Raymond A$57,000
Don Mishra A$44,000
Camil Debsia A$32,000
Robert Spano A$21,000