With a stellar registration list of 39 players who added 37 re-ups to generate a tasty A$7.4 million prize pool, the A$100,000 Aussie Millions Challenge was always going to be a nail-biter, and so it turned out as a table chock-full of poker aces battled it out in Melbourne over the weekend.
The composition of the final table illustrates the star quality of the competitors: Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Mike “Timex” McDonald, Erik Seidel, Doug Polk, Patrik Antonius, Daniel Negreanu, David Steicke and Martin Jacobson.
Yevgeniy Timoshenko ultimately emerged the winner of the $2 million main prize, but he had to work hard for it on a marathon of a final table that demanded consistently high skill and determination as the action went on into the early hours of the morning.
One of the stand-out investments in the event was that of Daniel Negreanu, who with his original buy-in and re-entries put $500,000 at risk and recouped $550,000 in a sixth place finish.
When eight-time WSOP bracelet holder Erik Seidel was eliminated in third place for $1,076,000, the heads up phase commenced with Timoshenko facing Mike “Timex” McDonald and the chip counts pretty much even.
It proved to be an exciting if protracted affair between two very impressive players, with the chip lead switching from one to the other as the battle for the lion’s share of the spoils raged on.
The end came when Timoshenko managed to get the upper hand in a massive double up, enabling him to at last defeat his very worthy opponent. McDonald’s pain will have been considerably eased by the second placing check for $1.5 million that he banked.
The win boosts Timoshenko’s live tournament career earnings above $6 million and adds another trophy to a display case already glittering with winner awards from many of live poker’s top international tournaments.
Other pay-outs to final table players in the event were:
4. Doug Polk – $860,000
5. Patrik Antonius – $700,000
6. Daniel Negreanu – $550,000
7. David Steicke – $450,000
8. Martin Jacobson – $350,000