I always feel a little odd writing something about a poker tournament that is taking place in Australia. Living on the east coast of the United States, it is currently the middle of the morning on Monday, January 23rd, but in Melbourne, Australia, home of the Aussie Millions, poker players are (hopefully) tucked away in their beds, getting ready for another day at the tables; it is about 2:30am on Tuesday there as I write this sentence. At least nothing is going on in the Aussie Millions Main Event that will make this article even less timely than it already is, right?
Day 1B of the Aussie Millions Main Event went down on Monday as another 184 players embarked on what they hoped would be a championship run. With nearly 400 players in total so far, the tournament has a legitimate shot to grow larger than last year’s field of 732. Leading the field after the second starting flight is Italian Mustpaha Kanit with 215,000 (the Aussie Millions chip counts page has him with far fewer chips, but the live reporting says otherwise, so we’ll go with the 215,000). Tuesday is his birthday, so not a bad way to start off his new year.
But wait, is it really his birthday? Are we taking time zones into account here? Have we all been taken for fools? I mean, I was born at around 6:20am in the United States’ central time zone. If I am in Australia for my next birthday, it will really still be the previous day back where I was born. I don’t get to celebrate early, do I? That seems disingenuous to me. And what if I fly backwards through time zones fast enough…could I defeat father time and grow younger? THESE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
Back to Kanit, one of the most successful tournament players in the world. According to TheHendonMob.com, he has over $8.6 million in live tournament earnings, the most of any Italian in history. He had a wonderful 2016, a year which included a win in the European Poker Tour (RIP) Dublin High Roller ($567,460), a runner-up finish in the EPT Grand Final Super High Roller ($1,653,491), and a fourth place finish in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Super High Roller ($596,360). He already won nearly $700,000 for a second place finish in the PokerStars Championship Bahamas $50,000 event just a couple weeks ago, as well.
Kanit is also a terror on the virtual tables, with more than $4.5 million in recorded online cashes, according to PocketFives.com.
Aside from Kanit, one of the nuttiest hands of the day occurred right at the outset. Via PokerNews, a player from middle position raised pre-flop, the player in the hijack three-bet, and Rhys Jones called. The first raiser folded, so Jones and his foe saw a flop of 4-4-8. Jones bet, the other player raised, Jones re-raised, the other player called. The turn was a Jack, but this time Jones checked. His opponent bet 10,000 chips (this was the first level and the big blind was just 100 chips), but Jones moved all-in over the top, a bet which his opponent called.
Rhys was dead in the water, coolered with his pocket Eights getting killed by his opponents pocket Jacks. Turned boat was beating the flopped boat. But miracle of miracles, the last Eight fell on the river, giving Jones quads and the unlikely win.
The final starting flight, Day 1C will commence at 12:30pm local time, which I think is February or something in Australia.
