After one day of play at the Aussie Millions Event #4, $1,100 Limit Holdem, James Potter held a substantial chip lead over the remaining competition. Day one had whittled the 123 player field down to eight. Due to the tournament proceeding more swiftly than the tournament staff had expected, final table play was allowed to begin, but would soon be halted after Martin Cardno was eliminated in ninth place by Jamie Pickering, bringing day one to its exciting conclusion.
The eight remaining players reconvened the next day to finish the tournament, with James Potter holding the chip lead at 139,000 chips, with Jamie Pickering and Simon Morris holding the next largest chip stacks at 97,500 and 70,000 respectively. The last five players held between 22,000 to 53,500 chips.
Day two began as quickly as day one had come to a close. Michael Lipari, who held the unenviable position of short-stack, discovered pocket kings and put as many chips into the pot as he could. The pot was capped before the flop with Jamie Pickering also deciding to play his hand. After a flop of Q-J-3, Lipari went all-in, with Pickering calling immediately. Pickering held pocket jacks for a set, and with no salvation coming from the turn or the river, Lipari was sent home with an eight place finish.
Pickering continued his dominance of the final table, picking up pocket kings and using them to eliminate Ben Edwards, holding pocket sevens, in seventh place. Pickering would take a short rest and watch the next elimination when Jim Sachindis went all-in with his hand of J-9. Sachindis faced off against Simon Morris and his Q-7. The hand looked promising for Sachindis when the flop landed J-3-3, but the hand reversed itself on the turn when a Q was revealed to give Morris the better two pair. The river card was a 7, unnecessarily improving Morris’s hand and sealing Sachindis’s fate, a sixth place exit.
Pickering would make the next elimination though, when his A-J won the coin flip against David Lacchia’s pocket sixes. The flop was K-J-8, giving Pickering a pair of jacks for the rest hand. No help came on the turn or the river and Lacchia was gone in fifth place.
Ivan Sop would be eliminated in fourth place by Jamie Pickering. Sop held 8-2, raising from the button, but Pickering decided to make the call and they went to the flop. The flop was 9-9-8, giving Sop two pair, but both players checked. The turn was a J, and this time Sop bet, with Pickering calling. The river was a K, and Sop, confident in his hand, pushed all-in. Pickering made the call though, revealing his K-J for a better two pair which he made on the turn and improved on the river.
James Potter, who had a massive chip lead at the beginning of play, had been anonymous at the final table, but no longer. His A-6 ran up against Simon Morris’s Q-J. Morris went all-in on the flop of A-Q-4, both players having hit their pair, but Potter held the better pair. Another A came on the turn, and a 6 landed on the river, improving Potter’s hand until it was a full house. Morris exited in third place.
Heads-up play would not last long. On the final hand, James Potter raised before the flop, getting called by Pickering. On the flop, J-7-4 was revealed. Pickering made the initial bet, Potter raised, and Pickering called to send the two combatants to the turn. The turn was a K, and Potter and Pickering continued to raise each other until Potter was all-in. Potter revealed his hand of K-4 for two pair, but Pickering held K-J for the higher two pair. A worthless Q came on the river, and James Potter was eliminated in second place. Jamie Pickering was the champion, and got there thanks to his efforts in elimination six of his eight opponents at the final table. For his impressive performance, Jamie won $39,360.
1st Place: Jamie Pickering ($39,360)
2nd Place: James Potter ($23,370)
3rd Place: Simon Morris ($13,530)
4th Place: Ivan Sop ($9,840)
5th Place: David Lacchia ($7,380)
6th Place: Jim Sachindis ($6,150)
7th Place: Ben Edwards ($4,920)
8th Place: Michael Lipari ($3,690)
9th Place: Martin Cardno ($2,460)