Online Poker > Online Poker News
Poker News
January 22nd 2007
The Great Dane wins Aussie Millions
One of the most successful tournament poker players of the modern era notched yet another victory last week as Gus Hansen took down first place in the Aussie Millions, collecting $1.5 million Australian dollars, equivalent to $1,184,900 USD.
The final table of the Aussie Millions started with the chip counts as follows:
Jimmy "Gobboboy" Fricke $5.175M
Gus Hansen $4.845M
Andrew Black $2.1M
Kristy Gazes $1.05M
Julius Colman $785K
Marc Karam $535K
Hans Martin Vogl $455K
Comfortably in second place at the start of the day it took Gus Hansen no time to assume the chip lead, first taking down a $700k+ pot against Fricke before he put Kristy Gazes to the sword. The only woman at the final table had put in a stella performance over the course of the tournament, dominating her table on the penultimate day to reach the final table in fourth place. But Gazes eventually bowed out to a coin flip when Hansen called her re-raise all-in with pocket nines. Gazes couldn't pair her A-Q and the nines held up for a $2 million+ pot. A disappointed Gazes said: "I can't complain. I felt I played great poker the last few days."
With Gazes gone Hansen resumed hostilities with Fricke, the only man with enough chips to put a real dent in his stack. The two played numerous pots against each other with Fricke having marginally the better of the outcomes before they both looked to easier victims. Marc Karam was the first to follow Gazes to the rail, losing when Hansen called his preflop all-in with A-9 and turned a 9 to beat Karam's K-J.
Next it was Fricke's turn, and in an exact reversal of the previous elimination Fricke sent his K-J to battle with Hans Martin Vogl's A-9. This time around it was the K-J that won the day, Fricke rivering a jack to end Vogl's participation in the event.
That left Fricke, Hansen and Andy Black the last three players standing. Fricke started the three way battle in the lead, with $6.3 million to Hansen's $4.8 million and Black's $4.1 million. With two top pros to contend with it seemed that Fricke might get overrun but in fact it was quite the opposite. The 19-year-old simply left the pros in his wake, quickly amassing over half the chips on the table before sending Black crashing out of the tournament in third. Down to less than $2 million Black moved all-in with K-Q but was dominated by Gobboboy's A-Q. The board offered the Irishman no help and his tournament was over.
That elimination meant Fricke began heads-up play with a huge lead over Hansen, but the Dane found some big hands early on and quickly began to build momentum. Eventually the seasoned pro took the lead when he moved all-in on a Ac-Ks-7h-8c board and was called by Fricke after at lease four minutes of contemplation. When the cards were turned over Hansen was ahead with A-2 against Fricke's K-Q and the 5c on the river pushed him into a $10.4m to $4.4m chip lead.
But despite the loss Fricke didn't panic and his patience paid off when he regained control a little while later. On a flop of Jd-Td-Th Hansen bet $500k and Fricke moved all-in for $4.3m. After a period of muttering Hansen said "this could be the worst call ever" and duly called. It turned out to be a masterstroke however, because although Hansen only had Ah-Kh he was a 2:1 favorite against Fricke's Kd-Qc. Unfortunately for Hansen his great play was not rewarded with the pot as a nine popped out on the river to hand Fricke the pot, and with it the teenager took back the chiplead.
It was turning into a see saw battle and Hansen took back the lead when he called Fricke's all-in holding K-T on a K-J-6 flop. Fricke had been on a steal and the best he could hope for with his Q-9 was to hit a ten for a gutshot straight. For once Gobboboy missed his miracle out and it would prove the beginning of the end for the Internet prodigy.
After losing a $3 million pot to Hansen's straight Fricke finally conceded the title when he check-raised Hansen all-in with an open ended-straight draw and was called instantly by Hansen who held pocket aces. The gutshot didnt materialise and the tournament was over.
Fricke had played excellent poker all week and as Hansen acknowledged, with three players left he and Andy Black had been "pushed around" by Gobboboy. Ultimately it wasn't to be his day, but with an extra $1 million (Aus) in his bankroll the Illinois teenager will certainly be a threat in future tournaments for years to come.
The final payouts were as follows:
1st Gus Hansen $1,500,000
2st Jimmy Fricke $1,000,000
3st Andrew Black $700,000
4st Julius Colman $500,000
5st Hans Martin Vogl $400,000
6st Marc Karam $300,000
7st Kristy Gazes $220,000
Submitted: 22/01/2007 10:04:02
Page 1 of 1
Monthly Archive