Aussie Millions, Event #3, $500 Mixed Stud: A First for Fricke
Jimmy 'gobboboy' Fricke finally took down his Aussie Millions trophy. The date was a year later, and the buy-in significantly lighter, but the 2007 Aussie Millions Main Event runner up took down the trophy in the $500 Mixed Stud (Stud/Razz/Stud Hi-Lo) tournament at the Crown Casino in Melbourne. The tournament drew 96 players from all levels of skill and experience. Poker superstars such as Mel Judah and Thomas 'Buzzer' Bihl, who won the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe H.O.R.S.E. tournament, joined the field along with players such as Peter Aristadou, who found himself the most experienced stud player at his table despite playing in only his second live stud tournament.
The tournament was made up of stud high-only, stud hi-lo (eight or better), and Razz (stud lowball with no qualifier). The game changed at the end of each level, so every 40 minutes players found themselves in a new game.
Among the early eliminations was Lee 'Final Table' Nelson, who busted in an early stud hi-lo level with [A♦3♣] 7♦10♠3♠ for a pair of threes and a thin low draw against his opponent's [A♣J♥] A♥5♠10♣. Nelson was all in on fifth street, and found no help on sixth or seventh to stay alive. Nelsonn failed to complete his low, and his pair of threes was no good against his opponent's aces, which meant his day was complete. Eric Assadourian busted in an early Razz round when he got all his chips in with 9-3-A, but bricked up on subsequent streets to finish with Q-10-9-3-A after he paired his ace and his nine. James Potter sent him to the rail with 7-6-4-3-2.
The steady pace of play continued throughout the day, with Mel Judah finishing near the bubble when Emmanual Sideridis caught a full house in stud hi to bust the popular local pro. Other notable eliminations included Gary Benson, Marsha Waggoner and Juliet Connolly. With only eight players making the money, Thomas 'Buzzer' Bihl was the bubble boy, making aces up on seventh street in stud high-only, but falling to his opponent's king-high straight on the river.
When the final table was set, it was Jimmy 'gobboboy' Fricke with a dominating chip lead over Graeme 'Kiwi G' Putt, his nearest competitor. The final table seating assignments and chip counts were as follows:
Seat 1: Jimmy 'gobboboy' Fricke — 134,500
Seat 2: Sean McKenzie — 11,100
Seat 3: Rich Holmes — 60,000
Seat 4: Trung Tran — 15,000
Seat 5: Emmanuel Sideridis — 23,800
Seat 6: Graeme Putt — 80,600
Seat 7: Jared Bottroff — 43,600
Seat 8: Jethro Horowitz — 16,300
Sean McKenzie was the first to fall, getting the last of his chips in on third street in Razz with 7-5-8. Emmanuel Sideridis put him all in with 2-4-6, and sent him to the rail when his board ran out 2-4-6-9-7-7-9 for a 9-7 low. McKenzie's board came 7-5-8-10-4-9-10 for a 9-8 low, and he collected $1,920 for his final-table appearance. Razz continued to be the nemesis of the final table as Trung Tran went to the rail soon after in seventh ($2,400), after a big hand with Jared Bottroff.
Next, during stud high-only, Jethro Horowitz completed the bet with the 5♥ in the door, and Rich Holmes raised with the J♦ showing. Horowitz called all in, and his board came down [4♠5♦] 5♥5♠2♥10♠9♠. Holmes started ahead with kings in the hole, watched Holmes catch his trip fives, and then rivered a Broadway straight with [K♦K♣] J♦10♣J♠A♥Q♠ to send Horowitz to the rail in sixth ($2,880).
Holmes ran into Jimmy Fricke's big stack on the very next hand, and it was a monster for both players. With the Q♠ in the door, Fricke led out on third street. Holmes raised with the A♥ showing, and Fricke called. Holmes led out on fourth street with A♥7♠ showing, and Fricke called with Q♠8♣ exposed. Holmes bet out again on fifth street after catching the 10♦ showing, and Fricke called after receiving the 4♠. Both players checked on sixth street, with Fricke showing Q♠8♣4♠8♠ and Holmes showing A♥7♠10♦K♥. Fricke led out on seventh street, and Holmes raised. Fricke re-raised and Holmes re-raised for his last few chips. Fricke called quickly, and Holmes exposed his hole cards [Q♥9♥] [2♥] for a queen-high heart flush. Fricke tabled [Q♣8♥]-x for the full house, and Holmes was eliminated in fifth place ($3,840).
Jared Bottroff was the next to fall to Fricke, after getting all his chips in on fourth street with aces in the hole against Fricke's pair of tens with an ace kicker. Fricke caught the case ace to make two pair and bust Bottroff in fourth ($4,800). Emmanuel Sideridis finished third when Fricke made a pair of aces and a 7-6 low in stud hi-lo to send the short stack to the rail. Sideridis picked up $5,760 for his finish.
With a 5:1 chip lead over Graeme 'Kiwi G' Putt, it didn't take Fricke long to put away the popular Aussie. In the final hand, in stud hi-lo, Fricke made a wheel straight on fifth street to leave Putt drawing dead on sixth. Putt shook Fricke's hand as he exited the table as the runner-up, worth $9,600. Fricke made an impressive run to the finish after taking the chip lead with three tables left in the field, earning his trophy and the $16,800 first-place prize. Mentioning his runner-up finish in last year's Main Event, Fricke joked, "I really wanted to win last year. Maybe I can scratch off the date on the trophy."
