2016 Aussie Millions Day 11: Chance Kornuth Wins $25,000 Challenge
Day 2 of the 2016 Aussie Millions $25,000 Challenge – a tournament that attracted 122 entries (100 unique + 22 reentries) and created a AUD$2.928 million prize pool – saw 26 players return to action, but by the end of the night just one remained as Chance Kornuth vanquished all others to capture the AU$790,560 first-place prize, the second-biggest score of his career.
It marked the third 2016 Aussie Millions cash for Kornuth, who finished ninth in Event #6: No-Limit Hold'em Six Max for AU$9,415 and eighth in Event #3: No-Limit Hold'em Shot Clock Shootout for AU$4,520. Kornuth, who won a World Series of Poker bracelet back in 2010, was also less than two weeks away from finishing seventh in the PCA $25,000 High Roller for $192,780.
The win was made all the more special for Kornuth as he was down to just 5,100 at the 800/1,600 blind level on Day 1. He found himself all in in six of the next seven hands, winning each time to put himself back in contention. Kornuth said he was 50/50 to play the $100,000 Challenge, which is slated to start in a mere 10 hours.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (AU$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chance Kornuth | United States | $790,560 |
| 2 | Igor Kurganov | Russia | $541,680 |
| 3 | Jason Les | United States | $351,360 |
| 4 | Steve O'Dwyer | Ireland | $263,520 |
| 5 | Oliver Price | UK | $190,320 |
| 6 | Phanlert Sukonthachartnant | Thailand | $131,760 |
| 7 | Michael Egan | Australia | $109,800 |
When action resumed on Saturday afternoon, a dozen players needed to hit the rail before the money, and among those to leave empty handed were 2015 GPI Player of the Year Byron Kaverman, online star Daniel "Jungle Man" Cates, EPT12 Malta champ Niall Farrell, and Australia's Dean Spagnuolo, who finished as the bubble boy when his pocket sixes failed to hold in a standard race situation.
From there, the in-the-money finishes began to mount on the way to the final table of seven. Those who fell short were Team PokerStars Pros Yaxi Zhu (14th – AU$58,560) and Eugene Katchalov (10th – AU$87,840), as well as German pros Dominik Nitsche (9th – AU$87,840) and Benny Spindler (8th – AU$109,800).
It took several hours for the next player to fall, but it happened when Michael Egan, the last Australian left in the field, ran pocket jacks into aces. After Phanlert Sukonthachartnant and Oliver Price were eliminated in sixth and fifth place respectively, Steve O'Dwyer, just over a week removed from winning the 2016 PCA $50K Single-Day High Roller for $945,495, followed them out the door in fourth.
Not long after, Jason Les hit the rail after running two pair into Kornuth's set, which set up a near even heads-up match between Kornuth and Igor Kurganov, who was looking to win the title for the second time in four years after taking it down in 2013, albeit in a field of just 30 runners for a top prize of AU$275,000.
The two jostled back and forth for a bit, but before long Kurganov pulled out to a healthy lead only to have Kornuth battle back. Eventually Kornuth had Russia's all-time money leader on the ropes, and he delivered the knockout blow after both players flopped a pair.
Congratulations to Chance Kornuth, the 2016 Aussie Millions $25,000 Challenge champ!
Accumulator Final Table Set
After almost 12 hours of poker Saturday, the final table of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Event #8 $1,150 No-Limit Hold'em Accumulator was set.
The event's second day began just after noon with 85 hopefuls chasing spots in the final ten. After just a few hours, the 63-player money bubble burst and things got serious.
Those who busted in the money, but fell short of the final, included Event #3 $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. champ James Obst, 2014 World Series of Poker APAC champ Scott Davies, start-of-day chip leader Francesco Sergi and Aussie cricket legend Shane Warne, who unfortunately managed to get his aces cracked on the way out the door.
Play tightened up at the final two tables, but they eventually got down to ten with defending 2015 Aussie Millions Accumulator champ Christopher Soyza grabbing the chip lead.
Hot on his heels when play resumes at 1 p.m. Sunday will be 2012 WSOP November Niner Jacob Balsiger. 2015 WSOP final table participant Kevin Andriamahefa rounds out the top three.
Hong Kong's Park Yu Cheung, Aussie Dylan Garland, Kiwi Jason Brown, American Ronnie Bardah and last woman standing Jessica Dawley sit in the middle of the pack.
Rounding out the final table will be Aussie Senthil Kumar Subramaniam and Singapore's Don Mishra.
Each player is guaranteed a five-figure score heading into Sunday's final with a $147,930 first-place prize and coveted LK Boutique Aussie Millions championship ring still up for grabs.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will have final table coverage from start to finish Sunday.
| Seat | Player | Nationality | Chip Count |
| 1 | Kevin Andriamahefa | USA | 822,000 |
| 2 | Park Yu Cheung | Hong Kong | 696,000 |
| 3 | Don Mishra | Singapore | 286,000 |
| 4 | Christopher Soyza | Malaysia | 1,135,000 |
| 5 | Ronnie Bardah | USA | 544,000 |
| 6 | Jessica Dawley | USA | 533,000 |
| 7 | Dylan Garland | Australia | 641,000 |
| 8 | Jason Brown | New Zealand | 557,000 |
| 9 | Senthil Kumar Subramaniam | Australia | 326,000 |
| 10 | Jacob Balsiger | USA | 1,115,000 |
$1,150 Bounty Draws 349
Event #10 $1,150 Bounty drew 349 players creating a $523,500 prize pool that will pay the top 32. A minimum cash is worth $2,980 while an LK Boutique Aussie Millions championship ring and $116,680 first place prize awaits the winner.
The field played into the money Saturday and will return to play down to a champion at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship Continues
The 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship continues Sunday January 24, 2016 with the first of three starting flights for the $10,600 No Limit Holdem Main Event kicking off at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday will also see Event #12 $100,000 Challenge begin just after 2 p.m. and featuring some of the game's biggest superstars. Event #13 $1,150 Terminator No Limit Holdem also start at 2:30 p.m. with a unique format that puts a $500 bounty on the head of every player in the field.
Plus, the final table of Event #8 $1,150 No Limit Holdem Accumulator and the final day of Event #10 $1,150 Bounty start at 1 p.m.
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