Samuli Sipila Beats Yevgeniy Timoshenko to Win Aussie Millions Event # 19
At any given poker festival, the small events are aimed to please the mixed games players and lower buy in loving echelon of players. But you also have the big buy in side events, making for an action-packed schedule for everyone traveling to a city to play a week or so of poker.
Event #19 on the 2017 Aussie Millions schedule was one in the latter category. The variant, Pot Limit Omaha, is a game getting more popular by the day, certainly in this part of the world. The buy-in, $2,500, a hefty sum for anyone.
While Timoshenko had the advantage in the experience category, Sipila had the advantage in terms of chips.
A total of 126 players entered, making for a prize pool of AUD$283,500 to be divided among the top 15 players. The field was filled with recognizable faces; some of the best came out to play this event. Maybe the most recognizable face was that of Phil Laak – or maybe not as he has it hidden in his hoodie most of the time. Laak made it to the final table, busting out in ninth place for AUD$8,505. While Laak’s poker resume dates back to 2002, this is first recorded cash on Australian soil.
While many locals entered the event, the heads-up battle would be between two players from the other side of the world. Ukrainian player Yevgeniy Timoshenko, WPT, APT, Irish Open and Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge winner, faced Samuli Sipila from Finland heads up.
While Timoshenko had the advantage in the experience category, Sipila had the advantage in terms of chips. Sipila, coming fresh off a win in the 2017 Helsinki Freezeout for €37,240 (AUD$52,735), started with a big lead during heads-up play and never surrendered it. Timoshenko had to settle for second place, worth AUD$49,620, while Sipila collected the first-place prize of AUD$73,710 and posed for the winner photo.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuli Sipila | Finland | AUD$73,710 |
| 2 | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | Ukraine | AUD$49,620 |
| 3 | Michael Seymour | Australia | AUD$32,600 |
| 4 | Michael Tran | Australia | AUD$25,515 |
| 5 | Nikolaos Solomos | Australia | AUD$19,845 |
| 6 | Mikael Koistinen | Finland | AUD$17,010 |
| 7 | Max Schabram | Thailand | AUD$14,175 |
| 8 | Mark Radoja | Canada | AUD$11340 |
| 9 | Phil Laak | United States | AUD$8,505 |
| 10 | Adam Monaghan | Australia | AUD$7,090 |
