2009 Aussie Millions

$1 Million Cash Game
Day: 1
Event Info

2009 Aussie Millions

Event Info
Buy-in
1,000,000 AUD
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Pickering Shows Up

Jamie Pickering may have decided to let his cards do the talking.

(Ok, ok, you can groan at that. It was pretty bad. But I can't compete with Phil Laak, who just asked the table, "How do you guys memorize all the cards you have?")

Still playing PLO, Pickering and Andrew Robl called a preflop raise to $3,500 from Patrik Antonius. All three checked the {5-Diamonds} {10-Diamonds} {6-Diamonds} flop. The turn came {7-Spades}. Action checked to Antonius. He made it $6,000 to go and was called only by Pickering. Both players checked the {Q-Diamonds} river.

Pickering said his first word, "Straight," and showed {6-Hearts} {7-Diamonds} {8-Clubs} {9-Hearts}. Antonius mucked.

Short Straw

Jamie Pickering has drawn the short straw at this table. He's in Seat 1, with empty space to his right and the never-ending chatter of Phil Laak to his left. Patrik Antonius, on the other side of Laak, can at least turn to Niki Jedlicka for a break from Laak's antics. Pickering has no such luxury. He looks pretty miserable right now and still hasn't said so much as a word to anyone at the table.

For his part, Laak seems to be ignoring Pickering. So, at least they're square on that point.

Laak Shtick

The game has switched to PLO.

"For those of you at home, you'll notice there's no ante," said Phil Laak, addressing the camera. "That's because PLO plays bigger than hold'em. Scientists will explain why at the break."

He then leaned back in his chair and said to the production staff, "Also can you stop doing that thing where you explain the rules of hold'em? It's not necessary. It's so painful." In the back, one of the staff said, "And that's where we cut to the rules."

Laak's already been out of his seat once to go put his head on Robl's shoulder. By the way, there's a poker game taking place at the table.

Phil Laak Wants You to Know He's Here

As you might expect from this crew, Phil Laak is dominating the table talk. After Niki Jedlicka raised Patrik Antonius from $6,000 to $22,500 on the flop and Antonius folded, Laak quipped, "That's how the young kids do it -- with complete air."

A few hands later, Laak raised and Tom Dwan called out of the big blind. "You never don't defend, do you?" Laak asked. "I just want to make sure I got the memo." He also has so far insisted on calling Dwan "kid" every time he has addressed Dwan.

They're playing hold'em right now. No notable hands yet.

More Players!

Things are about to get much more interesting. Jamie Pickering, Andrew Robl, Phil Laak and Niki Jedlicka just rocked up to the table. They've drawn for seats as follows:

Seat 1: Pickering
Seat 2: Laak
Seat 3: Antonius
Seat 4: Jedlicka
Seat 5: Robl
Seat 6: Dwan

Each new player is in for AU$200,000. The blinds have been moved down to $500 and $1,000, with a $200 ante for hold'em only.

Even though Gus Hansen isn't in the game, Dwan ordered a vodka and cranberry anyway. Most of the guys out there seem very relaxed, except for Pickering. Maybe he just doesn't know the other players very well, but he hasn't said a word since he came onto the set.

Dwan Chopped Again

Once again Tom Dwan flopped the nut straight, this time in PLO. Once again Patrik Antonius turned a gutshot to the same straight. On a final board that read {9-Clubs} {5-Hearts} {6-Spades} {8-Diamonds} {A-Diamonds}, Dwan showed down {k-Spades} {8-Clubs} {7-Clubs} {7-Spades} and Antonius tabled {K-Clubs} {Q-Spades} {7-Diamonds} {6-Clubs}.

"I was in bad shape," Antonius acknowledged after the pot was chopped.

Signs of Life for Dwan

Despite his failure to get Hansen in the game, Tom Dwan is showing some progress in re-building his stack. Still playing PLO, he and Antonius took a raised flop of {A-Diamonds} {3-Spades} {8-Hearts}. We're guessing there were two raises preflop because Antonius fired out for $22,000. Dwan raised to $71,000. Antonius called after some thought.

Both players checked through the {2-Spades} turn. Antonius checked again when the river fell {k-Spades}. Dwan cut out four flags, four orange chips and two blues, making it $122,000 to see his cards. Antonius did not want to pay.

Durrrr Trying to Get Hansen in the Game

Tom Dwan's doing his best to convince Gus Hansen to sit down, but Hansen is having none of it. He's standing off to the side, downing a drink. He said that he won't play because he's been drinking.

Dwan offered that they will all do a shot right away and then every thirty minutes after. "I'll do two to catch up," he added. "As long as it's not something nasty-tasting like tequila." Hansen didn't sit down, but he didn't leave the set either.

"I'll do two cranberry vodkas. Two shots. Three shots. Whatever you think is fair for me to catch up." Still no sale, and it was at that point that Hansen decided to leave. He wished each player good luck and then slipped out the door.

"So close, and yet so far," sighed Dwan after the door closed.

Dwan Wins a Showdown!

Tom Dwan finally took a pot at showdown. He got a total of $40,000 from Antonius on a board of {3-Diamonds} {9-Hearts} {4-Clubs} {K-Clubs} {A-Spades}; $6,000 preflop; $10,000 on the turn and $24,000 on the river. He showed {A-Hearts} {3-Spades} {7-Hearts} {7-Diamonds} for two pair, aces and threes.

Gus Hansen is here. He just peeked into the set and asked how things were going. "I'm down 550," said Dwan. "Patrik's winning all the money, as usual." We're supposed to be getting some more players in a few minutes -- as soon as their chips arrive from the cage.

Play Resumes

Patrik has shifted one seat to his right. Interestingly, I don't think anyone is actually filming this. The two just sat down and started playing. The game is PLO right now.
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