$50,000 NLHE Shot Clock Six Max
Day 1 Completed
2017 Aussie Millions
$50,000 NLHE Shot Clock Six Max
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 Aussie Millions
Buy-in
50,000 AUD
Entries
6
Level
10
Blinds
600 / 1,200
Ante
200
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
In 2011, Crown Melbourne’s Aussie Millions Poker Championship was the first event in the world to introduce a Super High-Roller Event, which saw an astounding 20 players enter the ‘$250,000 Challenge’, creating a prize-pool of AUD$5,000,000. The success of this event has since been mirrored across the world at almost all the poker majors.
This year in 2017, more visitors came to Crown to experience the Aussie Millions than ever before, including many of the highest ranked poker players in the world. However, there was a distinct lack of recreational players at the Super High-Roller level. For this reason, Crown added the $50,000 No Limit Holdem Shot Clock Six Max to offer choice and variation, and cancelled the $250,000 this year.
While the $250,000 Challenge did not run, the $50,000 NLHE Shot Clock Six Max event did get underway. After having waited it out for a bit, Stephen Chidwick, Ben Tollerene, Charlie Carrel and Sam Greenwood started the game four-handed. With registration open for the first six 40-minute levels, action remained four-handed till the very last second. Erik Seidel and Mike Watson were seen lingering but decided not to enter.
Sam Greenwood busted in the last hand before the registration period was over to take play three-way after the Canadian high roller found himself short and moved in with ace-nine. Ben Tollerene called with queen-jack and flopped trips, leaving Greenwood drawing dead after the turn.
Greenwood decided not to reenter in the break that followed, but two new players did sign up to bring the field up to five. Fedor Holz, having busted from the Main Event in fifth place, bought in and so did Mikita Badziakouski.
For a while, it looked like the two newcomers would walk away with the two prizes from the AUD$294,000 prize pool as Stephen Chidwick and Ben Tollerene busted quite quickly. Chidwick got unlucky against Badziakouski as his turned two-pair turned out to be beat by the Belarusian's rivered top-two.
Ben Tollerene, short stacked when the chips went in just like Stephen Chidwick moments before, would lose his last chips in an unfortunate way as well. He got it in with ace-queen to Fedor Holz's ace-five but the latter flopped a five to send Tollerene to the rail.
Just shortly after registration had closed, the tournament was now on the bubble. With AUD$117,600 (~$88,841 USD) for second and nothing for third, the money jump was a hefty one.
Three-handed play with Badziakouski, Holz and Carrel lasted just over an hour and a half with Fedor Holz eventually falling in third place. Like the bust outs before him, Holz was unlucky to get eliminated. Already short, the German limp-called from the button following a Carrel small blind squeeze, found top-two on the flop and moved in for just a bit more than Carrel had committed to the pot. Carrel was priced in with an over card and gutshot and hit the latter on the river to send Holz packing. While Holz cashed big in the other two events he played here in Australia this week, the $100,000 Challenge (third for AUD$352,800) and the $10,000 Main Event (fifth for AUD$335,000), Holz missed out on the money here in this impromptu event.
Now in the money, Charlie Carrel started out with a healthy lead over Mikita Badziakouski. With the shot clock in place, making players act on their hand within thirty seconds every decision, action was even faster paced than ever. The fact that the antes were done away with by the tournament organizers contributed to this as well.
Badziakouski rivered his British opponent in a sizable pot and then raised a flop to take the lead. He would not surrender his advantage and slowly but steadily forced Carrel into the role of short stack. With Carrel's good friend Ben Heath heads up for big money in the Main Event just a couple tables over, it sometimes looked like Carrel was more concerned with the outcome there than he was in his own event.
Carrel eventually pushed with king-four suited over a raise by Badziakouski. The latter called instantly and Carrel admitted right away he might have made a bad read. Badziakouski showed ace-jack and five meaningless community cards later was crowned the champion.
This is Mikita Badziakouski's 14th cash in his poker career, and his first ever win. "It was such a long way for me." Badziakouski said, "I was playing live tournaments since 2010 or 2011. I started to play even very small events like with 15 or 20 players but still never managed to finish in first place."
“Last year I got second, fifth, sixth... a lot of these close places but never a win. So this feels good.”
“Actually I just had money for one bullet. Plus I wanted to have lunch and I had just busted the other event. On top of that I wanted to keep more time bank chips than the others so that's it.”
In addition to the AUD$176,400 ($133,262) first prize Badziakouski was also rewarded with the $50,000 NLHE Shot Clock Six Max Championship Ring worth AUD$5,500 ($4,155 USD) to commemorate his first tournament victory.
“I just tried it on and it's a really big one, so I’m definitely not going to wear it. I'll just keep it at home I guess.”
So what’s next for the Belarusian high roller now he has booked his first win?
“I'm not hundred percent sure yet, but I'll probably go to Manila for Chinese events. And then I'll go to Macau probably, we'll see.” Said an upbeat Badziakouski.
| Position | Player | Country | Prize in AUD$ | Prize in US$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | AUD$176,400 | $133,262 |
| 2 | Charlie Carrel | United Kingdom | AUD$117,600 | $88,841 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Mikita Badziakouski raised his button to 2,500 and big blind Charlie Carrel shoved for 25,300. Badziakouski called just about instantly.
"Ouch, bad read" Carrel said upon seeing his opponent call so quick.
Mikita Badziakouski: 
Charlie Carrel: 
The board ran out 
and Carrel said "Good game."
"Took me so long," Badziakouski said with a smile, talking about winning a tournament, "and now in a 6-handed tournament."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
120,000
33,300
|
33,300 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Badziakouski bumped it up to 3,000 from the button and Carrel made the call with the flop coming 
, which both players checked.
The 
turn saw Carrel lead out for 4,000 and Badziakouski making the call to bring in the 
river, which is checked around.
Carrel turned over ace-four offsuit for a pair of fours, but this was not enough to beat Badziakousk's 
.
The next hand Carrel raised to 4,400 from the small blind after Badziakouski limped-called the button.
Carrel's continuation bet of 3,000 on the 
flop was enough to take it down and it was on to the next hand.
It was Carrel's turn on the button and he opened it to 3,000 and Badziakouski defended the big blind. The flop fell 
and was checked through to the 
turn.
After Badziakouski checked for a second time, Carrel took a stab for 4,000 and was quickly called.
The 
river brought a third check from Badziakouski and Carrel fired a sizable 12,500 bet. Badziakouski thought it over for about 10-seconds and called.
Carrel turned over which was not enough to beat Badziakouski's 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
86,700
14,700
|
14,700 |
|
|
||
|
|
25,300
-22,700
|
-22,700 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Mikita Badziakouski raised to 2,500 from the button and big blind Charlie Carrel called. Carrel checked on 
and saw his Belarusian opponent bet 1,200. Carrel raised to 4,500 and Badziakouski called. The 
hit the turn and Carrel bet 9,000. Badziakouski folded.
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Charlie Carrel raised the button to 3,000 and Mikita Badziakouski called. Badziakouski check-called 5,000 on 
but check-folded to Carrel's 8,500 second barrel on the 
turn.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
72,000
-13,500
|
-13,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
48,000
13,500
|
13,500 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Both players seem content to limp the button at present and nothing much has changed in the chip counts with Carrel and Badziakouski swapping blinds.
The first big hand that did develop started with a Carrel button limp and Badziakouski seemed happy to check his option. Action checked through on the 
turn but the river saw Badziakouski lead for 2,500 and Carrel raise to 7,000.
Badziakouski made the call with 
and Carrel turned over 
for an anti-climatic chop.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
85,500
700
|
700 |
|
|
||
|
|
34,500
-700
|
-700 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Charlie Carrel raised before the flop and MikitaBadziakouski called. Badziakouski check-called a bet of 2,700 on 
before they both checked the on the turn. The river 
saw Badziakouski check again and Carrel bet 8,500. Badziakouski called and Carrel showed . Badziakouski tabled 
.
"Just let me win one" Carrel said.
"I've never won one" Badziakouski answered.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
84,800
22,800
|
22,800 |
|
|
||
|
|
35,200
-22,800
|
-22,800 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
Mikita Badziakouski limped the button and Carrel checked his option in the big blind with the flop falling 
, which brought checks from both players.
The turn saw Carrel lead for 1,200 and Badziakouski call in position to bring the action to the river.
Carrel now check and Badziakouski decided to fire out a bet of 4,000, which Carrel quickly check-raised to 12,000 in total. Badziakouski made the call and Carrel turned over 
for top pair, but this was not good enough to beat Badziakouski's for rivered trip sixes.
Carrel made it 6,000 from the button the following hand and after Badziakouski called the flop fell . Carrel led for 4,000, Badziakouski raised to 15,000 and Carrel snap folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
62,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
58,000
-23,000
|
-23,000 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
With the play now heads up, the tournament organization has done away with antes. With the start of level 10, the duration of the levels is now upped to 60 minutes compared to 40 minutes earlier.