The 2014 Aussie Million Main Event has finally drawn to a conclusion and Canadian Ami Barer has walked away the victor. He took home $1.6 million for his efforts over 5 days, outlasting 667 players to finish the tournament with all the chips.
Play resumed on Sunday after the 7 remaining players had Saturday off as a rest day following 4 gruelling days of poker against the best poker players in the world. When the final table of the main event was established it was Barer who was the commanding chip leader sitting with around 6.6 million in chips in front of him.
But even with a considerable chip advantage it was never going to be an easy tournament to win, he was faced with some tough competition from the likes of Sorel Mizzi, Scott Seiver, Jake Balsiger, Vincent Rubianes, and Darren Rabinowitz.
With stacks fairly deep it wasn’t that surprising that it took several hours before the first player at the final table was eliminated. Seiver started the final table as the shortest stack. He managed a much needed double up through Balsiger when his AJ caught up against Balsiger’s 1010’s. From there, Seiver, managed to double up a second time before this hand happened.
At the 40k/80k/10k level Darren Rabinowitz opened to 160,000 but this was met by a three bet shove by Scott Seiver for a bit more than a million chips. Seiver, who is one of the most successful poker players at this final table, tabled pocket 88’s and Rabinowitz showed AT. The flop gave Rabinowitz his much need ace plus a gutshot to a broadway straight and there were no miracle cards on the turn and river to improve Seiver’s hand, sending him to the rail in 7th place for $170,000.
The last remaining Australian, Andrew Phaedonos, ran into Mizzi’s pocket KK’s, sending him to the rail in 6th place, and Vincent Rubianes met the same demise after running into the pocket AA’s of Rabinowitz, out in 5th place.
Despite winning this hand, Rabinowitz was the next player eliminated after getting it in really badly at the 60k/120k/10k level. His 55’s were up against Barer’s 99’s and he didn’t manage to spike another 5, sending him to the rail.
2012 World Series of Poker Main Event November Niner Jake Balsiger was eliminated in third place after an unlucky turn of events. Balsiger opened to 240,000 on the button, Barer three-bet to 575,000 from the small blind, and the 23 year old four-bet to 1.175 million. Barer responded with a five-bet shove and Balsiger called.
Balsiger tabled KK’s and he was up against Barer’s AT. He was in great shape to double up through Barer, but when the dealer peeled off the 9-8-7 flop it gave Barer plenty of outs. The turn was a 5, but the river came a 6, giving Barer a ten high straight and the winning hand, eliminating Balsiger, who couldn’t consider himself too unlucky, as he collected a $650,000 payday.
With just two players remaining in the tournament, this meant heads up play was about to get started, and it was contested between Barer and Mizzi. Unlike play at the start of the final table, stacks weren’t as deep and Barer had a three to one chip lead, so it didn’t take as long for the next player to be eliminated.
Unfortunately for Mizzi, he ended up running into Barer’s aces, which he didn’t manage to crack, meaning Barer was crowned the 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event champion. This was the first time a Canadian has ever claimed the title of Australia’s most prestigious poker tournament, beating a fellow Canuck heads up.