James Chen Wins Aussie Millions $25K, Main Event Rolling

James Chen entered the AUD$25,000 Challenge final table as the underdog against a stacked final table. But Chen’s been running hot with two back-to-back wins on his record with the $2,500 HORSE event earlier in the week and the Macau Poker Cup High Roller in September. 
Chen’s momentum carried him through the final table after it took five hours to play from three remaining to him winning $861,840.

The event drew 133 entrants for a prize pool of AUD$3.1 million. The top 14 players cashed and finishing outside the final table were Jeff Rositer (14th), Cate Hall (13th) and Pratyush Buddiga (8th).

Final Table Payouts AUD

1. James Chen – $861,840
2. Brandon Adams – $590,520
3. Antoine Saout – $383,040
4. John Juanda – $287,280
5. Ryan D’Angelo – $207,480
6. Nick Petrangelo – $143,640
7. Mustapha Kanit – $119,700 

Two Day 1 flights are in the books for the 2017 Aussie Millions Main Event with one more to go. So far the event drew 396 entrants and need a fairly large final flight to match the 732 entrants from 2016. Sam Ingham bagged the overall lead in 1A with 160,100 with Ryhs Jones (159,000) and Mustapha Kanit (155,000) on Ingham’s heels from 1B.

Samantha Abernathy, third in 2016, advanced alongside 2011 Aussie Millions third place finisher Jeff Rossiter. 2014 WSOP Main Event champ Martin Jacobson, 2016 Super High Roller Bowl winner Rainer Kempe and Australian legend Billy “the Croc” Argyros also return for Day 2.

Defending champ Ari Engel hasn’t advanced to Day 2 yet but he’s been busy in other parts of the poker room. He final tabled the AUD$1,150 Shot Clock Shootout in seventh place and then finished in third place in the $2,500 Eight Game Mixed event.

Players have one final flight, seven 90-minute levels, to advance on Day 2 of the event.