Dan Smith Wins Aussie Millions $100K Challenge, Seven-Figure Score

Poker News / Short-Stacked Shamus / 23 January 2012 / 1 Comments

Dan Smith, winner of the 2012 Aussie Millions $100K Challenge

Heads-up play began with Mikhail Smirnov well in front with 1,575,000 to Smith's 625,000. However over the next three-plus hours Smith battled back, then finished off Smirnov in two hands in which Smith's small pocket pairs held both times.

The Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge, the first of the "high roller" events on the schedule, has completed with Dan Smith of Las Vegas outlasting Mikhail Smirnov of Moscow after a lengthy heads-up duel to win the title and $1 million-plus first prize. Joe Hachem took third and Tony G fourth as the only other players to cash in the event.

Last year saw 38 play the Aussie Millions $100K event (won by Sam Trickett), but this time just 22 players ponied up the hefty entry fee to participate, among them such poker luminaries as Tom Dwan, Daniel Negreanu, J.C. Tran, Erik Seidel, Jason Mercier, and Phil Ivey.

None of those players managed to make it through the first of the tourney's two days of play, however, with Ivey the last to fall in ninth place at the hands of Gus Hansen. In his last hand, Ivey got all of his chips in the middle holding 8d-8s on a 9s-7d-6s flop. But Hansen held 7c-6d for two pair, and when the turn and river bricked out for Ivey they were down to the final eight-handed table.

Here's who made it that far and how the chip stacks looked when that final table began on Monday:

1. Gus Hansen -- 567,000
2. Joe Hachem -- 538,500
3. Dan Smith -- 346,500
4. Mikhail Smirnov -- 265,000
5. Sorel Mizzi -- 228,500
6. Tony G -- 102,000
7. Nam Le -- 79,500
8. Sam Trickett -- 73,000

It only took 15 minutes or so for a short-stacked Nam Le to reraise all in with 10h-10c over a Hansen open with Jh-Js, and when the board brought no help to Le he was swiftly out in eighth.

Sam Trickett soon followed Le to the rail in seventh, again at the hands of Hansen. In Trickett's last hand he raised with 6d-6c, got reraised by Hansen who held Ah-9c, then called with his remaining chips. The board came Qh-9d-2c-7d-3d, and Trickett had come up short in his $100K Challenge title defense.

Sorel Mizzi was next to go in sixth after losing a preflop all-in with Qh-Qc against Mikhail Smirnov's Ah-Kh. The board came jack-high, but also brought three hearts, coming 4c-Jh-5h-4d-2h to give Smirnov a flush and knock Mizzi out.

That put the remaining five players on a huge cash bubble, with $242,000 (AUD) due the fourth-place finisher and zero the next player out. By then Smirnov led with 840,000, followed by Hansen (490,000), Joe Hachem (350,000), Tony G (270,000), and Dan Smith (250,000).

Smirnov would continue to add to his lead, pushing over 1 million while Hachem saw his stack slide to less than 100,000. Hachem fought back, though, while Hansen started to lose chips. Soon it was Hansen all in with his tourney life on the line with As-Jc versus Smirnov's 10h-10d. The community cards came 9s-8c-7s-2d-5c and after leading to start the final table Hansen had become the bubble boy.

Not long after that Tony G was all in with Ah-6h against Smith's As-Qh, and when the board brought no six and just one heart, Tony G was out in fourth.

Hachem continued to perservere with his short stack before finally running Ac-9c into Dan Smith's As-10s. The flop was good for Hachem, coming 9h-Js-7d to pair his nine and put him in front. And the turn brought the 9s, improving the Aussie to trips and giving his supporters more to cheer about. But the river was the 3s, giving Smith the spade flush and stealing the pot away from Hachem, knocking him out in third.

Heads-up play began with Smirnov well in front with 1,575,000 to Smith's 625,000. However over the next hour Smith would close the gap, then double through the Russian to take the lead. Then Smirnov would chip away before doubling up himself to retake the advantage.

All told the pair dueled for more than three hours, the end finally coming after a quick sequence of two hands.

In the first they were nearly even with Smith doubled after his 6h-6d held up against Smirnov's Ac-Qd, the board coming ten-high.

That knocked Smirnov down to less than 200,000 versus Smith's 2 million, and soon the rest of Smirnov's chips were at risk with Qh-6h against Smith's 2d-2s. Again Smith's small pocket pair prevailed, the board coming Kd-5h-Ac-Jc-8c to give the American the title.

2012 Aussie Millions $100K Challenge payouts (AUD):
1st: Dan Smith -- $1,012,000
2nd: Mikhail Smirnov -- $616,000
3rd: Joe Hachem -- $330,000
4th: Tony G -- $242,000

In other Aussie Millions news, the Main Event is underway with the third of three Day 1 flights taking place on Tuesday and the final table scheduled for Saturday. Meanwhile the $250,000 Challenge -- a.k.a. the "Super High Roller" -- will be staged as a one-day event on Friday.

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Comments (1)

1. Joyce V. Maggio | 23 January 2012

   Congratulations to Dan Smith! A great guy. A brilliant poker pro.