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There is non-stop action lined up Down Under as immediately after the Aussie Millions 2020 got over, we saw the inaugural Australian Poker Open take center stage at the Star Gold Coast. The series began on January 25 and is slated to run through February 2. Once the Australian Poker Open gets over, there is the first-ever Super High Roller Bowl Australia that culminates on February 4.
The opening event of the Australian Poker Open, the A$10,500 NLHE attracted 59 hopefuls to generate a prize pool of $590,000 and the top nine places made it in the money. The winner emerged in Canadian pro Mike ‘SirWatts’ Watson (cover image) who shipped a live title after almost four years – his last title win was the 2016 PCA Main Event that he took down for $750,000. This shipment brought Watson A$177,000 in prize money after he defeated Michael O’Grady heads-up.
After the event, Watson stated, “I’m thrilled to have won it. Especially in these series it’s great to get off to a good start and set the tone, get your confidence high, and try to make a run for that player of the series title. It’s also the first live event I’ve won a little while, so that monkey’s off my back.”
Talking about a good start, Watson continued his hot run by final tabling the very next Event #2 A$10,50- Pot-Limit Omaha, finishing third for A$64,500.
Others who reached the money in the opening event but fell short of the final table included Elio Fox (7th for $29,500), Ben Lamb (8th for $23,600) and Luc Greenwood (9th for $17,700).
Final Table Chip Counts
Final Table Recap
Hungary’s Andras Nemeth entered the final table with the second-shortest stack and he 3-bet shoved with pocket deuces only to get called by Michael O’Grady’s pocket aces. The aces held eliminating Nemeth in sixth place.
After that, Jamie Lee shoved with and Watson moved all in over the top with . Watson hit three of a kind on the rundown, busting Lee.
Orpen Kisacikoglu next bluffed his stack off against Watson and settled for the fourth spot.
The string of eliminations continued and next up, Benjamin Shannon was eliminated when he shoved with , only to lose out to O’Grady’s .
The heads-up play between Mike Watson and Michael O’Grady was a dramatic one and in the end, the former came out on top. On the final hand of the event, O’Grady was all in with but Watson took down the pot and the title with his .
Final Table Results (AUD)
Content & Images Courtesy: Poker Central