Daniel Mayoh Wins Event #2: $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. at 2019 Aussie Millions
The first champion of the 2019 Aussie Millions has been crowned and it is Daniel Mayoh who has won Event #2: $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. for his first Aussie Millions title.
According to Mayoh this is only his second-ever Aussie Millions event, but he battled his way through a tumultuous final table to emerge triumphant, seeing off a field of 54 players to take home AUD$29,120 in prize money after a three-way deal as well as the ANTON Jewellery Championship Ring.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Mayoh, "I feel very blessed and very lucky. I think all of us were all in and drawing at some point of the day, myself included. This was a very tough final table; any of the seven of us had the skills to win it."
Finishing in second place is Srdjan Brkic, who betters the third place he finished in this event at the 2014 Aussie Millions. Brkic also recorded a second place finish in last year's Aussie Millions 6-Max event.
Aussie Millions Event #2 Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Payout (AUD) | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Mayoh | Australia | $29,120 | $20,929* |
| 2 | Srdjan Brkic | Australia | $27,500 | $19,765* |
| 3 | Timothy Marsters | Australia | $26,000 | $18,687* |
| 4 | Michael Moore | United States | $13,365 | $9,606 |
| 5 | Billy 'The Croc' Argyros | Australia | $9,720 | $6,986 |
| 6 | Lee Nelson | Australia | $8,505 | $6,113 |
| 7 | Luke Edwards | Australia | $7,290 | $5,239 |
*denotes three-handed deal
Mayoh started the day as the second shortest stack in play but was forced into action shortly after the first break.
"I was doing well and then after the first break I got short and was down to two and a half big bets. I got it all in on a Stud Hi-Lo hand and made a wheel and tripled up. That was a big thing that gave me life."
Mayoh quietly sat through as the players were eliminated until just three remained and they struck a deal.
"When we got down to three-handed play, there were plenty of big pots. Some that I lost on the river, some that I won on the river. I'm just glad I held out!"
Final Day of Action
Just one player was lost over the course of the first two levels of play, with short stack Ashish Gupta missing out on the money after falling victim to Daniel Mayoh in Limit Hold'em.
That elimination moved Mayoh into second place in the chip counts ahead of Luke Edwards who himself had also made up ground on the leaders. However, it was Michael Moore who still led with a commanding chip lead.
However, the early elimination at the final table was nothing but a false dawn as players continued to double through one another. Australian Poker Hall of Famer Lee Nelson was the lucky beneficiary as he rivered a two outer in Seven Card Stud to double through the start of day chip leader Michael Moore.
Eventually, there was an elimination. Luke Edwards got it in with just ace-high in Stud Hi-Lo against the four low cards of Timothy Marsters. Sixth street improved Marsters to a six-high straight and Edwards missed a higher straight draw on seventh street as Marsters sent him to the rail in seventh.
With the limits steadily increasing, any pot with multiple bets suddenly became enormous, and with multiple players even more so. After his earlier miracle two-outer to double up, Nelson had slipped back again and moved all-in with king-six against the pocket queens of Moore. Nelson turned a six but the river bricked and he was eliminated in sixth place.
The chips were constantly changing hands, and it seemed like every player had a turn in the chip lead. By the second break Marsters had broken through but Skrbic quickly moved ahead of him and extended his lead with the elimination of Argyros in fifth place.
In a Stud Hi-Lo hand, Skrbic had made a low and a pair of fives by fourth street with Argyros still holding onto half the pot with just a pair of kings. "You're going to have to hit," said Skrbic having made two pair on the river and Argyros bricked seventh street to become the next elimination.
Start of day chip leader Michael Moore had chipped up earlier in the day but never really found his form at the final table and was eliminated in third place when his sevens were beaten by the ace-king of Mayoh after he hit a king.
The remaining players turned down a deal at the outset of three-handed play, with Marsters doubling up. The three again looked at numbers before saying no, allowing Marsters to double up once more. Finally they agreed on a deal which would see the payouts as follows, with AUD$7,620 (USD$5,477) left for the winner along with the ANTON Championship Ring.
| Player | Payout (AUD) | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Timothy Marsters | $26,000 | $18,687 |
| Serdjan Brkic | $25,000 | $17,968 |
| Daniel Mayoh | $24,000 | $17,249 |
When play resumed a Mayoh misstep saw his stack greatly diminished, but he managed to double when his kings cracked the aces of Marsters in Seven Card Stud. This sent Marsters the other way and he was eliminated when his king-ten was beaten by the ace-eight of Brkic.
The final two players started dead even in chips and the chips seemed reluctant to change hands. However, Mayoh slowly turned the tide and managed to gain a comfortable chip lead. And at the very first time of asking, his ace-ten held against Brkic's king-five.
There was an ace in the window, and Brkic was dead on the turn as Mayoh took down the title.
There are plenty more titles on offer at the 2019 Aussie Millions, so stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you more highlights, features, and interviews over the coming days.
