Joshua Budin Wins $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Event #18 (AU$64,670)
The second and final day of the 2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Event #18 saw 24 of 125 participants return to the poker room of the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne. Ultimately it was Joshua Budin who emerged victorious after cutting a heads-up deal with fellow Aussie Daniel Laidlaw to claim the elusive LK Boutique championship ring and a payday of AU$64,670.
Of the survivors, 50% had to leave empty-handed and among those to bust before the money were Jens Lakemeier, Michael Guttman, Konstantin Buecherl and Martin Kozlov. Start-of-the-day chip leader Tam Truong ended up as the bubble boy after getting his short stack in with pocket aces and the nut flush draw on a jack-high flop, Ilias Sagias called with the worse flush draw but made a runner-runner straight with queen-ten.
The top 12 was all Australian and Nicholas Polias, David Campbell, Michael Zowie and Buck Rabie departed before the final table of eight was set. Laidlaw started as one of the shortest stacks, but tripled up in the Rabie exit hand and suddenly took hold at the top of the counts.
2014 World Series of Poker Asia Pacific bracelet winner Sam Higgs fell in another three-way all in when his pocket nines were no good, while Billy Argyros spiked two pair with ace-queen and cracked Sagias' kings to more than double up. Sagias was the next on the rail after committing most of his stack with queen-high, Xen Xenofontos called with jacks and a wrap, ultimately completing a straight.
Jarryd Godena dominated the early stages of Day 2, but ultimately had to settle for sixth place. He three-bet the pot preflop and and jammed the flop with ace-high. Budin only had a pair of sevens, but they held up and he suddenly had more than 50% of the chips in play. Argyros then lost his stack to Laidlaw, with two pair on the flop falling after a Laidlaw made a set of jacks on the turn.
Nikolaos Solomos followed in fourth place after calling down three streets against Laidlaw's set of fours. Xenofontos followed in third place with a failed bluff attempt holding sixes, after Laidlaw flopped the flush and avoided runner-runner outs.
Laidlaw started heads up with a slight lead over Budin and grinded his opponent down to gain a 3-1 advantage. However, Bidun soon doubled up and they cut a deal, saving the championship ring and a small amount of cash to play for. The fireworks commenced and Bidun got there with a wrap against top two pair to claim the title.