Byron Kaverman Leads a Stack Field in the LK Boutique $250K Challenge
The 2015 GPI Player of the Year, Byron Kaverman, bagged up the chip lead after the first day of the LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge at the 2016 Aussie Millions. Kaverman leads a field of 12 survivors with 708,000, with late registration and reentries still possible until the start of Day 2 tomorrow.
The day started with four players, Igor Kurganov, Ben Tollerene, Paul Newey and Fedor Holz, and the latter was the first player to get knocked out. Holz fell to Newey when he ended up all in on the turn holding both straight a flush draws against the pocket aces of his opponent. A blank river sent Holz back to the cashier, and he reentered shortly thereafter.
Phil Ivey was the fifth player to enter the event, which he's managed to win in 2012, 2014 and 2015. These three victories are also Ivey's three biggest cashes, totaling AU$8,205,000. Day 1 wasn't kind to Ivey, since despite getting a late double up through Holz, he bagged up just 52,500. On the last hand of the night, Ivey was crippled by Steve O'Dwyer, who bagged up 388,500. Holz meanwhile took 440,500 to Day 2, on his second bullet.
Newey held the chip lead for quite some time on Day 1, and he was the first player to eclipse the 500,000-chip mark, but in the end he bagged up 395,500 chips. Kaverman started his ascent by hitting a flush against O'Dwyer, followed by another flush versus Erik Seidel. Kaverman busted Seidel after getting it in with a pair and a flush draw against Seidel's overpair, and the river completed Kaverman's hand.
Seidel busted out just after Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier hit the rail, Mercier could not find a pair on the board after getting it in with ace-queen versus Holz's pocket nines.
With 15 total entries up until this point, and 12 players remaining, the prize pool sits at AU $3,675,000, meaning that the payouts are as following. Three places will get paid until there are 21 entries into this tournament, after which a fourth spot will be added.
| Place | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1 | AU $1,837,500 |
| 2 | AU $1,102,500 |
| 3 | AU $735,000 |
Play will continue at 2:30 p.m. local time on Monday, and registration will close when cards are back in the air. PokerNews will have coverage all throughout the conclusion of this event, and with that the 2016 Aussie Millions.