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What an amazing 2 weeks we've had here on the otherside of the world! Melbourne has given us the drama, excitement and success that we'd all hoped for, prior to the beginning of our Aussie Millions journey.

As well as having an amazing experience mixing it up with the "Big Guns" at one of the biggest tournaments that planet Earth has to offer, the players also had the ultimate bwin experience and will take back home with them, more than just bad beats, dirty suckouts, and bluffs that went horribly wrong. Sure, there will be plenty of poker to talk about, but all the action from the beach day, the winery excursion, and lets not forget the bwin Amazing Race, will give other memories of this Australian adventure, outside and away from the felt.

Aussie Memories

The multitude of bwin events and added pazzazz to take our players minds off from their task at hand is nice and all that, but we were really here for the poker, and poker is what we've witnessed over the past week! With the bwin team hauling in a behemoth AUD 282,095 earnings this trip, describing it as a success doesn't seem to do justice to the grand efforts and great play that graced the bwin team this year. Just checking the Results Page is enough to make your bwin pokerblog team all warm and fuzzy on the inside!

Success - kirb18x AUD 100,000 and weniotto AUD 75,000 richer!

Unfortunately though, every great bwin live event must come to an end. I know, I know. It's not fair, but it's just the way it works I'm afraid. It has been a wonderful event, and memorable to the point where I'd find it hard to believe anyone that would forget this awesome experience.

Luckily though, poker is life...and life goes on! "How does it go on?" I hear you cry. Well, the next stop for the bwin crew and players fortunate enough to make it through hours of poker, will be The Irish Open...

...If you thought Australia was fun, then you really want to be with us in Ireland!

An already lucrative week for the bwin Team at the 2010 Aussie Millions has just got even better! In addition to the AUD 250,000 that the team cumulatively cashed for in the Main Event, 3 team members have just cashed in Event 19 to add another AUD 32,095 to the team's winnings.

German player denzey112 lead the way, finishing in 6th place to take down a very nice pay day of AUD 22,050. KIClark was next best, earning himself AUD 6,125 for 13th and team veteran MickeMusxxx rounded out the cashes getting AUD 3,920 for 20th.

denzey112 had a great run to final table the short handed event and take home AUD 22,050 for 6th

KIClark and MickeMusxxx also both finished the trip in the money

The last thing for the team to do now is to celebrate what has been an amazing trip and let loose at the official players farewell party. Make sure you stay tuned to the blog to catch all the highlights from what should be a great night!

The Main Even of the Aussie Millions 2010 may be over, but there's still poker to be had!

With 245 players turning out for Event #19, the $2,200 6-handed No Limit Hold'em tournament, about 20% of the field were bwin kitted out in the bwin colours. The event gave the players a starting stack of 10k, and blinds inflated every hour making the structure a little steeper than the Main Event they had just participated in. Action played down to just 24 players, and those survivors are about to return to the felt to finish off the battle and chase down the first placed prize of AUD 118,580.

Team bwin

From those 24 players returning, denzey112 (10th), MickeMusxxx (12th) and KlClark (14th) will be back to see if they can improve on their already guaranteed prize of AUD 3,920. Action kicks off in a couple of hours!

We've had an absolutley fantastic run here at the Aussie Millions 2010! It's been a wonderful Main Event and all expectations have been met and surpassed. Not only did 6 bwin players cash, but the level of poker played prior to the money was a great sight to see. From 48 runners, our 6 players that did cash took with them a bwin total of AUD 250,000! That's a tremendous amount of cash our guys have collected and your blogging team is delighted with the level of play we've witnessed from the bwin stables.

Not wanting to put too much out there or say inaccurate information regarding the Aussie Millions (or possibly other live events) but this week, we've witnessed one of the biggest joint hauls within a bwin covered tournament since the beginning of time. I mean, take a gander at the final ITM list;

kirb18x -$100,000 richer

Isn't that just brilliant? What a tournament and what a group of results for some of the nicest people to play in the bwin colours. We've followed them through every step, every emotion and each elimination. It hasn't always been pretty or sexy poker, but it has been genuine.

kirb18x battled to the very end

We've had a thoroughly fantastic time here in Melbourne, and it has almost ended. Yes...I said "almost ended". Tomorrow, the players will be back for Event #19, the $2,200 short-handed tournament! So there's still money to be had and still action from the felt to be seen. Can our bwin players take even more money away withe them? Only time will tell...

Down to about 400k and seemingly card dead for some time, Kirb18x - the final bwin Team member in 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event - has just put his tournament life on the line. What happened you say? Let's find out…

The hand started with Kosta Varoxis raising 50k from SB and Kirb18x making the call from BB to see a flop of T♣2♣J♦. Varoxis then bet out 80k and Kirb18x went to the tank with the large crowd behind him all fixated on his every movement. With a reasonable amount of his stack already committed to the pot, and just over 15 BB's left, it seemed like it might be a spot for Kirb18x to make a move.

Sure enough the German youngster obliged, pushing his last 350k into the middle and sending the action straight back to Varoxis. The reply didn't take long however, with Varoxis snap calling and turning over his Q♦J♥ for top pair, decent kicker. Kirb18x then reluctantly turned over his K♣9♠ for gut-shot and an over card.

With his tournament on the line, it would have been fair for Kirb18x to let fly with the ever so popular 'one time!' call, but instead he just sat and waited patiently for the poker gods to decide his fate.

The turn came 7♣, a little help with 9 more clubs and 3 8x's added to Kirb18x's outs, along with the 3 Kx's and 2 more Qx's. Then the river came... a 6♦. That is it. The 2010 Aussie Millions Main Event is over for Kirb18x in 10th position for a cool AUD 100,000!

Kirb18x with his tournament on the line against Kosta Varoxis.

The board when the chips went in. Unfortunately no love for Kirb18x on the turn or river.

After his bust, Kirb18x was little bit disappointed that he did not make the final table, but I am sure the AUD 100,000 that he has just won will soon cheer him up! Great work kid, it was an amazing journey and everyone at the bwin Pokerblog is proud to have followed you every step of the way.

It was an amazing 2010 Aussie Millions journey that ended with AUD 100,000 for 10th place.

Day 4 of the Aussie Millions is living up to the hype that has been placed on it, and the flow of action has slowed down to just..."hectic". The first 4 hours of the day have been at a relentless pace for the players, and with a lot of cash at stake, each decision taken is scrutinised by media, railbirds and players alike.

weniotto has not been afraid to step into the fires today, and once again, the bwin player got involved in another big tussle. The button makes it 40k to go, and Peter Jettan flat calls. weniotto themakes it 140k to play. The button senses danger and gets out of the way, as Peter Jettan humps every chip he has into the middle (about 765k). No time is wasted when it's on weniotto to act, and the Austrian calls and tables K♥ K♣. It's a glorious moment...until Jettan flips over A♥ A♣. Hearts sink and the severity of the situation closes in fast. As the media and camera crews descend on the table, the flop arrives 4♦ 7♦ 2♣. This isn't how it was meant to go, weniotto and kirb18x are both meant to be on the final table! With hope fading fast, Tournament Director Mike Tarr says "let's see another card". It drops out 6♦ and it's all gone horribly wrong. There's only 2 outs left, and if the Austrian doesn't catch a Cowboy, his Aussie Millions 2010 dream will be over. It's not the happy ending with a dramtic twist that I like to write about though. As the river plops out a 7♠...weniotto hits the rail.

It's a tense moment for weniotto

Action feeds the onlookers

The Austrian bwin player has played a fantastic 4 days of poker, and finishing in 13th position is an amazing achievement. The bad run of flips obviously never helped and weniotto's experience will no doubt be a "What If?" story, but if the bad run of flips were avoided, it really could've been a completely different post for you to read right now. All the same, congratulations to wenioto for his 13th place finish and picking up $75,000 for his efforts.
Chip count action!

The poker gods are really sticking it to Austrian ace weniotto today. He just got sucked out again by Steve Topakas, who is proving to be harder to kill than Rambo in the jungle.

Down to 82k, Topakas pushed from UTG and the action was folded to weniotto on BB, who made an easy call showing Q♥Q♠. Topakas showed K♦5♦ to be a long way behind, but as a table mate joked, weniotto should have just paid the 82k up front considering the way Topakas had been running.

With the rail birds of both players letting their support be heard, the flop came with 4♣5♥6♠ giving Topakas bottom pair, but still needing to connect again.

Sure enough the turn showed K♣ to give Topakas two pair and continue his love affair with the board. A 7♣ to finish gave the pot to Topakas and chipped weniotto down to around 500k.

weniotto and Topakas waiting for the board....

The bwin team railbirds are giving plenty of support to weniotto, and riding every bad beat.

There is still 13 players remaining and Kirb18 is steady on 550k.

Saying that weniotto is bleeding chips would make me sound like a "Drama Queen", however, it's undeniable that the young Austrian has a hole in the boat. Lady luck seems to be working against the bwin player right now, but lets hope that will change soon. weniotto won't be phased by the swing in his chip count, as his style of play doesn't demand too many chips to make some magic happen.

The blinds are sitting at 8k/16k with antes of 2k as weniotto fires out 42k preflop. Steve "The Big Show" Topakas moves all in for 175k total. After a little thought, the Austrian makes the call and tables Q♦ 8♥. "The Big Show" cracks over 9♦ 9♥ and the crowd are in the air again cheering on their homegrown poker player. The board comes J♠ 7♣ 6♦ and is of no use to weniotto. When the turn lands an A♥ it's all up to a Queen showing her face on the river. But it's not to be as the dealer flips out a J♥. Once again Steve "The Big Show" Topakas doubles through weniotto. Topakas has no doubt had more all-ins within this tournament than any other player, and is beginning to seem impenetrable.

weniotto feels the heat

Great Aussie partnerships live on in memories long after time has passed. Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, Shrimp and a Barbie, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden (for those not interested in 2nd rate sports, it's a cricket reference), can weniottoe and kirb18x this tradition and move on into the Final Table tomorrow? It's tough out there, and with 13 players remaining, the short handed action is even shorter with two tables of 4 players, and one table of 5.
Chipp-idee-doo-daa, chipp-idee-dee!

weniotto has had a roller coaster first level, chipping up to 1,600,000 in chips half way through the level, only to drop back down to 965,000 in the last hand before the break.

We caught some play earlier as action folded around to Peter Jetten who bet out 30,000 from the button. weniotto notched it up to 86,000 in the small blind. Big blind Steve Topakas got out of the way, and Jetten re-raised it up to 210,000. weniotto went to the tank before making the call, delivering a flop of Q♣6♥8♦. Both players checked the flop, but a K♥ on the turn was enough for weniotto to slide 250,000 into the middle. Jetten went to the tank for what felt like an eternity, before throwing his cards into the muck. Cheers came from the mezzanine rail, where members of the bwin Team have gathered to watch both kirb18x and weniotto's tables.

However, weniotto then took a hit in the last hand before the break, as three limpers found themselves looking down on a 9♣8♦6♣ flop. Peter Jetten, and weniotto checked the action to Kosta Varoxis who fired out 85,000. Jetten folds, and weniotto makes the call. Q♦ on the turn is enough for weniotto to ask Varoxis those famous words - "How much do you have?" putting him all-in. Varoxis makes the call, showing Q♥Q♣ for the set, requiring weniotto to hit a Jx on the river to complete his straight. 2♥ on fifth street doubles up Varoxis, dropping weniotto down to 965,000.

a roller coaster day for weniotto

kirb18x has dropped down to 565,000 getting involved with some big pots with overall chip leader Sorel Mizzi. On a board reading 3♥6♥A♥9♣ Mizzi fired out 85,000 which was called by kirb18x. Mizzi moved 235K into the middle with 2♣ on the river, and our young German went to the tank. He made the call, Mizzi flipping over 5♥7♥ for the flopped flush, causing kirb18x to throw his hand into the muck.

kirb18x getting involved with chip leader Sorel Mizzi

Blinds are now 8000/16000 with a 2000 ante. 13 players remain, and with one more bust player's will be guaranteed a payday of AUD100,000.

Hold on to your hats, Day 4 is kicking up a storm! weniotto is hungry for chips and the Austrian is driving forward with only one thing on his mind...Aussie Millions 2010 Final Table.

Just moments ago, Steve Topakas moved all-in once again, for around about 100k. Kosta Zaroxis rereaised all-in and directly behind him, weniotto called both. With 3 players all-in and both of the Austrians opponents short stacked, the stage was set for a dramatic hand, and a dramatic hand it was. Topakas held A♣ 5♥, Zaroxis A♥ J♠ and weniotto held K♦ K♣ for a monster!

weniotto looks on

The flop cracked the tension in the tournament area for a brief moment as it landed A♦ 7♠ T♣. Suddenly the bwin player was behind and Zaroxis took the lead. When the turn spat out a 6♠, prayer time was in full flow within the bwin blogging team and weniotto's railbirds all muttering "King King King". It wasn't to be as the river churned a 5♠ on to the table, and sending Topakas and his fans into celebrations.

Action board

weniotto may have lost that pot, but he still has about a million chips in his possession.

Chip Action Here!