Aussie Millions 2019: Bryn Kenney Captures Main Event Title For A$1,272,598 After 3-Way Deal

Bryn Kenney
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  • Attreyee Khasnabis February 3, 2019
  • 5 Minutes Read

The week-long A$10,600 Main Event of the 2019 Aussie Millions has finally declared a winner in American pro Bryn Kenney (cover image). The former World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner outlasted a record-breaking 822-entry field and banked the lion’s share of the A$8,220,000 prize pool. Kenney received A$1,272,598 in first-place prize money, after a three-way deal with Mike Del Vecchio (runner-up for A$1,272,162) and Andrew Hinrichsen (3rd for A$1,097,739).

Currently ranked 11th on the All Time Money List, Kenney started the final table as the shortest stack but played strategically to reach the top three. Following about five hours of three-handed play, the finalists decided to opt for an ICM deal, after which Kenney was crowned the Main Event champion.

“I said that I wasn’t interested in a deal unless I was going to win,” Kenney said in the post-event interview. “If we were going to play to win, then I’m happy to play to win. But if I’m going to make a deal then I feel like the tournament is sort of over. They were big pay jumps; I’ve played for this much before, but this must have been the biggest pay jump that they’ve both ever been involved in.”

“It’s strange for things sinking in. A lot of times I’ll do some incredible feats and I won’t think of it as incredible because I judge myself so harshly about playing the best and doing the best I can in every scenario. Now it’ll be nice to relax, have a week’s vacation and just relax a little bit. Just be the champion and not think about poker!” he concluded.

Team India in the Main Event

The Indian battalion was represented by 2019 APT Vietnam Main Event winner Abhinav Iyer, 2017 WSOP bracelet winner Aditya Sushant, Raghav Bansal, Paawan Bansal and Vinod Megalmani. Iyer was the first of the contingent to try his luck at the event on Day 1A but failed to progress to Day 2.

Day 1C saw Raghav (114,000), Paawan (49,000), Megalmani (32,300) and Sushant (29,900) in action and all four made it through to Day 2.

Raghav Bansal, Paawan Bansal, Vinod Megalmani & Aditya Sushant
Raghav Bansal, Paawan Bansal, Vinod Megalmani & Aditya Sushant

Raghav busted out on Day 2, while the remaining three Indian`s advanced to Day 3. Sushant held the biggest stack among the trio with 292,800 in chips. Paawan too bagged a very respectable 197,300 in chips, while Megalmani was the shortest of the lot with a stack of 29,500.

Day 3 saw Team India’s run in the Main Event come to an end as all three Indian challengers were eliminated before the day concluded. Paawan and Megalmani were eliminated before the money line was breached. Sushant was the only Indian contender to finish in the money and he collected A$15,600 (₹8.07 Lakhs) for his 87th place finish.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Mike Del Vecchio – 5,465,000

2. Andrew Hinrichsen – 5,300,000

3. Matthew Wakeman – 4,010,000

4. Clinton Taylor – 3,845,000

5. Hamish Crawshaw – 3,640,000

6. Gyeong Byeong Lee – 1,540,000

7. Bryn Kenney – 920,000

Aussie Millions Main Event Final Table
Aussie Millions Main Event Final Table

Final Table Recap

Play continued smoothly till the 23rd hand when the first elimination took place. Andrew Hinrichsen raised to 140,000 on the button with and Hamish Crawshaw 3-bet to 575,000 from the small blind with . Crawshaw 4-bet shoved and Crawshaw quickly called all in for 2,475,000. The board ran and Hinrichsen flopped a pair of aces to send Crawshaw to the rail in seventh place.

25 hands later, Hinrichsen raised to 200,000 from the cutoff with and Gyeong Byeong Lee jammed on the button for 320,000 holding , Hinrichsen called. The board ran out and Hinrichsen picked up a pair of tens, eliminating Lee in sixth place.

Finishing in fifth place was Matthew Wakeman who raised to 160,000 with and Clinton Taylor 3-bet to 300,000 from the button with . Wakeman jammed for 2,670,000 and Taylor called. The rundown offered no help to Wakeman who walked out in fifth place.

Matthew Wakeman
Matthew Wakeman

On the 99th hand, Clinton Taylor moved all-in on the button for 1,905,000 and Hinrichsen called. Taylor held against Hinrichsen’s . The board fanned out . While Taylor rivered a top pair of aces, Hinrichsen hit a ten-high straight on the turn ending Taylor’s run in fourth place.

The last three players left at the final table were Andrew Hinrichsen (15,910,000), Mike Del Vecchio (6,400,000) and Bryn Kenney (2,935,000). Play continued between these three finalists for nearly five hours, with the chip lead changing hands several time.

Mike Del Vecchio
Mike Del Vecchio

After the 208th hand of the event, the players went to take a 15-minute break. Following their return, the trio asked tournament director Joel Williams to look into ICM deal numbers. A few minutes later, the players agreed to a deal following which Kenney was crowned the champion and clinched A$1,272,598 in first place prize money. Del Vecchio claimed the runner-up spot for A$1,272,162, while Hinrichsen bagged A$1,097,739 for his third-place finish.

Bryn Kenney
Bryn Kenney

Final Table Results (AUD)

1. Bryn Kenney – A$1,272,598*

2. Mike Del Vecchio – A$1,272,162*

3. Andrew Hinrichsen – A$1,097,739*

4. Clinton Taylor – A$483,000

5. Matthew Wakeman – A$380,300

6. Gyeong Byeong Lee – A$309,000

7. Hamish Crawshaw – A$242,000

*denotes three-way deal

Content & Images courtesy: PokerNews/crownmelbourne.com.au

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