Phil Ivey charges up Aussie Millions leaderboard
Phil Ivey is still stalking the leaders at the Aussie Millions Main Event 2012...but Tom durrrr Dwan has hit the rail
| by Alligator Blood |  January, 26th 2012 |
Overall: 5
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Above: Phil Ivey is flying in the Aussie Millions but Tom Dwan is out
Phil Ivey has charged up the Aussie Millions Main Event leaderboard to sit in 2nd place heading into Day 3.
The 35-year-old, who has a staggering eight WSOP bracelets to his name, is in prime position to challenge for glory and the $1.6 million first prize.
He finished Day 2 with 778,500 chips - with only Tim O’Shea ahead of him in the race for the top share of the $6,590,000 prize pool.
Ivey has kept a low profile since Black Friday wrecked online poker in the United States last year, with his only live appearance coming at the Asia Pacific Poker Tour in Macau in November - but he's in the perfect spot to mark his comeback with a bang here.
And he fared a lot better than the other big names in Melbourne, most of whom were among the 230 players to hit the rail before sunset.
Tom Dwan, making a live comeback of his own, bust before you could say 'durrrr' and Jason Mercier, Maria Ho, James Dempsey, Annette Obrestad and former champions Tyron Krost and Gus Hansen also took an early bath.
Tony G enjoyed a brief moment of glory - trapping Gus Hansen, then busting him. Aage Ravn raised to 2,500 from middle position and the Australian flat called with {A-Hearts}{K-Hearts} in the small blind. Hansen opted for the squeeze with {A-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds} and bet 10,000. But when Ravn folded and Tony G re-raised all-in, the Great Dane couldn't resist the instacall and a blank board meant he told his story walking.
"Gus always wants to move in, and I trapped him!" Tony G barked.
Not that it helped. Within hours he'd lost all of Hansen's chips - and his own - much to the annoyance of a loyal local crowd.
The bubble will burst early on Day 4 later today with 74 players remaining and 72 getting paid a minumum of $15,000.
The average stack is just over 267,000. Action resumes Thursday at 12:30.
Aussie Millions Main Event 2012
Chip leaders at end of Day 2
1. Tim O’Shea – 921,000
2. Phil Ivey – 778,500
3. Aage Ravn – 708,500
4. Jason Koon – 667,500
5. Oliver Speidel – 540,000
6. Patrick Healy – 521,000
7. Yann Dion – 495,000
8. Mohamad Kowssarie – 477,000
9. Rob Angood – 470,500
10. Janis Lesiwski – 463,500
