Aussie Millions: Sam Trickett in £1m payday
Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge won by Sam Trickett
| by The Suited Connector |  January, 23rd 2011 |
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Above: Sam Trickett has won the Aussie Millions 2011 $100,000 Challenge
Sam Trickett has won the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge, pocketing a staggering $1,525,000 AUD (£950,000) in prize money.
The 24-year-old Brit beat 37 other high-rollers to land the tournament with the biggest buy-in in the southern hemisphere.
The Team Titan pro, who was a professional footballer until a knee injury ended his career two years ago, saw off an impressive final table including Chris Ferguson, Tony Bloom, Jeff Lisandro, Erik Seidel, David Steicke, David Benyamine and James Obst.
Trickett had a brilliant 2010 - scooping a career-best £669,384 in winnings - but 2011 is already the popular East Retford lad's best year thanks to this Aussie Millions payday.
Trickett, who burst onto the pro scene when he won the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour Luton Main Event in 2008, claimed a more aggressive style had helped him - but admitted he changed up again for the final.
He said: "I had a massive year last year but I had to do things differently.
"I've been playing a lot faster the last six months, really aggressive, a lot of river bluffs.
"But in this final table I didn't take that line. I had to play a little tighter than I have been just to try to get heads-up where I'm really confident."
American Seidel finished 3rd place, leaving an all-English heads-up clash between Trickett and Tony Bloom, the Aussie Millions Main Event champion in 2004.
Trickett was chip leader - as he had been for much of this event - and soon Bloom found himself pot committed with Q♥ 9♥ against the A♥ K♦ of Trickett - and in a flash it was all over.
Early casualties in the mega buy-in tournament included Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Patrik Antonius, Erick Lindgren, James Bord, Sorel Mizzi, Tony G, and John Juanda.
The two-day $100,000 Challenge is the largest buy-in event on the 2011 Aussie Millions schedule. The 38 entries created a prize pool of $3,800,000 AUD (£2,348,220).
2011 Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge
Final Results
1 Sam Trickett AUD$1,525,000
2 Tony Bloom AUD$975,000
3 Erik Seidel AUD$625,000
4 David Steicke AUD$325,000
5 James Obst AUD$200,000
6 David Benyamine AUD$150,000
