After taking down the 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event, Vincent ‘Wonky’ Wan told reporters that he had a love-hate relationship with the Crown Casino. Given that he had previously won two six-figure Royal Flush jackpots, and now has AUD 1.3m bucks in his bank account, you get a sense of the amount of time and money Wan must spend in this part of Melbourne.
It’s only Wan’s second win of his career, and he’s earned them both in this festival. Back in 2008, Wan defeated Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald, heads-up, to bank the $125,087 first prize in a 537-entrant AUD 1,100 No-Limit Hold’em event, but that was a hand grenade; this is the Manhattan Project.
Erik Seidel started as the one bona fide star.
Ngoc Tai Hoang turned up 15-minutes late.
414-hands.
15-hours play.
Let’s find out what went down.
The Nutshell Action
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat 1: Nino Ullmann – 5,500,000
Seat 2: Gareth Pepper – 2,465,000
Seat 3: Vincent Wan – 4,150,000
Seat 4: Erik Seidel – 4,050,000
Seat 5: Ngoc Tai Hoang – 1,875,000
Seat 6: Nicolas Malo – 1,975,000
Seat 7: Oliver Weis – 4,475,000
It took a full level before the bombs that fell out of the deck started slamming people into the rail. The first to suffer that fate was Nicolas Malo, who called out of the big blind holding Td8c after Nino Ullman had opened in position with QsTh. The spiciest flop you could imagine hit the deck (Jc9h8s), and all of the money went in with Ullman holding the nuts, and Malo holding middle pin and an open-ender. The 3s and the Ks were the final stakes in Malo’s heart, and we were down to six. Ullman had the chip lead.
The next player eliminated was one of the favourites.
With blinds at 50k/100k/100k, Gareth Pepper opened with a raise to 220k from the hijack, and Oliver Weis moved all-in for 2.19m. Pepper, who held AdKc, made the call, and he beat the KsTs of Weis, rivering an ace for good measure.
Coming into the final table, Erik Seidel must have been brimming with confidence, but it wasn’t to be his day. With blinds at 80k/160k/160k, Vincent Wan opened to 325k from the cutoff and called when Seidel jammed for 2.875m. Seidel turned over AcTs, but Wan had him dominated with AsJc. Seidel did flop a second ten, but the flop also contained an additional jack. No more tens honked their horn, and Seidel left the competition in fifth place.
Upon his departure, PokerNews reporters asked Seidel a few questions about his final table combatants.
“Nino is the strongest player remaining.” Said Seidel.
And then he wasn’t.
With blinds at 100k/200k/200k, Ngoc Tai Hoang played his pocket queens sneakily, limping into the pot from the small blind, and Ullman checked Td7s in the big blind. A flop of Tc7d5h hypnotised Ullman. Hoang bet 300k, and Ullman made the call with his two-pair hand. The turn was the Jd, and with both players holding seriously under-repped hands, the money went in with Hoang, the aggressor. Hoang needed some luck, and he got it when a second five hit the river to give Hoang a stronger two-pair hand.
Three-Handed Deal
Shortly after Ullman left the building, the remaining three players cut a deal.
Ngoc Ta Hoang – 10,515,000
Vincent Wan – 9,880,000
Gareth Pepper – 4,215,000
Hoang had the chip lead, but he had to settle for less than an ICM cut with Wan and Pepper successfully negotiating better deals (all in AUD).
Ngoc Ta Hoang – ICM Deal $1,341,392 & Deal Agreed $1,318,000
Vincent Wan – ICM Deal $1,314,128 & Deal Agreed $1,318,000
Gareth Pepper – ICM Deal $973,003 & Deal Agreed $1,000,000
With the money locked up, the three played for the trophy, and Pepper was the first to exit when he moved all-in from the small blind holding 9d2c, and Wan called and eliminated him with Ad3s.
Heads-Up Action
Ngoc Tai Hoang – 12,445,000
Vincent Wan – 12,265,000
Hoang pulled away.
Wan recovered to take the chip lead.
The pair exchanged the chip lead until Hoang widened the gap to 21.2m v 3.7m.
Then came the Wan comeback.
First, he doubled when Ac7d beat Kc8s. Then he did it again coming from behind with Ad9c to beat AcQc after flopping a nine. Then after taking the lead, Wan left Hoang with chip dust, once again getting lucky, when AcTh beat AhQc, with a ten falling on the river. The final hand saw Tc9h beat As3h when Wan flopped a nine. Three suckouts and the title was his.
Final Table Results
- Vincent Wan – $907.196*
- Ngoc Tai Hoang – $907,196*
- Gareth Pepper – $688,312*
- Nino Ullmann – $330,501
- Erik Seidel – $260,637
- Oliver Weis – $211,877
- Nicolas Malo – $165,250
*Indicates a three-handed deal