Dec 16, 2008
The December edition of the Big Bounty got underway on Sunday December 14th, with 1,094 runners turning out for a shot at two $18,000 trip packages to the 2009 Aussie Millions, as well as tons of cash in prize money and bounties on the heads of selected players. With a prize pool that eclipsed $100,000, there was plenty to play for as cards were in the air and players settled into their seats.

Early leaders included Don Cool, boubynight9, verena11, Deep snow, and -loudon- (who represented the Team at the 2007 WSOP). When the final table lineup was finally set, here’s how the players stacked up:

Seat 1: -Dr. Riddla- ($306,130 in chips)
Seat 2: rikke2103 ($172,287 in chips)
Seat 3: mpalkos ($17,819 in chips)
Seat 4: highlyblesed ($234,302 in chips)
Seat 5: bluefocus ($82,230 in chips)
Seat 6: OlliOM ($78,896 in chips)
Seat 7: AmazingRiver ($135,592 in chips)
Seat 8: -loudon- ($133,265 in chips)
Seat 9: Deep snow ($372,539 in chips)
Seat 10: Major10x ($107,940 in chips)

One by one they’d fall away, with the following players finishing 10th-4th:

10th: OlliOM ($986)
9th: mpalkos ($1,255)
8th: bluefocus ($1,614)
7th: Major10x ($1,793)
6th: -loudon- ($2,690)
5th: Deep snow ($3,587)
4th: highlyblesed ($5,381)

With just three players left, the tension was mounting, as two would get the $18,000 Aussie Millions trip packages (plus a oad of cash) while third place would be on the outside, looking in.

Seat 1: -Dr. Riddla- ($400,130 in chips)
Seat 2: rikke2103 ($504,759 in chips)
Seat 7: AmazingRiver ($736,111 in chips)

They’d jockey back and forth for quite a few hands, until -Dr. Riddla-’s stack had dwindled down to just about 160,000 chips (with his two opponents sitting on about 700,000) and he decided to make his stand after AmazingRiver had shoved pre-flop. -Dr. Riddla-’s Kc 7d was ahead of AmazingRiver’s Qc 3d, but that quickly changed on a flop of Qd Td Tc. -Dr. Riddla- got no help on the turn or river and finished 3rd, collecting $6,278 for his efforts.

His exit meant that rikke2103 and AmazingRiver were both guaranteed $18,000 Aussie Millions trip packages, but there still was plenty to play for, as 1st place would receive an extra $3,000+ in prize money. It took just two hands of heads-up play to determine the winner, as both players were all-in before the flop with rikke2103 holding Ah Kc and AmazingRiver sitting on 9d 9c.

The board blanked out and AmazingRiver’s pocket nines held up to give him the victory and $6,278 in cash for 1st, in addition to the $18,000 Aussie Millions trip package. rikke2103 would collect an Aussie Millions trip package himself as well as pocketing $3,139 in cash.