2011 Aussie Millions $1.1k Event Won By Martin Drewe

Aussie pro Martin Drewe has won the opening Event of the 2011 Aussie Millions, after defeating a field of 1,000 players over four days, to take down the tournament, and collect the AUS $200,020 (US$199,299) first place prize.
The $1.1k tournament saw 762 players buy in multiple times over Days 1a, 1b and 1c to take the prize pool to around the $1 million mark.
Amongst the list of top pros entering but unsuccessful in making it through to Day 2 were such notable names as Annette Obrestad, James Akenhead, Maria Ho, Richard Ashby, Tony Dunst and Michael Greco.
Day 2 turned out to be a long gruelling affair and it wasn’t until 10 hours into play that the final table of 10 was set and another 2 hours before its first elimination in the guise of Isaac Lau. The Aussie exited after his pocket kings were bested by his opponent’s A-J and so he walked away with $11,520 for his 10th place finish.
Martin Drewe then dispatched Jonathan Palmer in 9th ($15,020) and Full Tilt Red Pro Scott Montgomery in 8th ($22,220), who found himself all-in pre-flop holding pocket fives to Drewe’s A-K. The 4-2-K-3-3 board sealed Montgomery’s fate and so just like that his tournament hopes were ended.
The order of elimination then went Gabriel Xiourouppa in 7th ($32,220), followed by Antoine Bechara in 6th ($42,220), Vito Dalessandri in 5th ($52,220), Nik Lackovic in 4th ($65,220), and Justin Cohen in 3rd ($85,220), thus setting up a final heads-up encounter between Martin Drewe and South Africa’s Darren Kramer.
Despite Drewe initially being behind in chips, a pocket aces versus pocket jacks encounter saw him take the lead before moments later Kramer was left battling for his tournament survival after going all-in pre-flop holding A-8 to Drewe’s pocket queens.
With no surprises from the board, Kramer finished the runner-up for a $128,220 pay-day, while Martin Drewe won AUS$200,020 for his deserved win and collected the first gold ring of this year’s Aussie Millions.