Day 1B of the 2012 Aussie Millions likely did not go exactly as James Dempsey planned, but the end result had to be to his liking. The Brit was on the ropes for much of the day, but in poker, just about anything is possible and at the end of Monday’s play, Dempsey was the chip leader with a stack of 189,000 sitting in front of him. Australia’s Ilir Beluli is nipping at his heels with 182,700, while Kenna James, Nbail Edgtton, and Paul Wilde round out the top five Day 1B finishers, all with more than 140,000 chips.
For most of Monday, Dempsey couldn’t find any traction. Nothing he tried worked and his 30,000 chip starting stack dwindled to 6,000 by the dinner break. In the last couple levels of the night, however, he went on a major run, piling chip upon chip, breaking the 100,000 barrier and eventually finishing as the chip leader.
James Dempsey, known as “Flushy” in the poker community, is highly respected online tournament player, with about a million dollars in online tourney earnings. While he hasn’t been as prolific online recently, Dempsey has ranked as high as 30th on the PocketFives worldwide tournament rankings. On the live tournament circuit, he had his breakthrough moment in 2010 when he captured his first and only World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet, winning the $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em event for $197,470. He then followed that up less than two weeks later with a runner-up finish in the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 Championship, earning him another $301,789. This past December, Dempsey upped the ante, winning the $10,000 Championship Event of the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, banking $821,612.
Day 1B saw 187 players register for the Aussie Millions, following the 153 that entered Day 1A. Tuesday’s Day 1C is expected to be larger than either of the first two and will ultimately determine the prize pool. Play will resume at 12:30pm local time at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia as the final Day 1 flight kicks off. The tournament is slated to run through Saturday.
While Dempsey led the Day 1B field, the overall leader remains Day 1A’s Brett Watson, who is the only player with over 200,000 chips. At 257,400, he reigns far above the rest of the players.
2012 Aussie Millions Main Event – End of Day 1B Chip Leaders
1. James Dempsey – 189,000
2. Ilir Beluli – 182,700
3. Kenna James – 151,400
4. Nabil Edgtton – 148,300
5. Paul Wilde – 146,500
6. Octavian Vogele – 120,000
7. Emad Maaree – 112,500
8. Tom Dwan – 107,400
9. Dennis Huntly – 88,000
10. Chris O’Donnell – 71,500
Combined Days 1A and 1B Chip Leaders
1. Brett Watson – 257,400
2. James Dempsey – 189,000
3. Ilir Beluli – 182,700
4. Paul Sing – 177,100
5. Ben Jenkins – 154,500
6. Kenna James – 151,400
7. Nabil Edgtton – 148,300
8. Paul Wilde – 146,500
9. Rob Angood – 133,200
10. Andrew Hinrichsen – 132,900
