Poker Profile

Stewart Scott's name will forever be etched in local poker folklore, right along side Gary Benson (our first WSOP bracelet winner), Joe Hachem (our first WSOP Main Event winner) and Grant Levy (the first local to win a $1 million tournament prize in Australia).

In the modern era of the Aussie Millions since 2003, Scott is the first Australian player to win our national championship, and the first player to ever win an AUD $2 million tournament prize in Australia. Indeed, only one Aussie - Leo Boxell in 2003 - had previously made it as far as the heads-up duel in the $10,000 buy-in Aussie Millions championship event. That is, until January 25, 2009.

As the clock ticked past 1am, the 218th (and last) hand of the 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event was dealt.

Holding a dominant chip lead over his heads-up rival Peter Rho from the USA (10.7 million to 2.9 million) and cheered on by friends and family, Stewart needed only 13 hands to secure victory. Rho woke up with a strong hand for heads-up play, but Stewart lay in waiting with the strongest possible starting hand in poker.

With the blinds at 50,000/100,000 with a 10,000 ante, Scott made it 250,000, Rho announced re-raise but made it an all-in of 2.175 million. Scott called in an instant, and pumped his fists as he showed As-Ad. Rho looked despondent as he showed Ah-Jc, and was drawing dead by the time the 4d landed on the turn after a flop of 2s-9d-8h. The river was the 9s and, after a marathon seven days of play, it was all over.

Scott earned plenty of respect for the way he dominated the Main Event field of 681 players - the third biggest in Aussie Millions history. He was in the top 20 stacks on day 1B, fifth in chips after day 2, held the eighth biggest stack at the end of day 3 and led the field into the final table. Despite a modest live tournament record heading into the 2009 Aussie Millions, Stewart Scott has amassed considerable experience since turning to poker seriously.

In 2006, he won a satellite series at SKYCITY Casino in Adelaide that earned him a $30,000 package to the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event. He outlasted more than two-thirds of the field before being eliminated, but brought home some valuable tournament experience. Since then, Scott has honed his game through a mixture of live and online play, which helped earn him an in-the-money finish in the 2007 SKCITY Adelaide Hold'em Championships Main Event, and a final table in the Pot-Limit Omaha event at the 2007 PokerNews Cup at Crown. But those results will forever be eclipsed by his success in the 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event.

Written by
Sean Callander
Editor in Chief
Bluff Australia Pty Ltd