Thursday, 28th March 2024 13:13
Home / Uncategorized / Aussie Millions Day 5: No mashed potato for Rubianes

While our Aussie Millions Main Event final table line-up was extremely well-credentialed, American Vincent Rubianes had one stat on his poker resume that the other six players couldn’t match.

This was not the first time we’d seen Rubianes on the final table of an Asia Pacific Poker Tour Main Event. Back in 2012 we first caught a glimpse of the man with the biggest afro in poker at an event in Seoul, South Korea. Rubianes stood out, not just for his hairdo, but for his obvious talent on the felt. Rubianes would end up finishing runner-up that day.

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Nearly two years later we find Rubianes deep in the Aussie Millions Main Event and gunning to go one better than his result in Seoul. Sadly, today just wasn’t his day.

This Aussie Millions final table line up made it very tough to find good spots to get involved, but it was apparent that Rubianes playing rather tight or was very card dead this evening. We’re going to suggest it was the latter. His stack was slowly chopped down before he decided to make a move. Unfortunately his timing was a little off.

After Darren Rabinowitz raised the button, Rubianes three-bet jammed from the small blind. Ami Barer folded his big blind but Rabinowitz snapped it off with A♣ A♦ . Rubianes opened K♣ J♣ and would need to find something special.

The flop landed 6♦ 6♣ J♦ and although Rubianes caught a piece, the paired board left him with just a jack to survive. The turn was the 8♦ and by this stage Rabinowitz’s rail were yelling themselves into a frenzy.

“No Sides! NO SIDES! NO MASH POTATO!!!!!!!!!!!!!” was the cry. While I understood their reference to squeezing a card that wasn’t a picture, it was the first time I’d ever heard of ordering food at a restaurant used in reference to poker.

There we were, turning our heads to the door to see if a waiter was about to walk through with some steaming hot mash potato, a little melted butter and a sprig of parsley. But alas, there was no mash potato tonight as the 3♣ landed on the river.

Rubianes headed to the exit to collect AU$335,000 for his fifth place finish, as the boisterous railbirds craved something to eat.

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Four players remain. It’s Mizzi, Rabinowitz, Balsiger and Barer. One of them is your 2014 Aussie Millions champion.

Heath “TassieDevil” Chick is a Freelance Contributor for the PokerStars Blog.

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