Kahle Burns Caps HOF Week with Aussie Millions $100K Challenge Win
Kahle Burns is having a helluva week. The 31-year-old Australian was inducted into the Australian Poker Hall of Fame along with Lynn Gilmartin on Monday. on Thursday night, Burns beat reigning Global Poker Index Player of the Year Alex Foxen to win the 2020 Aussie Millions $100K Challenge.
The two-day event drew 54 entries for a $3,629,281 US prize pool and the field included the likes of Steve O’Dwyer, Mikita Badziakouski, Sam Greenwood, Stephen Chidwick and 2019 Aussie Millions Main Event champion Bryn Kenney.
After Michael Zhang busted on the bubble, Foxen went to work. From UTG, Foxen raised to 160,000 with 
and Timothy Adams called from the small blind with 
. The flop came 
and Adams checked. Foxen bet 80,000 and then called after Adams moved all in for 350,000. Adams was unable to make running spades through the 
turn and 
river and was eliminated in seventh place.
Down to just 7.5 big blinds, Sam Grafton moved all in for 610,000 from the cutoff with 
. Kenney called from the big blind with 
. The 
flop changed nothing and Grafton missed on the turn and 
river and was sent packing in sixth.
A blind on blind battle lead to the next elimination and gave Burns his first victim of the final table. Michael Soyza moved all in from the small blind for 350,000 with 
and Burns called with 
. Burns stayed ahead through the 
run out and Soyza was out in fifth place.
It didn’t take too long for Burns to end another player’s run at the title. Foxen raised from the button to 220,000 with 
before Kenney raised to 975,000 from the small blind with 
. From the big blind, Burns moved all-in with . Foxen folded and Kenney called with his tournament life on the line. The 2019 Aussie Millions Main Event champ was unable to improve his hand on the 
runout and he was eliminated in fourth.
Burns kept the pressure on and just 20 minutes later, found himself heads up for the title after eliminating yet another player. Burns raised to 210,000 from the button with 
, Aaron van Blarcum moved all in for 950,000 from the small blind with and Burns called. The flop left van Blarcum in front as did the turn. The 
river however gave Burns a straight and eliminated van Blarcum in third place.
Those three consecutive eliminations left Burns holding a nearly 4-1 lead over Foxen and it took just a little more than 15 minutes for Burns to collect them all. On the final hand Burns opened from the button to 200,000 holding . Foxen moved all in for 2,290,000 with 
and Burns called. The 
flop gave Burns second pair. Foxen made third pair on the turn but the river gave Burns the pot and eliminated Foxen.
The $1,197,663 score is the second largest of Burns’ career, behind only his third place finish in the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series event in Macau in October 2017. According to Hendon Mob, he now has $9,541,399 in lifetime earnings and sits second on the Australian all-time money list behind Joe Hachem.
2020 Aussie Millions $100K Challenge Payouts
- Kahle Burns – $1,197,663
- Alex Foxen – $762,334
- Aaron van Blarcum – $508,099
- Bryn Kenney – $399,221
- Michael Soyza – $290,342
- Sam Grafton – $254,050
- Timothy Adams- $217,572
