For the first time in six years, cards are back in the air at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship, as the iconic festival officially returned to Crown Melbourne this week.
After a six-year hiatus that left many wondering whether the beloved series would ever return, the 2026 edition is finally underway, bringing with it 18 tournaments and an estimated AUD $14,000,000 in prize pools. For Australian poker fans and international visitors alike, the long-awaited return marks one of the biggest moments on the global poker calendar.
The festival wasted little time getting into gear, with the $1M GTD $1,500 Opening Event now underway and the poker room once again buzzing with activity inside Crown Melbourne.
$1,500 Opening Event Leads the Charge
The first major tournament of the 2026 Aussie Millions is the $1,500 Opening Event, which features a AUD $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool and multiple starting flights across the opening weekend.
Day 1A is now underway, with players beginning their campaigns holding 40,000 starting chips and battling through 15 levels of 40 minutes each. Breaks are scheduled after every three levels, while late registration remains open until the start of Level 10, allowing players to join the field well into the afternoon.
Additional starting flights will follow over the coming days, with Day 1B taking place Saturday, Day 1C running Sunday afternoon, and a final Day 1D turbo flight scheduled for Sunday evening, offering one last chance to build a stack.
All surviving players from the starting flights will return for Day 2 on Monday, where level lengths increase to 60 minutes as the field narrows toward the money and eventual final table. The tournament is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, April 28, where the first major champion of the series will be crowned.
Before the Opening Event cards were dealt, the festival officially began on Thursday with an invite-only Celebrity Challenge for Charity, marking the first Aussie Millions tournament to take place since 2020.
The hyper-turbo event featured 24 VIP participants, bringing together celebrities, poker figures, media personalities, and Crown leadership for a lively opening-night celebration. The tournament concluded with a $25,000 donation to Street Side Medics, made through the Crown Resorts Foundation.
Among those in attendance were Andrew Bassat, Tom Hawkins, Jackson Warne, Martin Pakula, Agostino Giramondo, Dimitri Macarenhas, Campbell Brown, Eli Katoa, Glen Boss, Jason Richardson, and Van Marcus, alongside members of Australia’s poker royalty, including Joe and Jeanie Hachem and James and Antonia Hachem.
Joe Hachem, still Australia’s only WSOP Main Event champion, looked poised for an early deep run before seeing a turned set cracked by a rivered flush. James and Antonia Hachem both reached the final table, with James ultimately finishing fifth.
Andrew Bassat
The tournament concluded with Andrew Bassat defeating Tom Hawkins heads-up, completing a late comeback to lift the trophy and officially launch the return of the Aussie Millions.
PokerNews will be on the floor throughout the series, providing live coverage from several key events, including:
Date
Event
Apr 28–30, 2026
AUS $1,500 Mystery Bounty
May 01–02, 2026
AUS $5,000 Challenge
May 03–04, 2026
AUS $25,000 Challenge
May 04–10, 2026
AUS $10,600 Aussie Millions Main Event
Follow the Action on the PokerNews Highlight Blog
With the Opening Event now underway and satellites running throughout the day, the 2026 Aussie Millions is officially back in full swing.
Be sure to keep it locked on the PokerNews Highlight Blog for ongoing updates, chip counts, notable hands, and all the key moments as the action unfolds inside Crown Melbourne.
Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game.
Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
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