The tournament returned to the live poker calendar after a six-year hiatus, with many unsure whether field sizes would suffer as a result of the gap.
However, the allure of Melbourne, the prestige of the $10,600 buy-in freezeout tournament, and the strength of Australian poker have led to 770 players entering this year's Main Event.
He also conceded that coming into the festival, 500 entries for the Main Event was the target. "If we hit 600, the casino's super happy," McDonagh told PokerNews.
Now the figure sits nearer 800, Crown Melbourne Chief Executive Officer Ed Domingo says he was thrilled at the number, but admits he expected it would take time for numbers to return to 2020 levels.
"We always knew it held a special place for players in Australia and around the world, but we expected it might take a year or two to reestablish its position on the global circuit," said Domingo. "To see 770 entries in the Main Event in our first year back is a real endorsement of both the tournament’s legacy and the world-class experience our Crown team has delivered."
Ed Domingo
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Crown's Executive General Manager of Gaming, Harold Tsakmaklis praised the "world-class group" of staff who helped deliver the Aussie Millions experience.
"None of this happens without the Crown team," he said. "Reaching 770 entries in the Aussie Millions Main Event is a phenomenal result – and a powerful reminder of the prestige this tournament still commands on the world stage.
"We’re incredibly grateful to the global poker community, whose passion and loyalty continue to make the Aussie Millions a must‑play event."
No one, and I mean no one, predicted this many entries. The figure is down to two things: the enduring value of the Aussie Millions brand and the evolution of Australian poker.
Since 2020, other major events have taken place in the country, but they're pretenders to a crown clearly held by the Aussie Millions. And remember — this is a freezeout!
The tournament got off to a fast start, with 200 entries on Day 1a — exceeding 2020's figure for the opening flight by 40 entries. Organizers had always anticipated Day 1b to be the smallest flight, but 186 players joined the fray.
Day 1c's figure of 320 entries saw the tournament eclipse 700 entries, but with late registration open until the third level of Day 2, that number was always set to grow. In total, there were 63 registrations on Day 2 as the final number of 770 players was confirmed.
To put this year's number in further perspective, 770 is only 52 short of the record, set seven years ago when Bryn Kenney took down the 2019 Main Event for A$1,272,598.
The fifth-largest Aussie Millions Main Event in history also comes with the fourth-largest first-place prize ever, before any potential deals are taken into account — there have been final table deals in the last three Main Events.
Just 95 places will be paid, with a min-cash worth A$20,020 (US$14,542).
Three months later, the casino was forced to cancel the 2020 Crown Poker Championship, scheduled for April. They followed that up two days later with a tweet cancelling all tournaments indefinitely.
In November, the organizers of the tournament, announced that the 2021 edition of the event was "on hold" until further notice, with an update in 2023 saying that Crown was exploring possibilities relating to the return of the Aussie Millions, despite the Melbourne venue no longer running tournaments.
Despite the fine, Crown Resorts was allowed to continue operating and underwent several changes and reforms, including implementing a brand-new Board of Directors and changes to the way the company operates.
However, green shoots would begin to emerge. Rumors of the event's return surfaced in late 2024. However, an April 2025 return failed to materialise, and it wasn't until July that year that poker players around the world could update their calendars.
Once play got underway, any nerves from organizers were quickly assuaged courtesy of early event numbers, with the focus now on riding the wave of the event's return. The Aussie Millions is back, and all signs point to 2027 being even bigger.
Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.
He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.
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