button in SafariJosh Giddey Among Those Advancing to Day 2 in Aussie Millions Main Event
Day 1a of the Aussie Millions $10,600 Main Event kicked off with a strong turnout and plenty of action at Crown Casino, Melbourne. A total of 200 players took their seats for the first of three starting flights, battling through seven levels of minutes each to secure a spot in Day 2. After six levels, 136 players remained to advance to Day 2, narrowing the field and setting the stage for the next phase of the tournament.
The competition was fierce from the start, with notable players and former champions making their presence felt. The chip counts fluctuated throughout the day, with several players emerging as early leaders.
Scot Malseed experienced a rollercoaster of a day after falling down in chips early in the day. He managed to spin back as stack, just a few levels later, doubling back up with Kings. They took through 157,200 chips, putting themselves in a comfortable position going into Day 2.
Thomas McMahon was running well throughout the day and stood tall as the chip leader in the final levels of the night. He started to build early in the day and continued to climb after forcing a big fold from Man Wong. He bagged up as the Day 1a chip leader taking through a huge 329,800 stack.
McMahon was a good few miles ahead of the next biggest stack, Wei Han Le, who finished close behind with 250,700 chips. Xiaohu Liu rounded off the podium position, bagging up third in chips after around 12 hours of play.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Mcmahon | United States | 329,800 |
| 2 | Wei Han Le | Malaysia | 250,700 |
| 3 | Xiaohu Liu | China | 240,200 |
| 4 | Ori Ohana | Spain | 226,800 |
| 5 | Aditya Rao | Australia | 218,200 |
| 6 | Matthew Carlson | New Zealand | 206,000 |
| 7 | Simon Carter | Australia | 193,800 |
| 8 | Mario Doria | Australia | 190,800 |
| 9 | Weiran Pu | China | 188,800 |
| 10 | Wang Sum Li | Hong Kong | 181,300 |
Several big names joined the tournament on Day 1a including Poker legends and WSOP Main Event Champions Joe Hachem & Michael Mizrachi. Hachem managed to lock up a bag, taking through 130,900 chips but Mizrachi wasn’t so lucky and busted out of the freezeout in the middle of play today. Hachem sent Haibin Huang to the rail after chasing a royal flush draw, giving him a good chip up midway through the day.
Chicago Bulls and Australian NBA star Josh Giddey also locked up a healthy 168,000 stack by the end of the night, helped by upping the pressure on his table during a big three-way pot. A few tables across Jackson Warne was also seen peeling and sealing his 39,400 chips. He will progress to Day 2 but be looking to spin their stack as bagged one of the smaller stacks in this opening flight.
It was a particularly brutal end for Riff Mustafa after getting in all his chips in against Mario Doria (190,800) on the flop and running into Doria's flush, just a few hands before the end of the night.
With Day 1a complete, attention now turns to Day 1b, where the next group of hopefuls will take their shot at advancing.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Day | Date | Start Time | Level Duration | Late Registration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1b | Tuesday, May 5 | 12:30 p.m. | 90 minutes | Start of Level 9 |
| Day 1c | Wednesday, May 6 | 12:30 p.m. | 90 minutes | Start of Level 9 |
| Day 2 | Thursday, May 7 | 12:30 p.m. | 90 minutes | Start of Level 9 |
| Day 3 | Friday, May 8 | 12:30 p.m. | 90 minutes | — |
| Day 4 | Saturday, May 9 | 12:30 p.m. | 90 minutes | — |
| Final Day | Sunday, May 10 | 2:30 p.m. | 90 minutes | — |
Day 1b of the Aussie Millions Main Event will follow the same format as today's Day 1a with blinds starting at 100/200 and a 200 big blind ante. As in the opening flight, each level will last 90 minutes, with scheduled 15-minute breaks after every level. A 60-minute dinner break is scheduled for approximately 7.15 p.m., giving the field time to recharge. Play will wrap up after Level 6, with late registration open until the start of Level 9 in Day 2.
Stay tuned and return to the PokerNews live updates tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. for Day 1b updates, where a fresh batch of hopefuls will take their seats, each with a dream of making it all the way to the final day.