button in SafariFinal Starting Flight Set to Begin in Aussie Millions Main Event
With two packed opening flights already played to completion and the field rapidly building inside Crown Casino, all eyes now turn to Day 1c of the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet Main Event — the third and final opening flight for players looking to secure a head start before late registration closes on Day 2.
The first two starting flights have already drawn a combined 386 entries, putting the Main Event firmly on pace for another massive turnout as players continue to stream into Melbourne chasing Aussie Millions glory.
Day 1a saw Thomas McMahon of the USA emerge as the overall chip leader after bagging up 329,800, while Day 1b belonged to Denmark’s Lennart Valloe, who surged late to finish atop the second-flight counts with 280,900.
Overall Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Mcmahon | United States | 329,800 |
| 2 | Lennart Valloe | Denmark | 280,900 |
| 3 | Keith Walker | New Zealand | 256,000 |
| 4 | Wei Han Le | Malaysia | 250,700 |
| 5 | Xiaohu Liu | China | 240,200 |
| 6 | Gary Fisher | United Kingdom | 231,600 |
| 7 | Ori Ohana | Spain | 226,800 |
| 8 | Nyi Wint Htal | Australia | 225,700 |
| 9 | Didier Guerin | Australia | 219,300 |
| 10 | Aditya Rao | Australia | 218,200 |
A host of familiar names have already punched their Day 2 tickets, including Josh Giddey (168,000), Joe Hachem (130,900), Tristan Wade (164,200), and Vladas Tamasauskas (117,000), while others such as Michael Mizrachi, Kitty Kuo, and Martin Kozlov were among the casualties across the opening two flights.
With just one starting flight remaining before the field combines for Day 2, the pressure is now on for those yet to find a bag. Attention will also remain on whether this year’s Main Event can continue its momentum toward challenging the modern-era field record of 822 entries set back in 2019.
Day 1c is set to get underway a 12:30 p.m. local time will follow the same structure as the previous two flights, with players beginning with 60,000 chips and blinds starting at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Six 90-minute levels are scheduled to be played, with late registration remaining open until the start of Level 9 on Day 2.
Day 1c Structure
| Level | Length | Small Blind | Big Blind | BB Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 90 | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 2 | 90 | 200 | 300 | 300 |
| 3 | 90 | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 4 | 90 | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 5 | 90 | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 6 | 90 | 400 | 800 | 800 |
For continuing coverage, stay tuned to the PokerNews live reporting team throughout the day as the final batch of Day 1 hopefuls take their seats in pursuit of a deep run in the legendary Aussie Millions Main Event!