button in SafariDay 3 of Aussie Millions A$10,600 Main Event Kicks Off at 12:30 p.m.
After an action packed four days of play, the highly anticipated Day 3 of the Aussie Millions A$10,600 Main Event has arrived. With the 770 total entries creating a huge A$7,700,000 prize pool, it is all to play for today as the returning 183 players battle to make it into the money.
Prize Pool & Payouts
| 1 | $1,667,050 | 15-17 | $60,830 |
| 2 | $1,001,000 | 18-23 | $48,510 |
| 3 | $635,250 | 24-29 | $41,580 |
| 4 | $466,620 | 30-35 | $34,650 |
| 5 | $346,500 | 36-39 | $30,800 |
| 6 | $269,500 | 40-37 | $27,720 |
| 7 | $211,750 | 48-63 | $24,640 |
| 8-9 | $154,000 | 64-79 | $22,330 |
| 10-11 | $154,000 | 80-95 | $20,020 |
| 12-14 | $77,000 |
With the event paying out just over 12% of the field, only 95 players will secure themselves at least the minimum payout of A$20,020. Those who manage to ladder and make it to Day 4 will no doubt have their eyes set on becoming the champion, taking home the top prize of A$1,667,050 and claiming the 2026 Aussie Millions Main Event title.
Liu Yang put himself in a strong position going into today after claiming the accolade of being the Day 2 chip leader, bagging an impressive 1,028,000. He saw to the early elimination of Troy McLean, continuing to keep up the momentum throughout the day.
Tom McMahon and Scot Malseed are hot on his heels and closely follow behind. McMahon narrowly missed out on making it to the top of the counts for the third consecutive day, but still returns with a massive 986,000 chips.
End of Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liu Yang | China | 1,028,000 | 257 |
| 2 | Tom McMahon | Australia | 986,000 | 247 |
| 3 | Scot Malseed | Australia | 737,000 | 184 |
| 4 | Sooriya Rajeswaran | Australia | 638,500 | 160 |
| 5 | Didier Guerin | Australia | 637,500 | 159 |
| 6 | Aamir Choudry | Australia | 624,000 | 156 |
| 7 | Scott Stewart | United States | 609,500 | 152 |
| 8 | Jason Lefevre | Australia | 560,500 | 140 |
| 9 | Anthony Xu | Australia | 555,500 | 139 |
| 10 | Denis Jankovic | Australia | 539,500 | 135 |
A number of notables also return to the felt today, including WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem (528,000). Hachem enjoyed a strong Day 2 and comes back just shy of breaking into the top ten counts. Michael Gathy (490,000) and Sam Higgs (430,000) also re-join the action today, each bringing in an above average stack.
Hachem's journey through Day 2 started well after stacking Zahar Miloud, but later faced his fair share of adversity after running into his opponent’s quads. He didn’t let the setback slow him down and he steadily rebuilt throughout the second half of play, more than doubling his stack back by the time bags were sealed.
Familiar faces such as Alan Pham (286,500), Andrew Hinrichsen (287,500) and Yuri Murakami (250,500) have made steady progress through the early stages of the freezeout Main Event here in Melbourne and return with healthy middling stacks.
Among those who will need to hustle, is Day 1b chip leader Lennart Valloe, who brings back one of the smaller stacks with 147,500. He is by no means the shortest, as Lachlan Crilly narrowly advanced to Day 3 and will restart with just 22,500, only a handful of big blinds when the new level begins. Close behind is Ricardo Bono, who bagged 46,000 and will also be hoping for an early double. As the field tightens and the pressure mounts, every pot will matter as players look to secure their place in the money.
The stage is set for an exciting Day 3 as players get ready to continue their quest for the title. Play is set to resume at 12:30 p.m. local time at the Crown Casino here in Melbourne. Levels are 90 minutes long, and the action will restart at Level 14 with blinds of 2,500/5,000 and a 5,000 big blind ante. 15-minute breaks are scheduled every level.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Day | Date | Start Time | Level Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Cards will be in the air at 12.30 p.m today, so be sure to keep your eyes on the PokerNews live updates to see who remains in contention to make it to Day 4, putting themselves one step closer to clinching the Aussie Millions Main Event title.