button in SafariSchumacher Leads as Money Bubble Looms in Day 2 of $1,500 Mystery Bounty
The Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet has not only returned after a six-year hiatus — it's already making headlines with record-breaking fields across multiple events in its first week.
The $1,500 Mystery Bounty event has only added to the early momentum of the iconic series after drawing 912 entries across two starting flights, generating a $1,185,600 prize pool. Leading the way of the returning 124 players is Belgium's Johan Schumacher, who managed to bag up just shy of a seven-figure stack with 990,000 in Day 1b. His next-closest competitor entering the final day is Darragh Curtin with 871,000 and Australia's own Thomas Lee rounds out the top three with 776,000.
In addition to his big stack, Schumacher will bring plenty of experience with him to the felt as a seasoned pro with over USD $1,300,000 in live-tournament earnings. His largest score to date came from a deep run in the WSOP Main Event last year, wherein Schumacher placed 43rd. Prior to that, Schumacher came runner-up in a WSOP Shootout event in 2021 and even made a final table appearance in the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event before bowing out in seventh place for AUD $235,000.
$1,500 Mystery Bounty Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johan Schumacher | Belgium | 990,000 | 99 |
| 2 | Darragh Curtin | New Zealand | 871,000 | 87 |
| 3 | Thomas Lee | Australia | 776,000 | 78 |
| 4 | Morry Edelstein | Australia | 735,000 | 74 |
| 5 | Max Sarafin | Australia | 721,000 | 72 |
| 6 | Ahmed Abdellatif | Australia | 701,000 | 70 |
| 7 | Paul Altis | Australia | 701,000 | 70 |
| 8 | Patrick Barba | Australia | 595,000 | 60 |
| 9 | Chris Kokkinos | Australia | 569,000 | 57 |
| 10 | Robert Damelian | Australia | 568,000 | 57 |
Other notables still in the hunt include Malcolm Trayner (518,000), Steven Zhou (452,000), Matthew Wakeman (344,000), Tyron Krost (305,000), and Tristan Wade (245,000).
With just 114 spots reserved for the money of the 124 players returning, bubble pressure will be present from the get-go. Everyone lucky enough to survive the money bubble will be guaranteed a payout of at least AUD $1,900. A cool AUD $174,495 awaits the eventual champion in addition to the title and trophy.
$1,500 Mystery Bounty Payouts
Mystery Bounties will come into play once the money has been reached, at which point Mystery Bounty cards will be given to a player for each elimination they claim to pull from a prize barrel. Each pull will be worth at least AUD $400, with the highest pull being worth a whopping AUD $90,000 for one lucky winner.
Mystery Bounty Prizes
| Quantity | Bounties |
|---|---|
| 1 | $90,000 |
| 1 | $50,000 |
| 2 | $25,000 |
| 4 | $10,000 |
| 8 | $5,000 |
| 10 | $3,000 |
| 11 | $2,000 |
| 20 | $1,000 |
| 57 | $400 |
Day 2 is set to get underway at 12:30 p.m. local time and play down until a winner. Players will return on Level 16, which features 5,000/10,000 blinds with a 10,000 big blind ante. Levels will continue to last 40 minutes each and players will be sent on break after every three levels.
Who will escape with the top bounty prize? Who will be the latest to etch their name into the Aussie Millions history books? For all the latest, be sure to stick with PokerNews as we bring you all the action from the floor leading to the next Aussie Millions Mystery Bounty Champion!