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The Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet is in full swing at Crown Melbourne, and today sees the start of Event #8: the $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Challenge.
Day 1 gets underway at 12:10 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026, with players scheduled to play 10 levels before bagging up for Day 2, which resumes at the same time on Saturday, May 2. The tournament features a 250,000 starting stack and 60-minute levels, along with a 30-second shot clock to keep play moving.
The $5,000 buy-in includes $4,600 toward the prize pool, and late registration is open until the start of Level 12 on Day 2. Play begins at 500/1,000 with a big blind ante, and the event will run eight-handed until the final table, where it switches to nine-handed. Time banks are distributed throughout play.
Blind Structure
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | BB Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| 3 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| 4 | 1,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| 5 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 6 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| 7 | 2,500 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| 8 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| 9 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| 10 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
Be sure to follow PokerNews for live updates and coverage of this event, and the entire 2026 Aussie Millions.