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2026 Aussie Millions Poker Championship
Daily Tournament Highlights
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When the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet was announced last year after a six-year absence, there was optimism around the series comeback. But even veteran tournament director Danny McDonagh admits the early numbers have gone beyond what anyone expected.
With record-breaking fields already logged across multiple events, including the massive A$1,500 Opening Event, McDonagh said the opening week has delivered more than he anticipated.
"I think the Aussies are proud that it's come back in such a big way."
"Nobody expected the opening event number, that's for sure," McDonagh told PokerNews.
"Coming in, I was kind of nervous because it's been six years since they've done the event, and the staffing is not what it was six years ago. They've done a couple of good build-up championships leading into this, but nobody foresaw these numbers."
The Opening Event ultimately drew 2,144 entries, and strong turnouts followed immediately after. The A$5,000 Six-Max saw 305 entries, while the A$2,500 H.O.R.S.E. recorded its largest field to date.
"To kick off with three record-breaking events is brilliant for the festival," McDonagh said. "It's motivating too."
Just moments after the money bubble burst, Roshan Rodrigues found himself all in and at risk against Sean Ragozzini.
Rodrigues held A♦Q♦ and was up against Ragozzini's Kx10x. The king-ten stayed in front on the J♦10♦7♥ flop and 5♠ turn, but the sparkling K♦ on the river completed the Royal Flush, giving Rodrigues the best possible hand in poker and earning him a double-up.
It's not the first royal flush to show up at this year's Aussie Millions, either.
During the Opening Event, one lucky player didn't just make a royal flush, they flopped it clean.
We've now seen royals in diamonds and hearts. Clubs and spades, you're up next.
Stephen Topakas was the last player to leave empty-handed in the $1,500 Mystery Bounty after being eliminated by Kuo Hung, who held pocket kings.
Topakas was forced all in from the big blind and was at risk with nine-eight offsuit. He found some hope after pairing on the turn, but the river offered no help, and his elimination put the remaining players in the money.
That also means the Mystery Bounty prizes are now in play, with one envelope containing the top prize of $90,000.
To see the full payouts and bounty prizes, click here.
The $2,500 NLHE event has just entered Level 3, with the entry tally climbing to 74. There have already been a few eliminations, leaving 70 players remaining.
The prize pool currently sits at $166,500, and that number will continue to rise with late registration open until the start of Level 10.
Among those in the field is Sascha Manns, the first champion of the festival after taking down the $2,500 H.O.R.S.E.
You can see how that event played out here.
In case you missed it, the $1,500 Mystery Bounty is on the stone bubble, with 115 players remaining.
Saulo Sabioni was the last player eliminated, running tens into pocket kings, and failing to improve. There have been a few bubble-doubles to extend hand-for-hand play.
The $2,500 NLHE is underway in the main poker room, kicking off with 19 entries.
It's scheduled to play down to a winner today, but given the field sizes seen over the past few days, there's a strong chance this one could spill over into an extra day.
It's another day of the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet at Crown Melbourne, and another action-packed day is in store, with at least two titles set to be awarded and fresh fields taking their seats across the poker room.
The spotlight today falls on the A$1,500 Mystery Bounty and the A$1,500 NLHE/PLO Mix, both of which are scheduled to play down to a winner.
Mystery Bounty Returns With Big Prizes in Play
The A$1,500 Mystery Bounty has drawn 912 entries, with 124 players making it through to the final day. The regular prize pool sits at $820,800, with an additional $364,800 in mystery bounty prizes bringing the total to $1,185,600. The top 114 players will make the money.
When play resumes at 12:30 p.m. local time, Belgium's Johan Schumacher leads the way with 990,000 (99 big blinds), with New Zealand's Darragh Curtin (871,000) and Thomas Lee (776,000) rounding out the top three stacks.
The plan is to play to a winner today, with bounty prizes also coming into play when the field hits the money. The eventual champion will collect $174,495, while one player will pull the $90,000 top mystery bounty prize along the way.
To see the full chip counts, seat draw, and payouts, click here. This event is being live reported by PokerNews, with all the action available in the live updates tab.
NLHE/PLO Mix Closing in on the Money
Elsewhere, the A$1,500 NLHE/PLO Mix is down to 30 players, all chasing a spot among the 23 paid finishers.
That tournament generated a $240,500 prize pool, with $59,290 awaiting the winner. The top 23 players will finish in the money, each guaranteed at least $2,765.
Japan's Tsugunari Toma currently tops the chip counts as the field pushes toward the money. Head here to see the full payouts and chip counts. The action restarts at 5 p.m.
A$2,500 NLHE Gets Underway
A new field will also take shape today with the start of the A$2,500 No Limit Hold'em, which begins at 12:10 p.m.
Players will start with 40,000 chips, with levels running for 40 minutes. Late registration will remain open until the start of Level 10, and the tournament may be extended to a second day at the discretion of the Tournament Director depending on the number of entries.
The full structure sheet can be found in the Crown Poker Aussie Millions Guide.
Full Schedule for Thursday, April 30
| Time | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|
| 10:10 AM | AM Phase 1 Satellite | $85 (56+29) |
| 12:10 PM | Event #7: No Limit Hold'em | $2,500 |
| 12:30 PM | Event #4: Mystery Bounty Day 2 | — |
| 2:10 PM | $5K Satellite | $550 (500+50) |
| 4:10 PM | AM Phase 2 Satellite | $280 (230+50) |
| 7:10 PM | AM Phase 3 Satellite | $1,150 (1,060+90) |
