2026 Aussie Millions Poker Championship

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Danny McDonagh Returns to Lead Aussie Millions Relaunch

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Danny McDonagh
Danny McDonagh

Veteran poker executive Danny McDonagh will return to a familiar role in 2026 after being confirmed as tournament director for the relaunch of the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet, stepping back into the series he helped build into a global poker powerhouse.

Widely regarded as one of the most experienced tournament directors in the Asia-Pacific region, McDonagh was a key figure in the early rise of the Aussie Millions. And as the festival prepares for its first full edition in more than six years, the Crown Melbourne Casino has leaned on a trusted hand to help guide the festival into its next era.

Danny McDonagh
Danny McDonagh

McDonagh spoke exclusively to PokerNews, and told us about his fond memories of the early explosion in Main Event player numbers from 2004 to 2007.

"It went up from 133 to 263, then to 418 and to 747 — all down to the fact that local players had the chance to compete against the cream of professional poker players, all thanks to the three-phrase satellite program," said McDonagh. "The satellite program continues to be very popular today at Crown."

He also spoke of the spectators who were able to come and rail the action.

"It made the event a real buzz! Some are railing a close friend or relative, while others are coming specially to see some of the biggest names in poker in action. Local players were very welcoming of international players. This, combined with Melbourne city and the fabulous Crown complex, helped make the Aussie Millions a must-visit stop for so many players.

"Personally it's very exciting to be coming to my hometown Melbourne as Head TD for the Aussie Millions."

Read the Full Article

$5K Six-Max Filling Up

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Michael Gathy
Michael Gathy

The $5k Six-Max kicked off 30-minutes ago, and the tables have started to fill up.

There have been 42 entries so far, and here are some of the names in the field:

NameChip Count
Kevin Afonso250,000
Ehsan Amiri250,000
Jordan Bautista250,000
Ron Bean250,000
Joshua Cram250,000
Darragh Curtin250,000
Vasken Demlakian250,000
Siyu Du250,000
Peter Falconer250,000
Michael Gathy250,000
Timothy Jenkins250,000
Xiaoyun Li250,000
Wangyang Luo250,000
Brett Marshall250,000
Rahul Mayadunne250,000
Zachary Metin250,000
Noman Mirza250,000
Ori Ohana250,000
Weiran Pu250,000
Johan Schumacher250,000
Marc Seymour250,000
Ajitpal Singh250,000
Vladas Tamasauskas250,000
Winn Tan250,000
Raphael Tenenbaum250,000
Jarrod Thatcher250,000
Tsugunari Toma250,000
Joel Turner250,000
Sam Vakili250,000
Tristan Wade250,000
Shucong Wang250,000
Tat Wong250,000
Hao Zhang250,000

In the Money!

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Echo State Room
Echo State Room

After a flurry of bust outs in the Echo State room, it's been confirmed that the bubble has burst.

There are 265 players remaining, and you can see the bubble hands below:

The Bubble Looms

Calum Grant
Calum Grant

The action has been hectic at Crown Melbourne, with 78 players already being sent to the showers.

The tournament clock says there are 277 players left, meaning nine more eliminations are needed to take place for the bubble to burst.

Cards in the Air for Day 2

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Cards, Chips, Branding
Cards, Chips, Branding

The 355 returning players have taken their seats, and Day 2 of the Opening Event is officially underway.

The top 268 finishers will make the money, locking up at least $2,800. Levels have now increased to 60 minutes, with a maximum of 11 levels scheduled for today. The dinner break takes place after the sixth level of the day.

The original plan was to play down to the final table, but given the huge turnout, that may prove optimistic.

Good luck to everyone still in the hunt.

What Else Is On: $5K Six-Max Kicks Off Today

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Property - Crown Melbourne
Property - Crown Melbourne

The next big buy-in event on the schedule gets underway this afternoon, with Event #3: $5,000 Six-Max starting at 2:10 p.m. local time.

Players begin with 250,000 chips and play 60-minute levels, with a 30-second shot clock in use from the start. Late registration stays open until the start of Level 12 on Day 2

$5K Six-Max Day 1 Structure

LevelSmall BlindBig BlindBig Blind Ante
15001,0001,000
21,0001,5001,500
Break———
31,0002,0002,000
41,5002,5002,500
Break———
51,5003,0003,000
62,0004,0004,000
Break———
72,5005,0005,000
83,0006,0006,000
Break———
94,0008,0008,000
105,00010,00010,000

Here’s the rest of today’s schedule:

DateTimeEventBuy-in
Mon, Apr 2710:10 a.m.AM Phase 1 Satellite$85 (56+29)
Mon, Apr 2712:10 p.m.Opening Event Day 2 (Q-only)—
Mon, Apr 272:10 p.m.Event #3: $5K Six-Max Day 1$5,000 (4,600+400)
Mon, Apr 274:10 p.m.AM Phase 2 Satellite$280 (230+50)
Mon, Apr 277:10 p.m.AM Phase 3 Satellite$1,150 (1,060+90)
Mon, Apr 279:10 p.m.Main Event Rebuy Satellite$240 (200+40) / $100 Rebuys

Mizrachi and Hachem Headline 355 Survivors Returning for Day 2 of Aussie Millions Opening Event

Calum Grant
Calum Grant
Michael Mizrachi, Joe Hachem
Michael Mizrachi, Joe Hachem

Two of poker’s biggest names headline the return to the felt today as Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi and Joe Hachem lead a strong group of survivors into Day 2 of the A$1,500 Opening Event at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet.

Mizrachi sits eighth in chips with 730,000 (73 big blinds), putting the four-time Poker Players Championship winner and defending WSOP Main Event champion in prime position as the tournament moves into its later stages. Hachem, Australia’s 2005 WSOP Main Event champion, returns with 146,000 (14 big blinds) and will be looking to build a stack as the field begins to thin.

Also back in the field is Vincent "Wonky" Wan, winner of the 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event, the last time the festival was held. Wan brings 474,000 (47 big blinds) into Day 2 and remains well placed as the field continues to narrow.

A total of 355 players will return today from a starting field of 2,144 entries, with the prize pool now sitting at A$2,787,200, nearly tripling the original guarantee.

The aim today is to play down to the final table of nine, with those players returning on Tuesday, April 28 to decide the champion.

Sandaev Sets the Pace After Four Starting Flights

Joe Sandaev
Joe Sandaev

Leading the field into Day 2 is Joe Sandaev, who bagged the largest stack of the tournament so far with 990,000 (99 big blinds) after advancing from the Day 1C flight.

He holds a narrow advantage over the chasing pack, with several strong stacks positioned behind him. Among the notables returning with above-average stacks are Hamish Crawshaw, who bagged 384,000 (38 big blinds), and Alan Pham, who returns with 244,000 (24 big blinds).

Van Marcus
Van Marcus

Aussie Millions ambassador Van Marcus also remains in contention with 239,500 (23 big blinds) after adding to his strong series start, which included a third-place finish in the $2,500 H.O.R.S.E. Championship.

Veteran Australian player Billy "Croc" Argyros returns with 189,000 (18 big blinds) and will be looking to build early as play resumes.

Opening Event Top 10 Chip Counts

PlayerChip CountBig Blinds
Joe Sandaev990,00099
Subramanyam Vanaparthy903,00090
Joshua Baraba889,00089
Harlie Jensz840,00084
Xin Li810,00081
Simon Moshi770,00077
Terry Huang745,00075
Michael Mizrachi730,00073
Jackie Thai687,00069
James Tsamakis671,00067

Bubble Expected to Take Place Early

Poker Room
Poker Room

Play resumes at 12:10 p.m. at Level 16, with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and a 10,000 big blind ante. From this point forward, levels increase to 60 minutes.

With a large number of players still in the field, tables will begin the day 10-handed, before transitioning back to nine-handed play as numbers allow.

Of the 355 returning players, 268 will make the money, leaving 87 eliminations between the field and the payouts. The minimum cash is set at A$2,800, while A$438,400 awaits the eventual champion.

The average stack coming into Day 2 sits at 241,577 (24 big blinds) and by the end of the day, the field is expected to be reduced to just nine players. That will set the stage for Tuesday’s final table and the crowning of the first major champion of the 2026 Aussie Millions.

Tags: Alan PhamAussie MillionsBig BlindsHamish CrawshawJoe HachemJoe SandaevVan Marcus

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