button in SafariMartinelli Among 60 Survivors as Opening Event Day 1A Draws 403 Entries
Day 1A of the AUS $1M GTD $1,500 Opening Event is in the books, and if the first flight is anything to go by, the long-awaited return of the Aussie Millions is already delivering.
A total of 403 entries filled the Crown Melbourne poker room for the opening flight, with just 56 players managing to make it through 15 levels of play to bag and tag a stack for Day 2. It was a strong turnout to kick things off, and with three more starting flights still to come, the $1 million guarantee already looks firmly in the crosshairs.
One of those advancing was Australian poker regular Luke Martinelli, who continues to build on the momentum from a standout run late last year. Martinelli bagged 212,000, good for around 20 big blinds heading into Day 2, and looked more than content with where he finished.
"I bagged 212,000, so 20 big blinds going into Day 2, so I'm pretty happy with that," Martinelli told PokerNews after play wrapped up.
Martinelli has been enjoying a strong stretch over the past few months, highlighted by his 17th-place finish in the 2025 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event, which earned him $415,000, the largest score of his career to date, surpassing his previous best — the A$356,250 ($256,668) he earned for winning the A$20,000 WSOP Circuit High Roller in Sydney back in 2018.
"It was a very, very big spot, very fun. I had a really good time," Martinelli reflected. "Unfortunately I went by myself, so I didn't really have anyone there to share the experience with, but when I came back everyone was really excited and really happy for me. It was great."
He also took down a AUS $300 tournament in January that yielded a AUS $56,095 ($37,439) prize. That result pushed his live tournament earnings to $1,785,369, according to The Hendon Mob.
The return of the Aussie Millions after a six-year hiatus has clearly brought energy back into the poker room, with players traveling in from across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Martinelli said the buzz had been building in the weeks leading up to the festival.
"Everyone's very excited," he said. "They've been running satellites all the way up and they've just been getting bigger and bigger numbers the whole way through. The first flight getting 400 runners [sic], it's going to be huge. It's pretty exciting."
He also pointed out one of the things that makes the Aussie Millions special, the chance to reconnect with players you haven't seen in years.
"I'm seeing a lot of familiar faces. People from Sydney and the Gold Coast and a few of my friends from New Zealand. That's one of the best things about Aussie Millions. You get to see a lot of old faces that you haven't seen for a while, and it's been a while."
If the early signs hold, the Opening Event could comfortably smash its guarantee. Tournament Director Danny McDonagh was optimistic at the close of play, suggesting the event could reach as many as 2,000 entries, which would create a AUS $2,600,000 prize pool if his prediction comes to pass.
The mood around the room at bagging reflected just how much the series has been missed. After sealing up 325,000, John Lane summed it up simply as he packed away his chips.
"It's great to have the Aussie Millions back."