button in SafariWhat's On Today at the Aussie Millions: $5K Challenge Begins as $2,500 NLHE Returns
Another packed day is on deck at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet, following a long Thursday that saw multiple events play deep into the night and one champion crowned in the early hours of Friday morning.
The biggest story came in the A$1,500 Mystery Bounty, which wrapped up in the wee hours after a marathon final day. University student Gening Dai took a shot at a bigger buy-in than usual and made it count in style.
A self-confessed small-stakes player, Dai entered the Mystery Bounty expecting it to be his final event of the trip. Instead, he outlasted a massive 912-entry field to capture the title and the A$174,495 top prize, the largest slice of the A$1,185,600 prize pool.
Elsewhere, the A$2,500 NLHE played down to its final 49 players, with Opening Event champion Joshua Duce continuing his hot run by bagging the chip lead. He'll return today with a chance to become the first player of the series to win two titles.
The A$2,500 NLHE resumes with 49 players remaining and just five eliminations needed before the money bubble bursts.
Another title was also decided in the A$1,500 NLHE-PLO Mix, where Lorenz Schollhorn came out on top of a 185-entry field to claim the A$59,290 first-place prize after defeating Timothy Carnes heads-up. The victory marked Schollhorn's first recorded tournament win since his career-best triumph at WPT Prime Gold Coast in 2024.
What's On Today at Crown Melbourne
Two headline events dominate today's schedule, with the A$2,500 NLHE returning for Day 2 and the A$5,000 Challenge kicking off its Day 1, which will be live reported by PokerNews.
Players chasing seats into future events will also have plenty of satellite opportunities running across the schedule.
| Time | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|
| 10:10 AM | $5K Satellite | $550 ($500+$50) |
| 12:10 PM | Event #8: $5K Challenge Day 1 | $5,000 ($4,600+$400) |
| 2:10 PM | AM Phase 2 Satellite | $280 ($230+$50) |
| 4:10 PM | AM Phase 2 Satellite | $280 ($230+$50) |
| 7:10 PM | AM Phase 3 Satellite | $1,150 ($1,060+$90) |
| 9:10 PM | Main Event Rebuy Satellite | $240 ($200+$40) / $100 Rebuys |
| 12:00 AM | Midnight Mega Satellite | $250 ($200+$50) |