Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Rumors Suggest Aussie Millions Poker May Return in 2025



It’s widely considered as one of the most popular poker festivals out there, but after a long absence, it looks like the Aussie Millions might be making a comeback.

As reported by the Poker Pulse Podcast, hosted by Australian Poker Schedule founder Craig Abernethy, the event is set to make its return to Crown Melbourne in April 2025.

While there has been no official announcement, the much-loved event would be a welcome return to the live poker calendar for 2025.

“No Longer a Rumor”

The news was broken on the podcast by Troy Mclean, who said that the April date was “confirmed”.

“I had heard on the grapevine that it would be returning next year,” said Mclean. “But it’s been confirmed now. It’s very exciting stuff. After APO [Australian Poker Open] I’ve heard. There was a rumour that it might not be a A$10,000 Main, it might be an A$8,000 Main, but that’s a rumour at the moment.”

“It’s been confirmed now. It’s very exciting stuff…”

“You seem to know a lot more than others,” said fellow podcast co-host Catherine Young. “You’ve dropped it first, so I’ll trust your word right now.”

“I hope it’s a $10k but last week […] that it could possibly by an A$8k,” said Mclean.

The event was known for attracting a large field combined of international poker players keen on taking part in the iconic poker festival, and Australian satellite winners who were taking their shot at the big one. Mclean says that plans to offer satellites are underway.

“They are starting to run satellites I have heard,” he said. “In the next month they’re going to run 6-7 seats a week so trying to build the numbers back up.”

Vincent Wan wins 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event

The 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event, won by Vincent Wan with Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel finishing fifth had 820 entrants, with podcasts hosts speculating that an event held in 2025 could attract around half that amount.

“It’ll be interesting how they go the first time,” said Abernethy. “It was such a major event and so many pros did love playing it. If it can get back up and running how it was, that’s got to be the goal because it was an amazing stop on the international poker calendar, not just Australian.”

History of the Aussie Millions

The Aussie Millions, or to call it by its proper name the Crown Australian Poker Championship, first took place in 1998. While the first year was a modest affair, comprising mainly of players from the South Pacific, the festival quickly gained international prestige.

The event also became known for its high-stakes tournaments — the $100,000 Challenge was first held in 2006, while the $250,000 Challenge was the first-ever $250k tournament in history. The $250,000 Challenge made its debut in 2011 and quickly became synonymous with one man — Phil Ivey. He won the event three times (2012, 2024, 2015) for combined cashes of over A$8 million.

Phil Ivey

Meanwhile the Main Event continued to go from strength to strength, generating massive prize pools through generous daily local satellite programs, attracting players from across the globe. The events allure also lied in its timing during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, which allows international players to escape colder climates and enjoy both poker and Australia’s warm-weather appeal.

In 2023, Crown Resorts said in a press release that the Aussie Millions Poker Championship was “an iconic part of poker history” but said that it had been “postponed for the time being.” PokerNews has reached out to Crown Resorts for comment.

Crown Poker Room

Poker’s Return to Australia

Since the Aussie Millions last took place in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic dramatically impacted the live poker scene, with Australia being no exception to this worldwide disruption. The iconic poker festival was among many events put on hold, as lockdowns, travel restrictions, and health concerns made large gatherings impossible. For fans and players alike, the absence of Aussie Millions left a significant void in the global poker calendar, as it had become a staple for both local and international players over the years.

In recent years, however, poker events have begun to make a comeback in Australia, hinting at a return to form for the country’s vibrant poker community. The World Poker Tour (WPT) has successfully hosted events in Australia for the last three consecutive years. James Obst became the most recent WPT Australia champion just two months ago.

Hasan Onay Wins Australian Poker Open Main Event

Additionally, 2024 marked the launch of the inaugural Australian Poker Open, an exciting new event won by Hasan “Huss” Onay.

The return of the Aussie Millions would add yet another thrilling event to Australia’s poker calendar. With an established reputation and a passionate player base, a revived Aussie Millions would bolster Australia’s position further on the global poker stage and would certainly be one of the most anticipated events of 2025.

Aussie Millions Main Event Winners (1998-2020)

Year Entries Prize Pool Winner Country First Prize
1998 74 A$74,000 Alex Horowitz Australia A$25,900
1999 109 A$109,000 Milo Nadalin Australia A$38,150
2000 109 A$173,500 Leo Boxell Australia A$65,225
2001 101 A$151,500 Sam Korman Australia A$53,025
2002 66 A$330,000 John Maver Australia A$150,000
2003 122 A$1,220,000 Peter Costa United Kingdom A$394,870
2004 133 A$1,330,000 Tony Bloom United Kingdom A$426,500
2005 263 A$2,630,000 Jamil Dia New Zealand A$1,000,000
2006 418 A$4,180,000 Lee Nelson New Zealand A$1,295,800
2007 747 A$7,470,000 Gus Hansen Denmark A$1,500,000
2008 780 A$7,758,500 Alexander Kostritsyn Russia A$1,650,000
2009 681 A$6,810,000 Stewart Scott Australia A$2,000,000
2010 746 A$7,460,000 Tyron Krost Australia A$2,000,000
2011 721 A$7,210,000 David Gorr Australia A$2,000,000
2012 659 A$6,590,000 Oliver Speidel Australia A$1,600,000
2013 629 A$6,290,000 Mervin Chan Malaysia A$1,600,000
2014 668 A$6,680,000 Ami Barer Canada A$1,600,000
2015 648 A$6,480,000 Manny Stavropoulos Australia A$1,385,500
2016 732 A$7,320,000 Ari Engel Canada A$1,600,000
2017 725 A$7,250,000 Shurane Vijayaram Australia A$1,600,000
2018 800 A$8,000,000 Toby Lewis United Kingdom A$1,458,198
2019 822 A$8,220,000 Bryn Kenney United States A$1,272,598
2020 820 A$8,200,000 Vincent Wan Australia A$1,318,000
author
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor.

He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.





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