Aussie Poker Tournament
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Aussie Millions Poker Championship. Crown Melbourne wishes to advise that the scheduling of the 2021 Aussie Millions Poker Tournament will be placed on hold until further notice.
The Aussie Millions Poker Championship is the biggest poker tournament in the Southern Hemisphere. It takes place annually at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia.
Officially the Crown Australian Poker Championship, it’s known as the Aussie Millions because the winner typically takes home at least A$1 million in prize money.
You know that there has to be something pretty exciting happening when this tournament convinces major US poker stars like Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu to travel all the way to Australia.
In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about the Aussie Millions poker tournament, including details about the winners and events.
Contents of Our Aussie Millions Tournament Guide
The format of the Aussie Millions is similar to the World Series of Poker. It consists of a number of poker tournaments as part of a series.
There are several preliminary/qualifying events, followed by an intense Main Event.
Every January, hundreds of international poker players descend on Melbourne, Australia, to try their luck.
The preliminary events include dozens of poker variations and game formats. The Main Event is always no-limit Texas hold‘em, though.
For the first two years of the tournament it was pot limit, and the buy-in was only $1,000.
The organizers changed the game format and raised the buy-in to accommodate all of the international players interested in the tournament. Today, the buy-in is $10,000 (+ $500).
A key difference between the Aussie Millions Main Event and many other major poker tournaments is that it starts with eight players at the table instead of nine. When the player pool gets down to the top thirty-six, they shift to a six-handed format.
Poker pros know that short-handed games require more aggressive action. You don’t have as many players involved, so you typically raise and call more often.
Because the Aussie Millions tournament includes both eight-handed and six-handed tables, players have to be able to adapt to different strategies and structures.
Professional poker players appreciate the varied structure in the Crown Australian Poker Championship because it makes it easier for them to pick off inexperienced players and shows their adaptability.
They recognize the players who do not adjust their strategy and target them. Amateur players can be intimidated by this, so they end up making mistakes.
The Aussie Millions seems similar to other poker tournaments on the surface, but the unique structure forces players to use multiple skills and adapt. That makes it a different kind of poker tournament.
Here is a look at all of the winners, prize pools, and the number of entrants for the Crown Australian Poker Championships since the tournament began.
| Year | Winner | 1st Place Prize | Number of Buy-ins | Total Prize Pool |
| 2020 | Vincent Wan (Australia) | $1,318,000 | 820 | $8,200,000 |
| 2019 | Bryn Kenney (United States) | $1,272,598 | 822 | $8,220,000 |
| 2018 | Toby Lewis (England) | $1,458,198 | 800 | $8,000,000 |
| 2017 | Shurane Vijayaram(Australia) | $1,600,000 | 725 | $7,685,000 |
| 2016 | Ari Engel (Canada) | $1,600,000 | 732 | $7,320,000 |
| 2015 | Manny Stavropoulos (Australia) | $1,385,500 | 648 | $6,480,000 |
| 2014 | Ami Barer (Canada) | $1,600,000 | 668 | $6,680,000 |
| 2013 | Mervin Chan (Malaysia) | $1,600,000 | 629 | $6,290,000 |
| 2012 | Oliver Speidel (Australia) | $1,600,000 | 659 | $6,590,000 |
| 2011 | David Gorr (Australia) | $2,000,000 | 721 | $7,210,000 |
| 2010 | Tyron Krost (Australia) | $2,000,000 | 746 | $7,460,000 |
| 2009 | Stewart Scott (Australia) | $2,000,000 | 681 | $6,810,000 |
| 2008 | Alexander Kostritsyn (Russia) | $1,650,000 | 780 | $7,758,500 |
| 2007 | Gus Hansen (Denmark) | $1,500,000 | 747 | $7,470,000 |
| 2006 | Lee Nelson (New Zealand) | $1,295,800 | 418 | $4,180,000 |
| 2005 | Jamil Dia (New Zealand) | $1,000,000 | 263 | $2,630,000 |
| 2004 | Tony Bloom (England) | $426,500 | 133 | $1,330,000 |
| 2003 | Peter Costa (England) | $394,870 | 122 | $1,220,000 |
| 2002 | John Maver (Australia) | $150,000 | 66 | $330,000 |
| 2001 | Sam Korman (Australia) | $53,025 | 101 | $151,500 |
| 2000 | Leo Boxell (Australia) | $65,225 | 109 | $173,500 |
| 1999 | Milo Nadalin (Australia) | $38,150 | 109 | $109,000 |
| 1998 | Alex Horowitz (Australia) | $25,900 | 74 | $74,000 |
As with other big poker tournaments, it’s not uncommon for the remaining few players to agree to a “chop.”
This is where the players make a deal to split at least some of the prize money equally, regardless of finishing position. They then play through to a climax for the title and any remaining proze money.
High Roller Events at the Aussie Millions
The Aussie Millions features two high-roller tournaments.
If you happen to have an extra quarter-million dollars laying around, you can enjoy the Super High Roller Aussie Millions Challenge. The “standard” High Roller Challenge is available for A$100,000.
Because of the massive size of these buy-ins, the prize pools for the high roller tournaments are incredibly high even though they have don’t attract large numbers of entrants.
All of the past high roller tournaments have generated prize pools of several millions of dollars. The highest prize pool for the Super High Roller tournament happened in 2014. It was more than A$11.2 million.
But, only a handful of players are willing to risk such large the buy-ins.
- The highest ever number of entrants to the Super High Roller Challenge is 30.
- The highest ever number of entrants to the High Roller Challenge is 47.
The Aussie Millions high roller events often include some of the best poker players in the world. Phil Ivey has won the Aussie Millions Super High Roller tournament three times, representing the three largest single event wins of his career.
Some additional rules affect the gameplay during these high roller tournaments.
Pre-flop betting has a pot limit, but after the flop, there are no limits. Players also have a thirty-second-time limit to make their moves.
Each player receives three extensions that they can use at any point during the tournament. The extensions only give them an extra thirty seconds each.
Watching these high roller events is an excellent way to learn how some of the biggest names in poker act under the pressure of a time limit. You can view the tournaments on Twitch or Poker Go.
Previous Winners of the High Roller $100,000 Challenge
| Year | Winner | Prize | Entries | Total Prize Pool |
| 2020 | Kahle Burns | A$1,746,360 | 54 | A$5,292,000 |
| 2019 | Cary Katz | A$1,481,760 | 42 | A$4,116,000 |
| 2018 | Michael Lim | A$931,000 | 19 | A$1,862,000 |
| 2017 | Nick Petrangelo | A$882,000 | 18 | A$1,764,000 |
| 2016 | Fabian Quoss | A$1,446,480 | 41 | A$4,018,000 |
| 2015 | Richard Yong | A$1,870,000 | 70 | A$6,860,000 |
| 2014 | Yevgeniy Timoshenko | A$2,000,000 | 47 | A$7,486,000 |
| 2013 | Andrew Robl | A$1,000,000 | 22 | A$2,200,000 |
| 2012 | Dan Smith | A$1,012,000 | 22 | A$2,200,000 |
| 2011 | Sam Trickett | A$1,525,000 | 38 | A$3,800,000 |
| 2010 | Daniel Shak | A$1,200,000 | 24 | A$2,400,000 |
| 2009 | David Steicke | A$1,200,000 | 23 | A$2,300,000 |
| 2008 | Howard Lederer | A$1,250,000 | 25 | A$2,500,000 |
| 2007 | Erick Lindgren | A$1,000,000 | 18 | A$1,800,000 |
| 2006 | John Juanda | A$1,000,000 | 10 | A$1,000,000 |
Previous Winners of the Super High Roller $250,000 Challenge
| Year | Winner | Prize | Entries | Total Prize Pool |
| 2016 | Steve O’Dwyer | A$951,960 | 16 | A$3,920,000 |
| 2015 | Phil Ivey | A$2,205,000 | 25 | A$6,105,000 |
| 2014 | Phil Ivey | A$4,000,000 | 30 | A$11,270,000 |
| 2013 | Sam Trickett | A$2,000,000 | 18 | A$4,500,000 |
| 2012 | Phil Ivey | A$2,000,000 | 16 | A$4,000,000 |
| 2011 | Erik Seidel | A$2,500,000 | 20 | A$5,000,000 |
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Everyone loves a Cinderella story, and poker tournaments are full of them.
Most poker tournaments are open to everyone, and they often offer satellite entries. This gives amateurs the opportunity to play against the professionals.
In some rare cases the amateurs come out on top. The most famous example is the appropriately-named Chris Moneymaker.
He paid $86 to enter a satellite tournament and went on to win the 2003 World Series of Poker for $2.5 million. Moneymaker’s story inspired amateur poker players the world over.
The Crown Australian Poker Championships has its own example of an amateur player beating out the pros. His name is Shurane (Shaz) Vijayaram.
How Vijayaram Won the Aussie Millions
In 2017, Shaz visited the Crown Casino in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, one week before the Aussie Millions tournament began.
He entered a satellite tournament with a buy-in of A$130. Instead of winning a cash prize, he won a seat at the Aussie Millions Main Event.
For the next eight days, Shaz played poker against some of the greatest names in poker. It was his first high-stakes tournament ever.
After beating 723 other players, Shaz went head to head with professional poker player Ben Heath.
On the last hand, Heath went all-in, and Shaz called him. Shaz’s decision was surprising because he had a pair of fives. It was an okay hand, but not something that most players would risk it all for.
Fortunately, Shaz was right to call. Heath was bluffing. All he had in his hand was a king-eight. The flop, turn, and river cards didn’t benefit either player. Shaz won with an “unreal” call on a pair of fives.
His final prize was A$1.6 million, which is impressive considering that he only spent A$130 to enter the tournament and it was the first time he had ever played a high-stakes game.
In an interview after the match, Shaz had this to say.
Here are some other Aussie Millions players who stand out for a few different reasons.
- Alexander Kostritsyn won the Main Event in 2008, beating professional Erik Siedel. He was only 22 years old, making him the youngest winner in tournament history. The following year, he came back to win the $10,500 H.O.R.S.E. tournament.
- Stewart Scott, Tyron Krost, and David Gorr are tied for the largest prizes. They won $2 million each, in consecutive years from 2009-2011. It just so happens that they are all Australians.
- Mike Del Vecchio has yet to win a bracelet from the Aussie Millions, but he is a noteworthy player anyway. He competed in the tournament for the first time in 2018, and he has placed in the money every year since then.
- Phil Ivey has won the Aussie Millions Super High Roller $250,000 Challenge three times, winning more than A$8 million combined.
- Vincent “Wonky” Wan won the Main Event in 2020. He is a regular player at Crown Casino Melbourne and has won a six-figure Royal Flush prize twice, before his Main Event seven-figure win.
- Bryn Kenney was the first American player to win the Aussie Millions Main Event in 2019. However, American players have dominated both of the high roller tournaments for several years.
- Peter Costa was the first foreign player to win the Aussie Millions in 2003.
Shaz is right. In the end, poker is all about playing the cards that you get dealt. You can follow his example and play the Aussie Millions for yourself.
The Crown Australia Poker Championship is open to everyone that is over 18 (the legal gambling age in Australia.)
You could pay for the buy-in directly, but that will cost you at least A$10,000. Following in the footsteps of Shurane Vijayaram is probably a better idea.
There are dozens of satellite tournaments available. Some of them only pay for the buy-in, but some satellites also pay for travel expenses.
Even if you do not go on to win the first-place prize, winning an opportunity to participate in the Aussie Millions is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Satellites for the tournament are available at many of the top online poker sites.
Table Of Contents
It has been announced that the 2021 Aussie Millions will not take place in its usual January position in the poker calendar and instead will be 'placed on hold' according to a statement released by Crown Melbourne.
In a brief statement available on the casino website, they said due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Aussie Millions as week as other poker events due to take place in 2021 will be placed on hold 'until further notice.'
Vincent Wan Wins 2020 Aussie Millions Main EventRead the final table recap for this year's Aussie Millions Main Event
Health and Safety a Priority
Next year would be the 24th time the Australian Poker Championships have been held at the Crown since it was first held in July 1998. Since then the tournament has grown from a 74-entry Limit Hold'em tournament, to a mainstay of the poker community, regularly attracting hundreds of international and high-profile names to the festival.
And it is the health of these players, along with casino's employees and guests, that Crown Melbourne say is their number one priority.
'As the COVID-19 situation evolves, so too will Crown’s response, ensuring we remain in line with government mandates and expert health advice.'
In March, the casino was forced to cancel the 2020 Crown Poker Championship, originally scheduled for the 15-27 April. They followed that up two days later with a tweet cancelling all tournaments indefinitely.
However, this is the first statement they have made about the Aussie Millions, the largest poker festival in the southern hemisphere.
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Related:Top 5 Hands from 2020 Aussie Millions
When will the 2021 Aussie Millions take place?
Crown have not taken the step to cancel the 2021 Aussie Millions, nor have they released any future dates when it may take place.
The statement says that they will 'continue to monitor and review the situation,' and work closely with the state government and health authorities.
They ended the statement with the following note: 'We look forward to scheduling these long-standing annual events when it is deemed safe for us to do so.'
2020 Aussie Millions List of Winners
Australian Aussie Poker Tournament
Here are a list of the big winners from the 2020 Aussie Millions, including Kahle Burns, Jorryt van Hoof and Main Event winner Vincent Wan.
| Event | Prizepool (AUD) | Winner | Payout (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | $1,416,000 | Jorryt van Hoof | $467,280 |
| $25,000 Challenge | $4,056,000 | Farid Jattin | $983,646* |
| $50,000 Challenge | $3,977,000 | Michael Addamo | $1,073,790 |
| $100,000 Challenge | $5,238,000 | Kahle Burns | $1,746,360 |
| $10,600 Main Event | $8,200,000 | Vincent Wan | $1,318,000 |
Aussie Millions Poker Tournament 2019
*denotes heads-up deal