2021 Aussie Million Postponed Indefinitely
An announcement from Crown Melbourne left thousands of poker players disappointed. A brief statement revealed the 2021 Aussie Millions is officially on hold. Crown hasn’t provided any details of running the 2021 Aussie Millions at a later date.
The 2021 Aussie Millions would be the 24th time the popular festival ran. The Australian Poker Championships is the festival’s official name, but everyone knows it as the Aussie Millions.
It first ran in Melbourne back in July 1998. The inaugural Aussie Millions Main Event was a $1,000 Limit Hold’em affair. Only 74 players bought in and fought it out for a share of the $74,000 prize pool. Alex Horowitz won that event and reeled in a $25,900 prize.
The festival has gone from strength to strength and is a mainstay on the live poker calendar. Vincent Wan won the 2020 Main Event, outlasting 819-opponents to turn his $10,600 into $1,318,000.
Crown Statement About the 2021 Aussie Millions
“Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Crown Melbourne wishes to advise that the schedule of the 2021 Aussie Millions Poker Tournament and other poker events due to take place in 2021 will be placed on hold until further notice.”
“The health and safety of our community – including our employees, guests, and players – is Crown Melbourne’s 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.”
Crown will continue to monitor and review the situation, working closely with the Victorian Government and health authorities to determine if and when such events can be safely revisited. We look forward to scheduling these long-standing annual events when it is deemed safe for us to do so.”
Postponement Is A Blow to Crown and the Poker Community
The postponement of the 2021 Aussie Million is the correct thing to do but it’s still disappointing. Having Crown Melbourne bustling with poker players from around the world is a spectacle to behold.
It would have been a welcome distraction, for Crown Resorts, with all the negativity surrounding the company. Its Barangaroo, Sydney project is in doubt following an eye-opening inquiry. I challenge you to find a positive story about Crown published in the last six months.
Poker players miss out with the 2021 Aussie Millions postponement, also. Many players flocked to the Aussie Millions immediately after the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) concluded. The PCA is no more after PokerStars pulled the plug on the long-running festival.
The Aussie Millions Main Event has helped put Australian poker on the global map. Some of the world’s elite poker stars have returned home having won the Aussie Millions Main Event.
Gus Hansen triumphed in 2007 with Russian high stakes guru Alexander Kostritsyn winning in 2008. Ami Barer, Ari Engel, Toby Lewis, and Bryn Kenney have won this remarkable tournament too.
Previous Aussie Millions Main Event Champions
| Year | Buy-in | Entrants | Champion | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $1,000 | 74 | Alex Horowitz | $25,900 |
| 1999 | $1,000 | 109 | Milo Nadalin | $38,150 |
| 2000 | $1,500 | 109 | Leo Boxell | $65,225 |
| 2001 | $1,500 | 101 | Sam Korman | $53,025 |
| 2002 | $5,000 | 66 | john Maver | $150,000 |
| 2003 | $10,000 | 122 | Peter Costa | $394,870 |
| 2004 | $10,000 | 133 | Tony Bloom | $426,500 |
| 2005 | $10,000 | 263 | Jamil Dia | $1,000,000 |
| 2006 | $10,000 | 418 | Lee Nelson | $1,259,800 |
| 2007 | $10,000 | 747 | Gus Hansen | $1,500,000 |
| 2008 | $10,000 | 780 | Alexander Kostritsyn | $1,650,000 |
| 2009 | $10,000 | 681 | Stewart Scott | $2,000,000 |
| 2010 | $10,000 | 746 | Tyron Krost | $2,000,000 |
| 2011 | $10,000 | 721 | David Gorr | $2,000,000 |
| 2012 | $10,000 | 659 | Oliver Speidel | $1,600,000 |
| 2013 | $10,000 | 629 | Mervin Chan | $1,600,000 |
| 2014 | $10,000 | 668 | Ami Barer | $1,600,000 |
| 2015 | $10,000 | 648 | Manny Stavropoulos | $1,385,500 |
| 2016 | $10,000 | 732 | Ari Engel | $1,600,000 |
| 2017 | $10,000 | 725 | Shurane Vijayaram | $1,600,000 |
| 2018 | $10,000 | 800 | Toby Lewis | $1,458,198 |
| 2019 | $10,000 | 822 | Bryn Kenney | $1,272,598 |
| 2020 | $10,000 | 820 | Vincent Wan | $1,318,000 |
