Welcome to the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event; Who Will Follow in Shurane Vijayaram's Footsteps?
The Aussie Millions prides itself in being Asia-Pacific's richest and most prestigious poker series, and today the A$10,600 Main Event gets underway, with hundreds of players looking to add their name to the those already engraved on the trophy.
The winner of this year's Main Event will also walk away with an estimated A$1,600,000 first prize, as well as the coveted champion's bracelet, valued at over A$25,000.
Last year it was Melbourne's Shurane Vijayaram (pictured) who turned a A$130 satellite seat into a million dollar score. In the final hand Vijayaram showed nerves of steel to call an all-in with pocket fives on a Queen-high board. When opponent Ben Heath turned over King-high, Vijayaram clinched the title and A$1,600,000 in prize money.
There are bound to be many more players satelliting into this year's Main Event, hoping for a taste of the fairytale success that Vijayaram enjoyed 12 months ago.
Here's a look at the previous Aussie Million winners since the tournament's inception in 1998:
| Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 74 | A$74,000 | Alex Horowitz | A$25,900 |
| 1999 | 109 | A$109,000 | Milo Nadalin | A$38,150 |
| 2000 | 109 | A$173,500 | Leo Boxell | A$65,225 |
| 2001 | 101 | A$151,500 | Sam Korman | A$53,025 |
| 2002 | 66 | A$330,000 | John Maver | A$150,000 |
| 2003 | 122 | A$1,220,000 | Peter Costa | A$394,870 |
| 2004 | 133 | A$1,330,000 | Tony Bloom | A$426,500 |
| 2005 | 263 | A$2,630,000 | Jamil Dia | A$1,000,000 |
| 2006 | 418 | A$4,180,000 | Lee Nelson | A$1,295,800 |
| 2007 | 747 | A$7,470,000 | Gus Hansen | A$1,500,000 |
| 2008 | 780 | A$7,758,500 | Alexander Kostritsyn | A$1,650,000 |
| 2009 | 681 | A$6,810,000 | Stewart Scott | A$2,000,000 |
| 2010 | 746 | A$7,460,000 | Tyron Krost | A$2,000,000 |
| 2011 | 721 | A$7,210,000 | David Gorr | A$2,000,000 |
| 2012 | 659 | A$6,590,000 | Oliver Speidel | A$1,600,000 |
| 2013 | 629 | A$6,290,000 | Mervin Chan | A$1,600,000 |
| 2014 | 668 | A$6,680,000 | Ami Barer | A$1,600,000 |
| 2015 | 648 | A$6,480,000 | Manny Stavropoulos | A$1,385,500 |
| 2016 | 732 | A$7,320,000 | Ari Engel | A$1,600,000 |
| 2017 | 725 | A$7,370,000 | Shurane Vijayaram | A$1,600,000 |
This year's Main Event has three starting flights: Sunday 28 January, Monday 29 January and Tuesday 30 January. Each player will receive 30,000 in chips. Late registration is available until the end of Level 8.
Levels are 90 minutes long, with a 15-minute break between each level. There will be a 75-minute dinner break after Level 4. Here is the structure for Day 1:
| Level | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | 100 | |
| 2 | 100 | 200 | |
| 3 | 100 | 200 | 25 |
| 4 | 150 | 300 | 25 |
| 5 | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| 6 | 250 | 500 | 75 |
| 7 | 300 | 600 | 100 |
| End of Day 1 |
Play will move to eight-handed as soon as possible on Day 1, and will remain eight-handed until 36 players remain, at which time play will move to six-handed.
There will be a redraw prior to the commencement of Day 2, 3, 4 and when 36 players remain. Day 4 will play until the final table is reached.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the action as we kick off the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event here in Melbourne.