Crown Australia Poker Championship - Aussie Millions
For those in Australia who want a bit of the poker tournament action in a big way, the Crown Australia Poker Championships is the way to go.
How the Aussie Millions Made Their Millions Over the Years
If it’s millions you are after, the Aussie Millions certainly won’t disappoint with their top prize being a staggering $(AU)7 million. The Crown Australia Poker Championship – more commonly known as Aussie Millions (for the millions in cash it can make) – was inaugurated in 1997 but it was not until the following year that it held its first mega championship. Even then – given all the other championships around the world – was pretty small given that there were only 74 entries. Still, for a new tournament it was not too bad. The prize was $74,000 so that was encouraging for something so new too. Originally the tournament took place in Australia’s winter but by 2001 it moved to the summer (January – winter for most other countries). Two years later the event got even bigger as it became international and thus 122 people entered and the prize money was $1,200,000.
Prize Money Keeps Increasing
Each year it seemed like the tournament was just getting bigger and better – more entrants and higher prize money. Each of the 263 poker players in 2005 paid a staggering $10,000 just to enter the No Limit Hold’em Main Event and thus the ultimate prize money was a staggering $2,630,000. This was the biggest prize pool ever in the Southern Hemisphere. And it wasn’t just Aussies going for it; there were players from throughout Europe as well as Canada, Italy, the United States of America, Lebanon, etc. Each year the money has increased as have the participants. And the caliber of the participants has improved too with WSOP champions competing along the way, raising the status of the Aussie Millions worldwide for all poker players. By 2008 there were nearly 800 players and the prize pool was $7,800,000. 2009 had 15 tournaments with over $2million in prize money for the first slot.
What Poker Players Think of the Aussie Millions Today
Clearly the Aussie Millions has come an exceedingly long way since its humble beginnings back in 1997. Indeed today it is said to be the largest poker tournament in the Southern Hemisphere and comes in sixth on an international level (vis-à-vis prize pool earnings). It is televised through Fox Sport Net and is watched by millions throughout the world. If you like poker and you enjoy watching tournaments, you won’t be one to miss the Aussie Millions.
How the Aussie Millions Differs From Other Big Tournaments
One big differences between the Aussie Millions and the other big tournaments is how it is set up. The Aussie Millions uses eight handed tables in the beginning and all other tournaments use nine handed tables throughout the tournament. It changes to six handed when there are only 36 players left. Other than that, it is no different.