Two of the most prominent names in poker will return to the field today, with Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and Joe Hachem leading a strong contingent of players into Day Two of the opening events of the 2026 Aussie Millions Poker Championship A$1,500, presented by CrownBet.
Mizrachi is in eighth place with 730,000 chips (73 big blinds). The four-time Poker Players Championship winner and current WSOP Main Event champion is in an excellent position as the tournament enters its later stages. Hachem, the 2005 Australian WSOP Main Event champion, returns with 146,000 chips (14 big blinds) and will seek to accumulate chips as the number of participants decreases.
Also returning to the tournament is Vincent “Wonky” Wan, the 2020 Aussie Millions Main Event champion (the last time this series was held). Wan entered Day Two with 474,000 chips (47 big blinds) and maintained a favorable position as the tournament continued to weed out the remaining players.
A total of 355 players will return today from the initial field of 2,144 entries, bringing the total prize pool to [number missing]. A$2,787,200It is almost three times the original guaranteed bonus.
The goal today is to reduce the number of players to a final table of nine, who will return on Tuesday, April 28, to determine the champion.
Sandaev took the lead after four starting groups.
Leading the heroes into the second day was Joe SandaevHe advanced from Day 1C, bringing the largest chip stack of the tournament to date:990,000(99 big blinds).
He holds a slight lead over his closest rivals, with several players boasting solid chip stacks. Notable returning players with above-average stacks include Hamish Crawshaw (384,000, 38 big blinds) and Alan Pham (244,000, 24 big blinds).
Aussie Millions ambassador Van Marcus, after an excellent start to the series, also remains competitive with 239,500 chips (23 big blinds), having previously finished third in the $2,500 HORSE tournament.
Australian veteran Billy “Croc” Argyros returns with 189,000 chips (18 big blinds) and will seek to establish a chip advantage as soon as the tournament resumes.
Top 10 chip stacks in the opening tournament
| Ranking | player | Chip quantity | Big Blind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Sandaev | 990,000 | 99 |
| 2 | Joshua Baraba | 889,000 | 89 |
| 3 | Harlie Jensz | 840,000 | 84 |
| 4 | Simon Moshi | 770,000 | 77 |
| 5 | Michael Mizrachi | 730,000 | 73 |
| 6 | Rachael Carolan | 637,000 | 64 |
| 7 | Attila Bognar | 607,000 | 61 |
| 8 | Ankit Ahuja | 574,000 | 57 |
| 9 | Bernardo Crespo | 564,000 | 56 |
| 10 | Anurag Sannidhanam | 533,000 | 53 |
A prize money bubble is expected to emerge early.
The tournament will resume on Monday, April 27th at 12:10 PM local time, starting with Level 16, with blinds of 5,000/10,000 and a big blind ante of 10,000. From this point onward, each level will last 60 minutes.
Of the 355 returning players, 268 will make it into the prize money, meaning 87 will be eliminated before the prizes are paid out. The minimum prize money is set at... A2,800*, and the final champion will receive *A.438,400。
Entering Day Two, the average chip stack is 241,577 (24 big blinds), and the number of players is expected to decrease to just nine by the end of the day. This will pave the way for Tuesday's final table and the crowning of the first Aussie Millions Major Event champion in 2026.
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