Poker Players Get Ready to Storm Melbourne for the Aussie Millions
The Aussie Millions is set to get underway January 14 in Melbourne at the Crown Casino in Australia and this could be a banner year for the tournament series. The sport is growing in popularity down under along with the influx of top-flight pros who make the trip to the southern hemisphere for this championship event.
Having made its debut at the Crown as the Australasian Poker Championship in 1997, the Aussie Millions continues to grow year after year. It now generates multimillion-dollar prize pools that attract the game's elite, as well as many local players who want their shots at a big payout. Although 2009 saw a slight drop in players (681) from the previous year, the field was full of big-name grinders looking to take home the guaranteed $2 million first-place prize.
Last year's winner, Australian resident Stewart Scott, logged an impressive victory, giving the host country its first win since the event's inception, taking home $1,865,724 for the spectacular win.
In addition to the heavy schedule of tournament action, last year also marked the debut of a million-dollar buy-in cash game that featured some of the game's best high-stakes players, including Tom "Durrr" Dwan and Patrik Antonius.
Current speculation suggests that over 800 players are expected for January's $10,500 main event and it looks as though roughly 2,000 players will grace the Crown tournament floor over the course 20-event tournament series which runs from January 14-31, 2010.
Make sure to stay tuned to PokerNews.com for coverage of all of the events taking place during the Aussie Millions.
Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news, and also become our fan on Facebook.
