Aussie Millions Poker 2021 Event Cancelled
Aussie Millions poker event postponed indefinitely
The coronavirus pandemic has forced the indefinite postponement of the 2021 Aussie Millions, which may not return in 2021.
Cards Chat reports that Melbourne’s Crown Casino made the news public via an announcement on its website, citing safety concerns at the popular tournament.
The postponement comes just days after the Melbourne venue was given the green light to reopen in a limited capacity, with a maximum of 100 patrons permitted since mid-November.
Losing the Aussie Millions is a big blow for poker players, with the event a staple of the calendar since 1998.
Originally known as the Australasian Poker Championship, it was later rebranded as the Aussie Millions.
In the past two decades, the main event has grown in popularity, with the last three champions, Toby Lewis, Bryn Kenney and Vincent Wan all outlasting more than 800 players to win the $7,650 Aussie Millions Main Event.
The Australian series was also an early pioneer of super high roller events, with the $100,000+ events creating a new vibe at the event and ensuring big names continue to attend.
“Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Crown Melbourne wishes to advise that the scheduling 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,” Crown’s website read.
Whether or not this means the event is on hold until 2022 is unknown at this point, with the situation currently fluid.
“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,” the update said.
Relatively low numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Australia hasn’t stopped officials from imposing some of the toughest restrictions in the world.
Stay at home orders have run alongside travel bans and the closure of non-essential businesses.
While some other major poker events have shifted online in 2020, due to regulatory restrictions in Australia, that would exclude one of the event’s main demographics.
Online poker has been illegal in Australia since 2001, but the Interactive Gambling Act until recently contained loopholes that allowed offshore operators to continue serving Australian residents.
The government closed these loopholes in 2017 with the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill.
Pro online gambling groups have been fighting back, but every major operator has exited the market.
Marquee online poker events prove popular
Two marquee poker events had no trouble clearing their posted guarantees last weekend.
Card Player reported in August that Global Poker’s GOAT online poker tournament series drew plenty of attention last Sunday.
The SC110 buy-in Sunday Teaser drew a field of 390, easily eclipsing the SC25,000 guarantee to create a total prize pool of SC39,000.
After five hours of play, Indiana’s @ChipsMaxwell came out on top, to pocket SCS7,390 for first place.
The guarantee doubled for the SC50,000 Sunday Scrimmage, which saw 404 players up the SC218 buy-in to build a final prize pool of SC80,800.
It took almost seven hours, but in the end, it came down to two California players, which ‘CashinStacks1’ besting ‘Penneltenn’ heads-up for the SC15,311 first-place prize.
During the three-week series, players will compete in 204 scheduled events, guaranteeing 330 million in Gold Coins and SC1,100,000.
Players should be excited to try Global Poker’s new progressive bounty tournaments, which offer the opportunity to accumulate bonus prizes each time you eliminate another player.
“It is with great pleasure that we are celebrating the second instalment of the GOAT, where both experienced and novice poker players have a chance to take home one of our prestigious new trophies, and even with our new and unique
progressive bounty tournaments being featured, the action will be hotter than ever, Global Poker general manager David Lyons said.
Those who win a GOAT event will receive an inscribed trophy, along with a champions pack that includes exclusive SWAG.
Winners will also be invited to the Tournament of Champions, which will award a $5,000 live tournament package of the player’s choice.
