2018 Aussie Millions to Draw Record 400 Satellite Qualifiers
Aussie Millions is just around the corner and the excitement is brewing. Not only do poker fans get to look forward to following the action hosted by Jason Somerville on Twitch for the final three days of the Main Event, but Crown Melbourne has also been on a mission to satellite a record number of players into the event — on pace to produce an incredible 400 seats for the Main Event, which kicks off Jan. 28.
Last year’s Aussie Millions Main Event attracted 725 players, which was the third-largest field in the 20-year history of the tournament. Shurane Vijayaram emerged victorious after turning a $130-rebuy satellite entry into A$1.6 million for his first-ever recorded live tournament cash.
Vijayaram’s storied run represents “the dream” as we say in the poker world, and with Crown Melbourne’s efforts with satelliting players into the 2018 Aussie Millions, many more players will have a chance at glory in this prestigious event.
Amped-up Satellite Approach
In 2017-2018, Crown Melbourne revamped their approach to the satellite season, implementing new opportunities for players to get into the Aussie Millions for a discount and extending the satellite season to start as early as March, the month following the conclusion of 2017’s event.
They also introduced “Four of a Kind” satellites, where players win a seat to not just the Main Event, but to all four major Championships, in addition to hosting three “Aussie Millions Warm-Up Weeks” to boost the number of qualifiers.
Still to come is the highlight of the Aussie Millions satellite season — three weekly $550 satellites guaranteeing 10 seats each with the first one to take place Sunday, Jan. 7. Last year, these three satellites generated a total of 69 Main Event seats with the help of the largest-ever satellite event at the venue on Jan. 15 that produced 31 seats. Crown is hoping to surpass those numbers this year.
The venue also offers “free to enter” satellites running continuously as well as direct entry qualifiers starting at $130. Just ask Shurane Vijayaram — hopping into some satellites at Crown Melbourne could possibly be one of the best decisions of your life. At Crown's website you can find the full remaining satellite schedule details and also register for events online.
Follow the Action
PokerNews will be on site at the Aussie Millions to provide in-depth live updates from Jan. 26-Feb.5, including coverage of the A$25,000 Challenge, the A$10,600 Main Event, the A$50,000 Challenge and the A$100,000 Challenge. Click here for the full schedule of exciting events which kick off Jan. 17 and be sure to follow the live updates at PokerNews.
Fans will have the added treat of being able to watch the live Main Event action hosted by Jason Somerville on Twitch at runitup.tv on Feb. 1, Feb. 2 and Feb. 4. Last year's broadcast broke the record for most-watched live Twitch Poker tournament of all time — you definitely don't want to miss this one.
