Last year, Joshua Abady rounded off his first full year playing poker with a deep run in the 2018 Aussie Millions Main Event, finishing 33rd for AUD$35,000.

He also cashed three times on that trip, and now one year later he's back for more action here in Melbourne and hoping to bring some of his 2018 run good with him!

"At the time it was like my greatest achievement," Abady told PokerNews "At the time I'd never even made a Day 3 before, so making Day 3 and then instantly making Day 4 and playing on feature...I was so proud."

"Last year it was almost like it was impossible for me not to bag! It was like I won every pot. I definitely made a lot of mistakes that's for sure, and I feel like I've improved a lot as a player. I kind of wish that I could take that run good I had last year and bring it with me this year with some more of the skills to go with it.

Abady says that although having a similar international feel to the playing field, the players at the Aussie Millions are a lot more polarized.

"You have some absolute legends and some absolute bananas. The play style is totally different from the WSOP; you have the same mixed bag of international players, but Melbourne is unique. It takes some getting used to."

With the 2019 festival only a few days old, how has Abady found the atmosphere both at the tables and in the casino?

"It seems tougher this year. Everyone has heard that the Aussie Millions is great value; the food, the weather, the Australian Open - and it's summer in January. There are lots of reasons to come.

"Every year you hear people say 'One year I'll go to the Aussie Millions' because it's a big trip to come here. I think that this is the year for a lot of people. I'm expecting some tougher fields, but overall I think it's still pretty good.

And how does he rank his chances of coming, as he puts it, "32 spots higher" in this year's Main Event?

"I'm feeling good. If I can get some holds and run up a stack in one of these events, I like my chances!"

Tags: Joshua Abady