Record Numbers and Star-Studded Field at the Opening Event
The festival's initial tournament, the A$1,500 Opening Event, has clearly demonstrated how missed this series was. The event attracted a massive 2,144 entries, nearly tripling the original million-dollar guarantee and pushing the prizepool to an incredible A$2,787,200. Day 2 saw 355 players advancing, featuring some of the biggest icons in poker.
Among the main stars commanding attention were reigning WSOP champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and local legend, 2005 world champion Joe Hachem.
Also in the running for the prestigious title and the A$438,400 grand prize was the last Main Event winner from 2020, Vincent “Wonky” Wan.
Top 10 Stacks Before Day 2 – Event #1: A$1,500 Opening Event
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Joe Sandaev |
Australia |
990,000 |
|
2. |
Joshua Baraba |
Australia |
889,000 |
|
3. |
Harlie Jensz |
Australia |
840,000 |
|
4. |
Simon Moshi |
Australia |
770,000 |
|
5. |
Michael Mizrachi |
USA |
730,000 |
|
6. |
Rachael Carolan |
Australia |
637,000 |
|
7. |
Attila Bognar |
Australia |
607,000 |
|
8. |
Ankit Ahuja |
India |
574,000 |
|
9. |
Bernardo Crespo |
Mexico |
564,000 |
|
10. |
Anurag Sannidhanam |
Australia |
533,000 |
Sascha Manns Takes First Series Win
The H.O.R.S.E. tournament, initially planned as a one-day event, required a second day due to unexpected interest with 64 entries. With a buy-in of A$2,500, the prizepool reached A$144,000.
Ultimately, the first trophy of the Aussie Millions 2026 was claimed by German mixed games expert Sascha Manns, adding to his recent triumph in the same discipline at the Irish Open.
Manns entered the final as the chipleader and confirmed his dominance by striking a deal with Gary Benson and event ambassador Van Marcus when down to the final three.
He dedicated his emotional victory to his friend Antoine Degiorgio, known as “Malta Poker Fish,” who is currently battling serious health issues.
Final Table Results of Event #2: A$2,500 H.O.R.S.E.
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1. |
Sascha Manns |
Germany |
A$34,508* |
|
2. |
Gary Benson |
Australia |
A$28,584* |
|
3. |
Van Marcus |
Australia |
A$25,468* |
|
4. |
Michelle Guzzandi |
Australia |
A$13,680 |
|
5. |
John Lombardo |
Australia |
A$11,160 |
|
6. |
Alex Tchong |
Australia |
A$9,380 |
|
7. |
Matthew Ginn |
Australia |
A$8,280 |
|
8. |
Nathanial Hutton |
New Zealand |
A$7,200 |
|
9. |
Jiang Pu |
United Kingdom |
A$5,760 |
* ICM deal
Sources: PokerNews, X
