Friday, 29th March 2024 04:50
Home / Uncategorized / Aussie Millions Day 1C: Beginning of a new era

Compared to yesterday there is a completely different energy in the Crown Poker Room. It’s not that yesterday’s Day 1b of the 2014 Aussie Millions Main Event wasn’t exciting. It was, but there were just 153 players, which will certainly be the smallest Day 1 field this week.

So, let’s call yesterday “hump day”, if you will.

Let me explain.

Firstly, there wasn’t nearly as much passionate anticipation like on Day 1a. You see, there were more than 365 days separating last year’s Aussie Millions and this year’s and so Day 1a had gigawatts of pent up energy ready to explode. There weren’t any literal explosions, but we are sure some of the 176 players had the poker kind of explosion as only 86 made it through to Day 2.

Secondly, for a large majority of Aussie Millions hopefuls, it’s all about Day 1c.

This is the day that hundreds of players have been waiting for.

There are the last-minute heroes who only just decided this morning to pony up the $10,600 buy-in and head into the Crown Poker Room. There are the interstate warriors who wanted to miss the least amount of work or home time and so chose the final Day 1 flight to play. There are the poker pros, notorious for leaving everything to the last minute. Oh and they were busy playing the $25K Challenge yesterday. Then there’s the majority of the PokerStars qualifiers, somewhat forced to play Day 1c as their packages specified this day as the day to play.

Today is also the day I’ve personally been waiting for. That is because Day 1c will seal the fate of the 2014 Aussie Millions.

The first major event that I had blogging duties at was the 2011 Aussie Millions. It was right amidst the peak of this event. There were 721 entrants, not too many less than the 2008 peak field of 780. Since then the field size has remained solid and the Aussie Millions has continued to be one of the premier events in the world, but the field sizes did shrink to 659 in 2012 and 629 in 2013. That’s pretty much what one could describe as a decline in numbers.

In 2014 though?

Welcome to the “incline”.

Not many tournaments field sizes are on the incline in the current poker landscape.
One exception is the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Their recent Main Event featured a field of 1,031 players – 44 more than last year. That’s the power of a PokerStars live tournament.

Now, with the help of the Aussie Millions joint forces with the Asia Pacific Poker Tour, the field size of the Aussie Millions is going to be on the incline.

AussieMillions_Bracelet.jpg

“Part of the APPT” – a welcomed addition to the Aussie Millions

Over the first two-day one flights 329 players entered the Main Event and so there will just need to be 301 players at the felt on Day 1c for this incline to be achieved.

But we expect far more than that and if the giant line at the registration booth is anything to go by, more there will be.

It’s simply the beginning of a new era for the Aussie Millions.

I am excited to see just how many players will be in action today and I hope you will join us here at the PokerStars Blog for what is sure to be a massive day for poker in Australia.

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