All three starting flights of the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event are in the bag (as are the chips), so it is finally on to Day 2, where all of the survivors of the day one flights come together in a unified field. 337 players registered for Tuesday’s Day 1C at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, with 224 making it to the finish with chips still on the table. Thus, the total field is 726 players with 413 (or thereabouts – the reported numbers so far might not be 100 percent accurate) returning for Day 2. Registration is still open until the end of the first level on Wednesday, so final numbers will be in tomorrow. Germany’s Jen Lakemeier led all Day 1C with 175,000 chips, putting him in third place overall behind Day 1A leaders James Obst (212,100 chips) and Terence Clee (183,000 chips).
If the above player totals are correct (and again, we’ll see where the final counts end up), this would be the fourth largest Aussie Millions Main Event in history. The biggest Aussie Millions of all time was in 2008 when 780 players joined the Main Event, won by Alexander Kostritsyn with Erik Seidel finishing as the runner-up. The previous year, the inimitable Gus Hansen won the tournament over Jimmy Fricke and a field of 747. Tyron Krost captured the title of the third largest Aussie Millions Main Event, which had a field of 746 players. This year’s 726 would be next, followed closely by 2011’s Main Event with 721 players. As you can see, if today’s reported figure was just an estimate that came in a little high, the 2016 Aussie Millions Main Event will drop to fifth, barring late entries. For the last several years, the turnout for the Main Event has been in about the mid-600’s.
It is currently about 4:00am Wednesday in Melbourne, so hopefully the returnees for Day 2 are fast asleep, getting recharged for another long day of poker. Cards will be in the air in about eight and a half hours.
2016 Aussie Millions Main Event – Day 1C Chip Leaders
1. Jens Lakemeier – 175,000
2. James Broom – 150,500
3. Dietrich Fast – 142,600
4. James Mordue – 132,000
5. Daniel Brown – 124,300
6. Christian Weichart – 121,900
7. Rich Bruning – 118,000
8. Patrick Zellweger – 111,800
9. Alexandros Kolonias – 110,000
10. Jack Lee – 108,900
2016 Aussie Millions Main Event – Overall Day 1 Chip Leaders
1. James Obst – 212,100
2. Terence Clee – 183,000
3. Jens Lakemeier – 175,000
4. Andrew Bassat – 168,000
5. Josep Maria Galindo – 153,200
6. Mazyar Misaghian – 152,000
7. James Broom – 150,500
8. Dietrich Fast – 142,600
9. Jack O’Neill – 141,000
10. Daniel Reijmer – 137,400
