The Aussie Millions 2026 just got a serious face. Crown Melbourne announced that Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi is the official ambassador for the series, returning to Crown Melbourne from April 24 to May 10 after a six-year absence. It’s one of the more anticipated poker comebacks in recent memory, and they’re not going low-key on it.
Why Mizrachi Makes Sense for This Role
Mizrachi enters this ambassador role off arguably the greatest individual run in modern poker history. In 2025, he won his record-breaking fourth Poker Players Championship at the WSOP, a grueling mixed-game event that most pros consider the toughest title in the game. Then, just 18 days later, he won the WSOP Main Event, completing a double that had never been done in that timeframe. The back-to-back victories earned him immediate induction into the Poker Hall of Fame.
He also signed with GGPoker as a Global Ambassador in late 2025, joining a roster that includes Daniel Negreanu and Fedor Holz. His Aussie Millions role sits alongside that partnership.
What Mizrachi Said About the Appointment
“I’m honored to join the Aussie Millions family. This tournament has always been one of the most iconic stops on the global poker calendar, and I’m excited to help bring its next chapter to life.”
Harold Charalampos Tsakmaklis, Executive General Manager of Gaming at Crown Melbourne, welcomed the signing by citing Mizrachi’s global profile and competitive record as the ideal fit for the brand’s return.
Aussie Millions 2026 at a Glance
The festival marks the series’ return after a six-year absence, last held in 2020. Here’s what’s on the schedule at Crown Melbourne:
- Dates: April 24 – May 10, 2026
- Events: 18 tournaments across the full schedule
- Buy-ins: AU$1,150 up to AU$25,000
- Main Event: AU$10,600 buy-in
- Estimated prize pool: AU$14,000,000 (~US$9,000,000)
- Venue: Crown Melbourne, 8 Whiteman St, Southbank VIC 3006
- Satellites: Live qualifiers already running at Crown Melbourne; Crown Perth satellites start March 24
A Festival Worth the Trip
The Aussie Millions has historically drawn the strongest international fields of any Southern Hemisphere festival. The 2026 edition is the first since COVID shut things down in 2020, and with Mizrachi as the face and AU$14 million across 18 events, Melbourne looks like a genuine must-play stop this spring. Satellites are already running live at Crown properties, with Perth coming online March 24.
