Epic Aussie Poker Tournaments You Can't Miss in 2024
The online poker scene in Australia has witnessed remarkable growth, with tournaments offering increasingly attractive prize pools and competitive gameplay. As instant withdrawal casinos continue to dominate the market, players can now enjoy quick access to their winnings after successful tournament runs, making these events even more appealing. While land-based poker rooms maintain their appeal, the convenience and accessibility of online platforms have made poker more accessible than ever for Australian players.
Asian-Pacific Poker Tour Online
The APPT Online series stands as one of the most significant events for Australian poker enthusiasts. Running multiple times throughout the year, these tournaments feature buy-ins ranging from AUD 50 to AUD 5,000, catering to players of all bankroll levels. The series typically includes:
- The main event with AUD 1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool
- High Roller tournaments with AUD 25,000 buy-ins
- Mini Main Event featuring lower buy-ins
- Progressive Knockout (PKO) tournaments
The APPT Online has consistently broken attendance records, with the latest series attracting over 12,000 unique players from across the Asia-Pacific region. Australian players have particularly excelled in these events, securing four final table appearances in the most recent main event.
Sunday Special Series
Every weekend brings exciting opportunities for Australian poker players to showcase their skills. The Sunday Special tournaments, as reported by Poker Industry PRO, have consistently drawn over 1,000 players each week, creating prize pools that often exceed AUD 100,000.
These Sunday tournaments have become a staple in the Australian online poker community, offering:
- Multiple starting flights to accommodate different schedules
- Late registration periods extend up to 3 hours
- Deep stack structures for maximum play value
- Varied buy-in levels from AUD 11 to AUD 215
Australian Online Poker Championship
The AOPC has established itself as the premier online poker series for Australian players. This championship includes:
- No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
- Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments
- Mixed game events
- Turbo and hyper-turbo formats
The 2024 edition features an expanded schedule with over 50 events across two weeks. The series has introduced several innovations, including:
- Multi-flight tournaments with multiple day 1 options
- Progressive knockout tournaments with escalating bounty values
- Mixed-game championships featuring 8-game rotation
- Ladies' events with special promotional value adds
Pacific Championship Series
The Pacific Championship Series (PCS) has emerged as a significant addition to the Australian online poker calendar, featuring substantial guarantees and diverse tournament formats. The series caters specifically to the Asia-Pacific time zones, making it particularly accessible for Australian players.
Here are the features of PCS:
- Main Event with AUD 750,000 guaranteed prize pool
- High-stakes events with buy-ins up to AUD 10,000
- Mini series running parallel with lower buy-ins
- Special "Region Lock" events exclusively for Asia-Pacific players
The series has gained popularity due to its player-friendly structures, including:
- Extended late registration periods
- Multiple re-entry options
- Generous starting stacks of 100,000 chips
- Slower blind level progression
Recent editions have seen Australian players dominating the final tables, with Sydney-based players securing three major titles in the latest series.
Knockout Championship Series
Running bi-monthly throughout 2024, the Knockout Championship Series offers a unique tournament experience featuring Knockout Poker, a thrilling format where players earn bounties for eliminating opponents. The main event features an AUD 300,000 guarantee, with players able to collect bounties worth half of each opponent's buy-in upon elimination. In the progressive knockout format, when you eliminate a player, half of their bounty goes straight to your pocket, while the other half gets added to your bounty, making you an increasingly valuable target as the tournament progresses.
This series has gained popularity for its action-packed nature, as players balance standard tournament strategy with the added excitement of bounty hunting. While traditional tournament play focuses solely on chip accumulation, knockout tournaments add an extra layer of strategy—players must weigh the immediate cash reward of eliminating opponents against the long-term goal of reaching the final table.
Daily Major Tournaments
The backbone of Australia's online poker schedule consists of three daily major tournaments featuring Texas Hold'em action. The Evening Major at 7:05 PM has become the most popular, consistently surpassing its AUD 50,000 guarantee.
The Lunch Time Turbo provides a faster-paced option for daytime players, while the Late Night Special caters to those preferring evening sessions. These tournaments maintain reasonable buy-ins while offering professional-level structures, making them ideal for both recreational players and serious grinders looking to build their bankrolls.
Weekly High Roller Series
Thursday Thunder and Super Tuesday have established themselves as the premier weekly tournaments for high-stakes players. These events, with buy-ins of AUD 2,000 and AUD 1,000 respectively, consistently attract Australia's top online poker talent.
The evening start times and extended late registration periods make them particularly accessible for players maintaining regular work schedules, while the substantial guarantees ensure worthwhile prize pools even with smaller field sizes.
If tournament poker isn't your forte, you can always explore other exciting options like city-builder casinos, where you can enjoy a more relaxed gaming experience at your own pace.