Kei Tanaka finished seventh in the $25,000 Challenge at the Aussie Millions Poker Championship 2026 Presented by CrownBet in Melbourne, collecting AUD $111,720.
Tanaka, listed as representing Japan, reached the nine-handed final table with the largest stack in play. He closed Day 2 with 8,450,000 chips, equal to 141 big blinds when the final table resumed.
The chip counts showed a clear gap at the top. Andy Lee was second with 4,160,000, while Matthew Wakeman started third with 3,950,000. Tanaka’s run to the top of the leaderboard came after he built his late-registration stack of 300,000 into the biggest stack among the final nine.
Tanaka Led the Final Nine With 8,450,000 Chips
Tanaka took Seat 8 at the final table, with Luke Martinelli directly to his left in Seat 9. Lee entered second in chips, while Wakeman brought one of the strongest résumés at the table, with more than $2.3 million in live tournament earnings and multiple poker festival titles.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Egan | Australia | 3,650,000 | 61 |
| 2 | Hieu Nguyen | Vietnam | 1,260,000 | 21 |
| 3 | Matthew Wakeman | Australia | 3,950,000 | 66 |
| 4 | Joe Sandaev | Australia | 2,300,000 | 38 |
| 5 | Andy Lee | Australia | 4,160,000 | 69 |
| 6 | Aaron Li | Australia | 2,080,000 | 35 |
| 7 | Josh Hutchins | Australia | 1,850,000 | 31 |
| 8 | Kei Tanaka | Japan | 8,450,000 | 141 |
| 9 | Luke Martinelli | Australia | 1,705,000 | 28 |
The final table was scheduled to begin at around 2:10 p.m. local time and continue until a champion was decided. Play resumed at Level 18, with blinds of 30,000/60,000 and a 60,000 big blind ante.
Each level was scheduled for 60 minutes, with breaks after every two levels.
AUD $2,352,000 Prize Pool in the $25,000 Challenge
The $25,000 Challenge carried a total prize pool of AUD $2,352,000. All nine finalists had secured at least AUD $75,265, while the champion was set to receive AUD $652,670.
Tanaka’s seventh-place finish was worth AUD $111,720.
| Place | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1 | AUD $652,670 |
| 2 | AUD $405,720 |
| 3 | AUD $264,600 |
| 4 | AUD $209,330 |
| 5 | AUD $162,290 |
| 6 | AUD $132,890 |
| 7 | AUD $111,720 |
| 8 | AUD $92,905 |
| 9 | AUD $75,265 |
Tanaka Adds to Recent International Poker Results
Tanaka entered the final stage as the chip leader but lost ground after an all-in confrontation and eventually finished seventh.
His Aussie Millions result followed another international finish in Las Vegas in July 2025. Tanaka placed third in a $1,000 Super Turbo event at the World Series of Poker, earning $115,295.
The final table was broadcast on the Crown Resorts YouTube channel on a 30-minute delay, with many Japanese viewers following the action.
Aussie Millions was first held in 1998 and had been on pause after 2020 before returning in 2026 following a six-year break.
