Australian Poker Hall of Fame inductee Van Marcus will return to his hometown of Melbourne in April after being named the latest Official Ambassador of the 2026 Aussie Millions at Crown.
The long-time pro will join fellow Australian Poker Hall of Fame member and 2025 WSOP Main Event champion Joe Hachem, as well as reigning WSOP champ Michael Mizrachi, as ambassadors for the series, which will run from 24 April to 10 May and feature 18 events.
Now living in Sweden, Marcus said he was looking forward to coming home to represent and play in an event that remains close to his heart.
“I’ve played in tournaments and cash games all around the world but nothing is quite like the feeling of the Aussie Millions,” he told PokerMedia Australia.
“Not only is it a local thing where I know everyone but there would be no feeling as amazing as winning the Aussie Millions.”
Although Marcus, a former PokerStars and later Full Tilt sponsored pro, has perhaps been known for his online achievements as a high-stakes cash game player – particularly in Pot Limit Omaha – throughout his career, his live tournament resume still makes for some decent reading. He reached the final table of the very first APPT Main Event in Manila back in 2007, finishing fourth, before returning the next year to win the whole thing. He boasts three WSOP final tables, all in PLO. And with five final tables at Aussie Millions side events, he has come awfully close to adding an Aussie Millions ring to the trophy collection.
This time around he promises to be there from start to finish, telling PMA, “I’m going for the opening event till the very last event, every single day grinding and playing, commenting on feature tables, being part of the team, pretty much every single minute of the day.”
And while Marcus acknowledges that winning the Main Event itself will take plenty of luck along the way, the dream remains strong.
“Winning a tournament like the Aussie Millions is about legacy,” he said. “Of course, it also comes with a huge amount of cash but the title is more important than everything else. That’s what people will remember you by.”
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