2024 Series Prize Pools

 

A look back at the series prize pools on offer for most Australian Poker Series that took place in 2024, using The Hendon Mob and Facebook for a few missing results.

 

There are obviously many variables that have created the data shown in these charts including different state legislation, major brands operating in multiple states, population and the destinations themselves.

 

Australian poker is booming with total prize pools for series around Australia increasing from 73M in 2023 to more than 88M in 2024.

 

In terms of brands, the Australian Poker League (APL) continues to climb from breaking records in 2023 to smashing them again in 2024. The Western Sydney based Poker Palace more than doubled their total prize pools in 2024 compared to last year, mainly due to the launch of the new Australian Poker Open (APO) this year, the series set the bar high with huge guarantees months out from the event and smashed every one of them. The other major brand to show enormous growth was Kings Sydney, with the King Room at Kogarah as well as Kingsford and Wentworthville. The King’s brand seems to be growing prize pools massively, while still keeping price points accessible to all players. The Star prize pools dropped a little, but will expect they could grow the year with the brand new Star Brisbane opening this year with multiple series to be held in their brand new poker room in 2025. Australian Poker Tour (APT) dropped off despite having two huge Brisbane stops, they skipped Sydney in 2024, but have recently announced they are going to bring back poker to Melbourne via their website, so if that happens they will kick back strongly in 2025.

 

Looking at the state numbers, we need to note Tasmania had some dramas with Government legislators pulling the plug at the end of 2023, and only through media publicity, rallies and meeting with politicians they recently got the green light once again, albeit with a few restrictions. Hopefully we see some momentum in Tasmania in 2025.  Victoria was a area of growth with Crown Melbourne finally getting their tournaments up and running again, they hosted four series in total growing significantly each time, April series $480K, June $800K, October $1.18M and December $1.21M. It is worth noting that Crown do pretty much have a monopoly on poker across the state due to Victorian legislation, but multiple operators have hinted this may not be for long. New South Wales also grew their prize pools almost $7M in 2024, which is just a tad more than the APO put up in Sydney, so no real mystery there, but Albury’s prize pools grew significantly with additional APL stops there, meanwhile Newcastle and Illawarra maintained similar numbers.

 

If we dig down a little deeper into the cities, prize pools grew in Sydney, Albury, Melbourne due to reasons already mentioned, but Brisbane pools jumped up almost $3M, mainly thanks to APT’s biggest stops in 2024, both $2M series’ at Eaton’s Hill in January and then in the city which also hosted the gigantic buy-ins of The Lord’s Poker Tournament plus the return of poker State of Origin which dragged in poker superstars both Australian and international.

 

Notes:

Mixed Games Academy – Data wasn’t collected in 2023 

Matchroom Poker – No HendonMob data at all – Estimates $900K (3x $300K series)

Empire Poker – Blaze of Glory/Deaf Poker not on HendonMob, but clear data records were found on Facebook.

Poker Palace – Christmas Cup not on HendonMob, but clear data records were found on Facebook.

Southern Poker Tour – Battle in the Barossa II, Tanunda Footy Club not on HendonMob, but clear data records were found on Facebook.

Empire Poker – Timed Tournaments excluded.

*All care was taken when compiling the data presented, it may not be perfect however I am happy it is greater than 95% accurate at time of publishing.