organisers again claimed as the world's highest. (Since then, the World Series of Poker has held an official event with a US$1 million buy-in.) It was originally scheduled to be a heads-up no-limit event, but the organisers changed the format twice, settling on what they thought would be a single-table no-limit hold 'em tournament. However, 20 players entered the inaugural $250K tournament, including major stars Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Tom Dwan, Chris Ferguson, John Juanda, David Benyamine and Annette Obrestad, plus Sam Trickett, who had just won that year's $100K event. Seidel, who had finished second in the $100K event, won the $2.5 million first prize, defeating Trickett in heads-up play. The 2012 event was won by Ivey, who defeated 15 other players to win $2 million, the largest prize of his career. Trickett won the 2013 event, also winning $2 million after defeating 17 other players. Results Main Event Winners 1998 Australian Poker Championships (Limit Hold'em) Buy-in: $1,000 Date: 26 July 1998 Number of buy-ins: 74 Total Prize Pool: $74,000 Number of Payouts: 9 1999 Australian Poker Championships (Pot-Limit Hold'em) Buy-in: $1,000 Date: August 1999 Number of buy-ins: 109 Total Prize Pool: $109,000 Number of Payouts: 18 2000 Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $1,500 Date: Sunday, 27 August 2000 Number of buy-ins: 109 Total Prize Pool: $173,500 Number of Payouts: 18 2001 Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $1,500 Date: Friday, 24 August 2001 Number of buy-ins: 101 Total Prize Pool: $151,500 Number of Payouts: 18 2002 Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $5,000 2-Day Event: Friday, 11 January 2002 to Saturday, 12 January 2002 Number of buy-ins: 66 Total Prize Pool: $330,000 Number of Payouts: 10 2003 Crown Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $10,000 Date: Sunday, 12 January 2003 Number of buy-ins: 122 Total Prize Pool: $1,220,000 Number of Payouts: 18 2004 Crown Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $10,000 Date: Thursday, 15 January 2004 Number of buy-ins: 133 Total Prize Pool: $1,330,000 Number of Payouts: 18 2005 Crown Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $10,000 3-Day Event: Tuesday, 18 January 2005 to Thursday, 20 January 2005 Number of buy-ins: 263 Total Prize Pool: $2,630,000 Number of Payouts: 40 2006 Crown Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $10,000 6-Day Event: Saturday, 14 January 2006 to Thursday, 19 January 2006 Number of buy-ins: 418 Total Prize Pool: $4,180,000 Number of Payouts: 48 2007 Crown Australian Poker Championships Buy-in: $10,000 6-Day Event: Sunday, 14 January 2007 to Friday, 19 January 2007 Number