It was Bill Shankly who famously spoke with chest-beating effusiveness of Anfield being "built into a bastion". Such language ensured that even the most ambivalent of sporting hearts were stirred by his bold and unswerving ambitions.

Making your home territory a fortress is an idea which has seeped from historical fact to sporting legend. The Aussies are aware of this and, whenever they step into the Crown poker room, they want you to know this is their turf, their backyard.

As sure as Rolf Harris polishes his didgeridoo on a fortnightly basis, the local crowd of James Obst, Matthew Pearson, Tony Hachem and Peter Aristidou have all carried that knowing Aussie swagger as the Main Event has proceeded towards it denouement. If it were possible for each of them to have "you're not from round here" etched onto their foreheads, they probably would. The ****ure is something this particular quartet (you just know there have been plenty of other examples) do well.

Australians take nothing lying down, a refreshing attitude which extends to how they play poker. It's as if an impenetrable shield has gone up around them ready to see off unwelcome interlopers. Perhaps they've become tetchy at the total capitulation that was the Ashes. Sorry, valiant defeat. Ahem.

Whatever the motivation, the notion of home advantage is a compelling one. Being the home team (or poker player) can of course carry undue and unwanted pressure. Our very own Shane Warne spoke in the last few days of just that. Given the choice between being felt side in Melbourne and taking to the tables in Las Vegas, Warnie would choose Vegas. Why? The expectation is far less.

No doubt other sports people have felt this weight on their well paid shoulders. Look at Wayne Rooney and the times he has appeared to be carrying the struts and very foundations of Old Trafford. It can be an unnerving prospect being at home.

So what are the factors that play their part in home advantage? Crowd involvement, travel considerations and other environmental factors have all been cited by those in the know. So it's not just the hearty meat pies then. The advantageous effects of playing at home for the likes of Messrs Pearson et al may well be difficult to measure and most are psychological in nature. Of course we all know that in poker, you take every psychological break you can get.

Jet lag must surely play a part in those who have had to fly in for the Aussie Millions.

Setting your watch to local time, sitting on a brown paper bag, ingesting hippy-dippy homeopathic concoctions and watching "Crocodile Dundee" as the in flight movie could well have been employed by the non Aussie players, but let's face it, if the venue is a short cab ride away, you're laughing.

Or you should be.

For this reason, I expect that the Aussie threesome of David Gorr, Michael Ryan and Jeffrey Rossiter, each of whom has made the final table, will, or should, enjoy an advantage over the remaining six players. Their main threat is not, as many believe, the accomplished Patrik Antonius, but rather the veteran Tony Bloom.

Home advantage can be a phenomenal plus, but Bloom has years of experience under his belt and, as we pointed out here last week, the guy has won this tournament before. A course and distance winner is always worth backing. My money is on the veteran.