With the fourth Big One for One Drop approaching, 30 players are locked in with 18 slots remaining.
Jack Effel, tournament director at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), explained the impact of this $1 million buy-in charity tournament, the largest buy-in of the WSOP.
“That a charitable poker tournament could have such an impact is simply astonishing. Since 2012, through 15 tournaments and player donations, over 12,000 individuals have contributed to raising over $20 million for the cause of access to safe water. This has had an incredible impact on the lives of over 170,000 people in need. Both from the poker and humanitarian aspects, the whole poker community and us at WSOP are lucky to be a part of this.”
This bracelet event kicks off July 15 as the culminating tournament of the 49th WSOP. This tournament will livestream to viewers on PokerGo (after ESPN2 airs the action) and air on ESPN2 July 16 and 17.
One Drop remains WSOP’s official charity
This event raises awareness and funds for the One Drop Organization in support of worldwide water relief efforts. According to a release from WSOP, the charitable contribution dropped to eight percent from 11 percent in previous years. With a $1,000,000 buy-in, that brings the donation to $80,000, with a $920,000 in the prize pool.
As Effel stated, One Drop is raising funds for access to safe water.
Because the tournament operates without a rake, this could result in the largest prize pool of all One Drops: $44,160,000. This depends solely on if the tournament reaches the 48-player cap.
Players have until July 10 to reserve their set, which is reserved on a first come, first served basis. Final funds are due five days prior to the event to secure seats.
Notable poker pros already lined up
Those already registered include:
- Daniel Negreanu
- Antonio Esfandiari
- Christoph Vogelsang
- Bryn Kenney
- Nick Petrangelo
- Rainer Kempe
- Dominik Nitsche
- Steffen Sontheimer
- Jason Koon
- Phil Ivey
- Adrian Mateos
- Phil Hellmuth
Eight philanthropic businessmen, including Rick Solomon, Talal Shakerichi, and Leon Tsoukernik, will be among the pros. Some of the eight wish to remain anonymous.
Players that win their way in
Of the 48 players eligible to cap this event, few can win their way to the top. These events let players try:
- MGMRI Big 3 Poker Invitational from MGM Resorts International – winner gets a seat
- July 14 –WSOP $10,300 mega satellite (12 p.m.) at the Rio for Big One
- July 14 – WSOP $100,500 mega satellite (6 p.m.) at the Rio for Big One
Past One Drop champions
Here’s a short list of the WSOP Big One for One Drop over the past couple of years.
- 2012 – Big One for One Drop – Antonio Esfandiari ($18,346,673), $1 million buy-in, 48 entries
- 2013 – High Roller for One Drop – Anthony Gregg ($4,830,619), $111,111 buy-in, 166 entries
- 2014 – Big One for One Drop – Daniel Colman ($15,306,668), $1 million buy-in, 42 entries
- 2015 – High Roller for One Drop – Jonathan Duhamel ($3,989,985), $111,111 buy-in, 135 entries
- 2016 – High Roller for One Drop – Fedor Holz ($4,981,775), $111,111 buy-in, 183 entries
- 2016 – Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza – Elton Tsang ($12,248,912), €1,000,000 buy-in, 28 entries
- 2017 – High Roller for One Drop – Doug Polk ($3,686,865), $111,111 buy-in, 130 entries
- 2017 – WSOPE High Roller for One Drop – Dominik Nitsche ($4,049,782), €111,111 buy-in, 132 entries
Guy Laliberté, Cirque du Soleil ® founder, created One Drop in partnership with WSOP in 2012. Another smaller event supporting the charity runs under a similar title, Little One for One Drop.
