Texas hold 'em poker tournament
The Big One for One Drop is a $1,000,000 buy-in No Limit Texas Hold 'em poker tournament hosted at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). It became the highest buy-in poker tournament in history as well as the largest single payout offered. The event was hosted again in 2014, 2016 and 2018. The Big One will return in 2023 and will be hosted by the World Poker Tour (WPT) during the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December 2023.
The event is well known for its charitable contributions, with a percentage of each player's buy-in donated to the One Drop Foundation. The One Drop Foundation is an international non-profit organization, created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, that works to ensure unconditional access to safe water and sanitation in regions facing the most extreme barriers worldwide[[1]].
History
Canadian entrepreneur Guy Laliberté started the Big One for One Drop in 2012[2] as a No-Limit Hold 'em event hosted at the World Series of Poker. The event was hosted again by WSOP in 2014, 2016, and 2018, and will by hosted by the WPT at Wynn Las Vegas in 2023. Big One for One Drop buy-ins are $1,000,000 or €1,000,000.
In 2012, Antonio Esfandiari won the first Big One for One Drop defeating Sam Trickett heads-up and earned $18,346,673.[3][4]
In 2014, the final table consisted of professional players such as Dan Colman, Daniel Negreanu, Christoph Vogelsang, Tobias Reinkemeier and Scott Seiver as well as recreational players Paul Newey, Cary Katz and Rick Salomon. Colman won the tournament defeating Negreanu heads up and earned $15,306,668.[5]
In 2016, the Big One for One Drop Extravaganza was held in Monte Carlo. The €1,000,000 buy-in tournament was open only to recreational players. Chinese Canadian businessman Elton Tsang won the event for €11,111,111, defeating Anatoliy Gurtovoy of Russia heads up.[6][7]
In 2018, the Big One returned to the World Series of Poker.[8] in Las Vegas. 27 players entered for a total prizepool of $24,840,000. $80,000 from each buy-in was donated to the One Drop Foundation for a total donation of $2,160,000.
In 2023 One Drop entered an agreement with the World Poker Tour to host a series of events. In December 2023, the upcoming WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas will see the Big One for One Drop return with the $1,000,000 buy-in.[9]
A smaller event, known during the WSOP partnership as the "High Roller for One Drop," (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017), and known during the WPT partnership as "Alpha8 for One Drop" (2023), had a buy in of $111,111, of which $11,111 per player was donated to One Drop Foundation charity.[10]
In 2013, Anthony Gregg won the $111,111 buy-in High Roller event, defeating Chris Klodnicki heads up and earning $4,830,619.[11] Jonathan Duhamel (2015), Fedor Holz (2016) and Doug Polk (2107) we the subsequent winners of the High Roller for One Drop tournaments.[12][13][14]
In 2023, two Alpha8 for One Drop tournaments were held. Jonathan Jaffe won the first Alpha8 Las Vegas 45-player event winning $1,537,600.[15] The second tournament will be held in July 2023 in Jeju, South Korea.
Justin Bonomo
