23 Players Confirm Seats to WSOP 2014 Big One for One Drop Tournament

Twenty-three professional and recreational poker players have confirmed that they will take part in the Texas NL Hold’em tournament, which has a buy-in of $1 million and will be held as part of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2014 at Las Vegas in the US state of Nevada. This famous tournament is a charity event that goes under the name of Big One for One Drop and its first edition was held as part of WSOP 2012.

The WSOP had earlier announced that the event will be played for the second time this year. Already, half the seats to this event have been taken in spite of its buy-in of $1 million. Players need to make a deposit in order to confirm their seat, and the champion will get a WSOP platinum bracelet created by Richard Mille, the world famous jeweler. Anybody above the age of 21, residing in any part of the world, can take part in this tournament.

The $1 million buy-in of this charity poker event is the biggest ever in the history of the game. $111,111 from each buy-in is directed to One Drop, a charitable foundation that focuses on water for all. $888,889 of each buy-in is diverted to the massive prize pool from which the top players are paid. In 2012, the WSOP raised $5.3 for One Drop.

Antonio Esfandiari, who won the Big One for One Drop tournament last year, said: “I can’t wait to defend my title, the event was life-changing, but so was my trip to El Salvador after it with One Drop organization to see first hand what a difference the money raised from this event can do for those in dire need of help.” Esfandiari had won more than $18.3 million as the champion of the first Big One for One Drop tournament.

Only fifty-six poker players can take part in this tournament, and the poker pros who have already confirmed their participation are Antonio Esfandiari, Bobby Baldwin, Guy Laliberte, Phil Galfond, Phil Ivey, David Einhorn, Philipp Gruissem, Vivek Rajkumar, Jason Mercier, Bill Perkins, Paul Newey, Brandon Steven, Brian Rast, Erik Seidel, Andrew Robl, Noah Schwartz, and Sam Trickett. Three players have won seats through various qualifiers, and three of those who have confirmed their seats are anonymous entrepreneurs.

The WSOP 2014 Big One for One Drop will be played at the Rio Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on June 29, 2014.