Event #78: The Big One for One Drop - $1,000,000 No-Limit Hold'em

The final event of the 2018 World Series of Poker has attracted some of the biggest names in poker, which comes as no surprise with a price tag of $1,000,000 for The Big One for One Drop. A total of 24 players ponied up the seven-figure buy-in and 19 of them bagged up chips after 10 levels of one hour each.

Rick Salomon ended up at the top of the counts with a stack of 11,445,000, and the American already has two final table appearances in this very event to his name. In 2014, Salomon finished fourth for $2,800,000 right here in Las Vegas, and followed that up with a third-place finish for €3,000,000 in The Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza in 2016.

Poker superstar and 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey follows in second place with 10,365,000 and all-time money leader Daniel Negreanu bagged up the third-most chips with 8,100,000.

In a field filled with the who's who of poker, other notables such as Dan Smith (7,735,000), Erik Seidel (6,835,000), Talal Shakerchi (6,745,000), Dominik Nitsche (6,550,000), Jason Koon (6,540,000), Christoph Vogelsang (5,680,000), Nick Petrangelo (5,300,000), Justin Bonomo (4,715,000), Stephen Chidwick (4,550,000), Fedor Holz (3,220,000), and Adrian Mateos (3,100,000) all advanced to Day 2.

The registration remains open until the cards get back in the air on Monday, July 16, 2018, at noon local time, and the action recommences with blinds of 50,000/100,000 and a big blind ante of 100,000. All new additions to the field will receive 50 big blinds and the penultimate day is scheduled to play 10 levels or down to the final six, whichever comes first.

Big One for One Drop Winners

Action of Day 1

The cards were barely underway when a four-million-chip pot emerged and the early action continued to provide plenty of entertainment for the nearby rail in the Rio All Suite & Casino. Daniel Negreanu won a big pot off 2014 Big One for One Drop champion Antonio Esfandiari and David Peters became the first elimination of the day after his flopped top two pair ended up second-best to the turned flush of Adrian Mateos.

In the fifth level of the day, Esfandiari got his stack in with ace-king and Jason Koon had him dominated with pocket kings. The six-high board provided no help for Esfandiari and he joined the rail without anything to show for the day.

After the dinner break, Isaac Haxton clashed twice with Cary Katz and ended up second-best with king-queen against the ace-queen of Katz to become the third casualty of the tournament. Phil Ivey then switched gears and sent Bryn Kenney and Jake Schindler to the rail in quick succession to jump over 11 million in chips.

One table over, Justin Bonomo was involved in plenty of big pots and his stack took a roller coaster ride after doubling Erik Seidel. In the final level of the night, Bonomo ended up all in and at risk with queen-ten suited against the ace-king of Nick Petrangelo and a ten in the window kept Bonomo in the running.

Adrian Mateos also avoided an upset just before bagging and tagging. The Spaniard was the first to double up his stack, but the early rungood soon turned into a nightmare and the youngest-ever three-time WSOP bracelet winner was suddenly among the shortest stacks. Mateos ended up all in with king-queen against the ace-jack of Talal Shakerchi and spiked a straight on the river.

The remaining 19 players will return at noon local time and some other big names are expected to join the action before the cards get back in the air. Make sure to tune back in as the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to provide all you need to know in the most-expensive poker tournament of the year.

Adrian Mateos had raised from under the gun and was called by Talal Shakerchi on the button and Dan Smith in the big blind. On the     flop, Smith and Mateos checked to Shakerchi, who bet 260,000 and was called both ways. The   turn and   river run out brought no betting action anymore and Smith turned over   .

Mateos mucked    and Shakerchi didn't show his cards.

"Phew, I needed that one," Smith said while stacking the chips.

Dan Smith	7,600,000	-160,000
Talal Shakerchi	7,000,000	400,000
Adrian Mateos	3,100,000	-590,000

With around 800,000 in the middle and the flop reading    , Steffen Sontheimer checked from the big blind and Fedor Holz also checked from the hijack. Mikita Badziakouski was on the button and chose to see a free card.

What a free card it was as the   landed on the turn. Sontheimer checked again and Holz tossed in a bet of 600,000. Badziakouski called and Sontheimer quickly folded.

On the   river card, Holz stuck in enough chips to put Badziakouski at risk for his remaining 1,205,000 chips. Badziakouski thought for a moment and then called. Holz turned over    for two pair but Badziakouski revealed    for a set of deuces.

Mikita Badziakouski	4,450,000	2,325,000
Fedor Holz	3,450,000	-2,800,000

Dan Smith raised to 180,000 from the cutoff and Rick Salomon three-bet to 580,000 in the big blind. Smith called and they saw a flop of    . Salomon led out for 600,000 and Smith liked enough of what he saw to make the call.

The turn brought the   and Salomon continued to fire for another 900,000. Smith stuck around to see the   on the river and Salomon led out for 2,000,000. Smith thought for a few moments but then slid his cards to the muck.

Rick Salomon	10,425,000	1,750,000
Dan Smith	7,760,000	-1,360,000

Daniel Negreanu limped in from the small blind and Mikita Badziakouski raised to 280,000, which Negreanu called. On the     flop, Negreanu checked and called a bet of 200,000. The   turn was checked through and the   fell on the river. Negreanu checked and Badziakouski let his shot clock run down to three seconds before announcing a bet of 750,000.

Negreanu called and Badziakouski announced an ace, then turned over his   . Negreanu shook his head, said just one word: "Chicken," before revealing his    for aces and sevens to drag in a juicy pot.

Daniel Negreanu	8,700,000	1,300,000
Mikita Badziakouski	2,125,000	-2,075,000

Jason Koon raised to 220,000 on the button and Dominik Nitsche defended from the big blind. The flop came     and Nitsche check-called a bet of 400,000 from Koon. Nitsche checked the   on the turn and then folded to a bet of 1,000,000 from Koon.

In the next hand, Koon made it 180,000 to go and was called by Nitsche in the small blind and Erik Seidel in the big blind. Everyone checked the flop of     and the   landed on the turn. Nitsche checked again and Seidel moved in a bet of 300,000.

Koon called while Nitsche disposed of his cards. The river was the   and Seidel checked this time. Koon reached back for a bet of 800,000 and Seidel paid him off. Koon rolled over    and Seidel's cards went to the muck.

Dominik Nitsche	6,570,000	-430,000
Jason Koon	6,480,000	1,255,000
Erik Seidel	3,720,000	-825,000

Daniel Negreanu opened to 200,000 from middle position, Bryn Kenney called from the hijack, Matthew Siegal called from the button, and Phil Ivey called from the big blind.

The flop came down     and action checked to Kenney who bet 470,000. Siegal called, Ivey called, and Negreanu folded.

The turn was the  , Ivey checked, and Kenney shoved for roughly 2,500,000. Siegal folded and Ivey called instantly with    for a queen-high straight, leading Kenney's    for a pair of tens with a flush draw.

The river was the  , no help to Kenney, securing the elimination for Ivey.

Phil Ivey	9,100,000	4,100,000
Bryn Kenney	0	-3,350,000

Phil Ivey opened to 135,000 from the hijack and Daniel Negreanu called on the button. The flop came     and Ivey led out for 100,000 which Negreanu called.

The turn was the   and Ivey checked this time. Negreanu tossed in a bet of 400,000 and Ivey stuck around to see the   on the river. Ivey checked again and Negreanu threw in a casual bet of 1,500,000. Ivey wasted little time before calling only to see Negreanu turn over    for quad fours.

Daniel Negreanu	7,400,000	2,550,000
Phil Ivey	5,000,000	-1,500,000

Talal Shakerchi opened to 135,000 from the cutoff, David Einhorn three-bet to 425,000 from the button, and Shakerchi called.

They checked to the turn of an      board where Einhorn bet 425,000. Shakerchi check-called and both players proceeded to check the   river.

Shakerchi showed    for bottom two pair, Einhorn mucked, and Shakerchi won the pot.

Talal Shakerchi	8,050,000	950,000
David Einhorn	7,050,000	-850,000