News
BIG ONE FOR ONE DROP RAISES OVER $4.6 MILLION FOR CHARITY
Jul 01 2014 07:32 PM EST
On Tuesday, the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas served as host of the biggest buy-in tournament at the 2014 World Series of Poker. But this isn’t just any tournament. The Big One for One Drop is a charity tournament with an incredible $1,000,000 entry fee. A portion of each entry is contributed One Drop, WSOP’s official charity partner.
One Drop promotes access to clean water and sustainable water management in communities around the globe. According to One Drop’s website, “Using a one-of-a-kind sustainable intervention model, ONE DROP develops innovative water access and management projects which promote self-reliance in disadvantaged, rural and semi-rural regions of Latin America, West Africa and Asia. The programs launched from ONE DROP's inception until the end of 2014 will transform the lives of 1 million people.”
The tournament started on Sunday and attracted 42 players. From each buy-in, $111,111 is withheld from the prize pool. The World Series charges on house fee for this event, and all funds withheld go directly to One Drop. The event thus generated $4,666,662 to support One Drop’s projects.
This event marks the third year of the partnership between WSOP and One Drop. The WSOP’s first Big One for Drop event was held in 2012. It was the world’s first $1,000,000 buy-in tournament. The field was capped at 48 players, and the event sold out. $111,111 from each entry went directly to One Drop, amounting to a donation of $5,333,328. The tournament was won by Antonio Esfandiari, who has since become an ambassador for One Drop and has been a constant presence at poker tournaments supporting the charity. After the success of that initial event, a follow-up Big One tournament was scheduled for 2014.
In the intervening year, WSOP held two events to support One Drop. The One Drop High Rollers Event featured a buy-in of $111,111. A total of 166 players entered the tournament, making it the largest event with a six-figure buy-in in the history of poker. From each entry, $3,333 went to One Drop, amounting to a $553,278 contribution. Esfandiari nearly won this event as well. He navigated the big field and made it to the final table, eventually finishing in fourth place.
Less than a week later, WSOP hosted the first-ever Little One for One tournament. This buy-in for this event was much smaller than WSOP’s other One Drop tournaments. The entry fee was only $1,111, $111 of which went to One Drop. The tournament featured two starting flights, and it was also the only event on the 2013 schedule to allow players to re-enter multiple times, thus increasing their opportunities both to play and to put their entry fees to a good cause. The unusual format created a frenzy of interest among players, and when the dust settled, the tournament had attracted 4,756 entries, generating $527,916 for One Drop’s clean water efforts.
Still more funds have been raised by the generosity of the poker community. The “All in For One Drop” campaign offers players the opportunity to pledge a percentage of their winnings to One Drop. In 2013, 458 players participated, contributing a total of $246,012.
To date, the partnership between WSOP and One Drop has generated over $11,000,000 for One Drop’s clean water and sustainability efforts, affecting literally tens of thousands of lives across the world. That number will soon increase, as the second running of the Little One for One Drop begins Wednesday, July 1st, and early indications suggest another huge turnout.
For anyone wishing to contribute, donating has never been easier. You can text ONEDROP to 20222 to automatically donate $10 (US only). You can also donate on One Drop’s website at allinforonedrop.com.
One Drop promotes access to clean water and sustainable water management in communities around the globe. According to One Drop’s website, “Using a one-of-a-kind sustainable intervention model, ONE DROP develops innovative water access and management projects which promote self-reliance in disadvantaged, rural and semi-rural regions of Latin America, West Africa and Asia. The programs launched from ONE DROP's inception until the end of 2014 will transform the lives of 1 million people.”
The tournament started on Sunday and attracted 42 players. From each buy-in, $111,111 is withheld from the prize pool. The World Series charges on house fee for this event, and all funds withheld go directly to One Drop. The event thus generated $4,666,662 to support One Drop’s projects.
This event marks the third year of the partnership between WSOP and One Drop. The WSOP’s first Big One for Drop event was held in 2012. It was the world’s first $1,000,000 buy-in tournament. The field was capped at 48 players, and the event sold out. $111,111 from each entry went directly to One Drop, amounting to a donation of $5,333,328. The tournament was won by Antonio Esfandiari, who has since become an ambassador for One Drop and has been a constant presence at poker tournaments supporting the charity. After the success of that initial event, a follow-up Big One tournament was scheduled for 2014.
In the intervening year, WSOP held two events to support One Drop. The One Drop High Rollers Event featured a buy-in of $111,111. A total of 166 players entered the tournament, making it the largest event with a six-figure buy-in in the history of poker. From each entry, $3,333 went to One Drop, amounting to a $553,278 contribution. Esfandiari nearly won this event as well. He navigated the big field and made it to the final table, eventually finishing in fourth place.
Less than a week later, WSOP hosted the first-ever Little One for One tournament. This buy-in for this event was much smaller than WSOP’s other One Drop tournaments. The entry fee was only $1,111, $111 of which went to One Drop. The tournament featured two starting flights, and it was also the only event on the 2013 schedule to allow players to re-enter multiple times, thus increasing their opportunities both to play and to put their entry fees to a good cause. The unusual format created a frenzy of interest among players, and when the dust settled, the tournament had attracted 4,756 entries, generating $527,916 for One Drop’s clean water efforts.
Still more funds have been raised by the generosity of the poker community. The “All in For One Drop” campaign offers players the opportunity to pledge a percentage of their winnings to One Drop. In 2013, 458 players participated, contributing a total of $246,012.
To date, the partnership between WSOP and One Drop has generated over $11,000,000 for One Drop’s clean water and sustainability efforts, affecting literally tens of thousands of lives across the world. That number will soon increase, as the second running of the Little One for One Drop begins Wednesday, July 1st, and early indications suggest another huge turnout.
For anyone wishing to contribute, donating has never been easier. You can text ONEDROP to 20222 to automatically donate $10 (US only). You can also donate on One Drop’s website at allinforonedrop.com.
