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Sunday, October 16, 2016 9:09 AM Local Time
Seat 1: Brandon Steven (8,000,000 in chips)
Brandon Steven is a successful businessman, recognized for both his award-winning car dealerships and philanthropy.
Steven played both of the previous Big One for One Drop events in Las Vegas in 2012 and 2014. Steven has racked up total live tournament earnings of $3,109,053. The biggest cash of his poker career came this month winning the $50,000 High Roller in Aria for $648,000.
Steven is said to play poker to feed his competitive spirit, having competed in sports his whole life.
Sunday, October 16, 2016 9:05 AM Local Time
Seat 2: Rick Salomon (26,900,000 in chips)
Salomon is a producer and actor in the film industry, and "mostly known for his relationships with various female celebrities, including E.G. Daily, Shannen Doherty, Paris Hilton, and Pamela Anderson" according to his Wikipedia-profile.
Salomon returns to the Big One for One Drop Tournament after finishing in 4th place in 2014 for $2,800,000. That is also his last tournament cash to date, but by no means was 2014 the last time Salomon played poker as he's an avid cash game player in the biggest games around the world.
Sunday, October 16, 2016 9:02 AM Local Time
Seat 3: Andrew Pantling (31,775,000)
Andrew Pantling is the former CEO of Matchbook, one of the most popular sports betting websites. Today, he's best described as a gaming entrepreneur.
Prior to Matchbook, Pantling spent time playing in both online and live tournaments worldwide. Online he was known as ClockWyze on both PokerStars and Full TIlt Poker where he played thousands of hands and battled all the big names, including Phil ivey at the highest limits.
Pantling has total live earnings of $2,013,826 with the biggest share ($1,104,074) coming from his runner-up finish to Steve O'Dwyer in the 2013 EPT Grand Final.
Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:54 AM Local Time
Seat 4: James Bord (18,125,000 in chips)
Bord has a background in finance and is a sports bettor and well-known figure in high stakes poker.
His biggest victory was the 2010 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event, where he won $1,313,611 and became the first British champion of that event. Bord has live time tournament earnings of $1,989,492.
Bord also runs The Poker Farm, a poker community that offers coaching, staking deals and sponsorships to both amateur and professional poker players.
Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:49 AM Local Time
Seat 5: Haralabos Voulgaris (5,375,000 in chips)
Haralabos Voulgaris is considered one of the most prolific NBA sports bettors in the world, using a combination of high-level mathematical regression.
By the time he was 25, he was regularly placing $1 million in bets during a single day of NBA games. As a poker enthusiast, Voulgaris returns to the Big One for One Drop after having participated in the inaugural 2012 edition, but sitting out the tournament held back in 2014.
After play finished on Day 2, Voulgaris, a Monaco resident, told PokerNews: "The main thing is that the play was very pleasant. It was kind of refreshing to play a poker tournament and to not be faced with solitude forever. People are talking!" Read the entire Haralabos Voulgaris interview.
Voulgaris has $1,882,514 in live tournament earnings. His biggest score to date comes from his runner-up finish to Michael Mizrachi in the 2005 L.A. Poker Classic ($904,122).
Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:47 AM Local Time
Seat 6: Anatoly Gurtovoy (16,775,000 in chips)
Gurtovoy plays in big games, combining an unorthodox style with fearlessness when it comes to taking chances. He has been playing high stakes poker for over five years, fitting in his hobby around his main business as a beverage distributor.
Back in 2009, Gurtovoy made the final table of the EPT Warsaw Main Event, eventually finishing in 8th place for $47,254 at the hands for eventual 3rd place finished Oleksanr Vaserfirer.
Gurtovoy has racked up $603,302 in life tournament earnings. His biggest cash to date is $92,418 for his 12th place finish in the 2012 EPT Grand Final Main Event, the year Mohsin Charania won.
Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:41 AM Local Time
Seat 7: Elton Tsang (23,550,000 in chips)
Elton Tsang has $504,077 in live tournament earnings. His biggest score to date is $162,212, finishing 5th in the A$50,000 High Roller event at the 2013 WSOP ACOP. Tsang took home the first prize, HK$553,600, of the Poker King Club's Asian Poker King Tournament Main Event in 2010.
Besides tournaments, Tsang is an avid cash game player, having participated in the 2012 Aussie Millions televised no-limit hold'em and pot-limit omaha cash games.
Sunday, October 16, 2016 8:31 AM Local Time
Seat 8: Cary Katz (9,550,000 in chips)
Cary Katz is the former CEO of College Loan Corporation, the 7th largest student loan company in the United States.
Today, Katz is known as the driving force behind Poker Central®, the world's only 24/7 Poker TV network. Poker Central's non-stop coverage of everything poker captivates viewers with thrilling victories, heartbreaking defeats and fortunes made. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, Poker Central offers unique all‑day, everyday access to exclusive poker tournaments, celebrity players, tips and tricks from the pros, player profiles and stunning destinations from around the globe.
In addition to his business, Katz is a known poker enthusiast and returning player to the Big One for One Drop. Katz has $7,428,993 in live tournament earnings with his biggest cash, worth $1,306,667, coming his 8th place in the Big One for One Drop at the 2014 World Series of Poker.
Just last week he finished 4th ($90,240) and 2nd ($224,640) in two consecutive $25,000 High Roller events in the Aria in Las Vegas.