A couple of weeks ago, we spoke with World Poker Tour Commentator Mike Sexton as he prepared to play in the richest poker tournament ever held, the $1 Million Big One for One Drop charity event at the World Series of Poker.
The tournament – which was capped at 48-players – sold out, raising a total more than $5.3 Million for One Drop, and creating a prize pool worth more than $42.6 Million. Even though Mike missed out on collecting the $18 Million first-place prize, he did finish in the money, collecting $1.1 Million for his ninth-place finish.
We caught up during the televised final table to find out what he thought of the tournament and its impact on poker.
WPT Blog: How did the event compare to your expectations? Were you surprised that they actually had to turn players away because of the cap?
Mike Sexton: One Drop actually exceeded my expectations. It sold out, and was fantastic for both poker and the One Drop organization.
Besides that, it was just a great event with a nice welcome party, a beautiful area to play in, comped food & drinks, the best dealers at the WSOP, and a terrific camaraderie between the pros and the businessmen. It was a fantastic experience and, most importantly, I cashed.
WPT Blog: What was the atmosphere like? On the live stream, it looked like everyone was pretty loose and friendly, especially after the money bubble burst.
Mike Sexton: It was electric. Everyone was loose and enjoying themselves, and they all knew it was an historical event in the poker world. They’ll be talking about the inaugural One Drop $1M buy-in tourney 20 or 25 years from now.
WPT Blog: Were you surprised by the caliber of play from the businessmen in the field?
Mike Sexton: I wasn’t surprised at all. Most of them play extremely high-stakes cash games and are pretty tough. In fact, I think they had an advantage in that the money wasn’t a factor for them, unlike the pros, who all pieced themselves out to play. As a group, I think the businessmen outplayed the pros.
WPT Blog: What do you think about [hedge fund manager] David Einhorn’s pledge to give all of his winnings to the charity? How does that reflect on poker? Do you think other players may – or should – follow his example?
Mike Sexton: I salute the guy and wish other who could afford it would follow his example. It has to be good for poker.
WPT Blog: Do you think we’ll see more events like this in the future?
Mike Sexton: This was a special event. The only way this could go annually, in my humble opinion, is if many more businessmen entered the event each year. I don’t think the pros could afford to play every year without a longer structure or a bigger overlay.