Las Vegas, NV (May 25, 2023) – The Big One for One Drop makes its World Poker Tour® debut this December at the 2023 WPT® World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. The world-renowned biennial poker event with a $1,000,0000 buy-in finds a new home, destined to capture the attention of poker fans globally.
“The Big One for One Drop is such an iconic tournament in the world of poker. We are honored to put on this incredible event in conjunction with the One Drop Foundation and Wynn Las Vegas,” said WPT CEO Adam Pliska. “The $1 million buy-in is a testament to the heights this industry can reach and the continuous evolution of the World Poker Tour.”
Wynn Las Vegas will host the Big One for One Drop on December 18-20 during the WPT World Championship festival. Six percent of each buy-in will directly benefit the One Drop Foundation to continue their mission of ensuring sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for communities facing extreme challenges.
“We are beyond excited to be announcing the resurgence of our most iconic charity event,” said Alexandre Meunier, One Drop Foundation’s Chief Marketing and Events Officer. “It is an incredible feeling to be able to have the support of WPT and Wynn to run our fifth edition of the Big One. There is always a palpable buzz in the air during the lead up to the one-million-dollar affair. The magnitude of the buy-in, of the prize pool, but also of the funds that are directed to the crucial cause of access to safe water makes the Big One the event of all superlatives.”
The Big One for One Drop made its debut in 2012 with Antonio Esfandiari atop 48 entrants, winning $18,346,673. The $1 million buy-in event then continued to run biennially. Winners continued with Dan Colman (2014 – $15,306,668), Elton Tsang (2016 – $12,248,912) and Justin Bonomo (2018 – $10,000,000). Bonomo’s victory in a 27-player field was the last sighting of the six-figure feature for the One Drop Foundation, until now.
“Wynn is proud to host one of the largest events in poker history, included as part of the second annual WPT World Championship festival,” said Ryan Beauregard, Executive Director of Poker Operations at Wynn Las Vegas. “We look forward to sharing this one-of-a-kind experience with players and fans from across the globe.”
The tournament will represent some of the most prolific names in high-stakes poker, as well as top ranked amateurs and businesspeople, all eager to support One Drop Foundation and battle for the eight-figure prize pool. The complete star-studded line-up will be shared in the coming months.
Ahead of December there are two exciting charity events in July. First is WPT EveryOne for One Drop at Wynn Las Vegas, beginning on July 9. The $10,500 buy-in event boasts a $10 million guarantee, runs three Day 1s, and will conclude on July 14 with a livestreamed final table.
The second charity event is WPT Alpha8 for One Drop at Wynn Las Vegas, a $111,000 high roller tournament, which will commence on July 14. The six-figure feature will be livestreamed beginning on Day 2 and continue with the final table finale on July 16.
For more information on the One Drop Foundation, visit onedrop.org.
For more information regarding this and all World Poker Tour events, visit WPT.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
WPT:
Eric Lusch
Media Relations Manager
[email protected]
One Drop Foundation:
Warren Lush
Media Relations Advisor
[email protected]
Wynn Las Vegas:
Public Relations
[email protected]
About the World Poker Tour®
World Poker Tour® (WPT®) is the premier name in internationally televised gaming and entertainment with brand presence in land-based tournaments, television, online, and mobile. Leading innovation in the sport of poker since 2002, WPT ignited the global poker boom with the creation of a unique television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments. WPT has broadcast globally in more than 150 countries and territories, and is currently producing its 21st season, which airs on Bally Sports in the United States. Season XXI of WPT is sponsored by ClubWPT.com. ClubWPT.com is a unique online membership site that offers inside access to the WPT, as well as a sweepstakes-based poker club available in 43 states and territories across the United States, Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. WPT also participates in strategic brand license, partnership, and sponsorship opportunities. For more information, go to WPT.com.
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About the One Drop Foundation
The One Drop™ Foundation is an international philanthropic organization created by Cirque du Soleil and Lune Rouge founder Guy Laliberté with the vision of a better world, where all have access to living conditions that allow empowerment and development. Its mission is to ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for communities facing extreme barriers through innovative partnerships, creativity, and the power of art. Together with its partners, the One Drop Foundation deploys its unique Social Art for Behavior Change™ approach designed to promote the adoption of healthy water, sanitation and hygiene-related behaviors and empower communities. For this to be possible, the One Drop Foundation creates novel fundraising initiatives supported by a visionary community of partners and donors. The One Drop Foundation is celebrating 15 years of turning water into action, with projects that will soon have improved the living conditions of more than 2.7 million people around the world.
About Wynn Las Vegas
Wynn Resorts is the recipient of more Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Awards than any other independent hotel company in the world and in 2023 was once again honored on FORTUNE Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies list. Wynn and Encore Las Vegas consist of two luxury hotel towers with a total of 4,748 spacious hotel rooms, suites and villas. The resort features approximately 194,000 square feet of casino space, 20 signature dining experiences, 14 bars, two award-winning spas, approximately 513,000 rentable square feet of meeting and convention space, approximately 174,000 square feet of retail space as well as two showrooms, two nightclubs, a beach club, and recreation and leisure facilities, including Wynn Golf Club, an 18-hole championship golf course. For more information on Wynn and Encore Las Vegas, visit press.wynnlasvegas.com.