Las Vegas, NV (September 14, 2023) – Phil Ivey has officially been confirmed as the first publicly announced entry for the World Poker Tour® $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop. Ivey, a WPT® Ambassador and one of the biggest poker stars on the planet, will put up the seven-figure sum to take on a prestigious field of businessmen and poker greats alike.
“The Big One is what high stakes is all about. Everyone’s game will elevate when they play in the biggest buy-in event in WPT history,” said Ivey.
Whenever Ivey enters a tournament, his reputation precedes him. The Poker Hall of Fame inductee lays claim to a WPT Championship title, 10 World Series of Poker gold bracelets, and more than $40 million in live tournament earnings, placing him in the top-ten on the All Time Money List.
Ivey is the first of what is sure to be a prominent entry list of poker pros and business figures. He competed in the most recent Big One for One Drop in 2018, which saw Justin Bonomo take home the $10 million first-place prize.
The iconic Big One for One Drop makes its WPT debut Dec 18-20 at the 2023 WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas and will entail a televised final table. The event features the lowest rate of rake the tournament has ever offered. 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, and one percent will be held as the house fee.
“After a five-year hiatus it seems the grounds have never been more fertile for the Big One, it is clear it has been missed,” said Alexandre Meunier, One Drop Foundation’s Chief Marketing and Events Officer. “Past players from the worlds of business and high stakes poker are showing strong interest as well as players who have never played a Big One before which is very encouraging. We would go as far to say that we haven’t seen such strong interest at this stage since the early editions of the history-making event.”
The Big One marks the fourth tournament held this year as part of the One Drop and WPT partnership. July marked two successful events at Wynn Las Vegas – the $10,500 buy-in WPT EveryOne for One Drop and the $111,000 WPT Alpha8 for One Drop. Over in Jeju, Korea, in the same month, the WPT ran another Alpha8 for One Drop. All three events raised a combined total of just over $600,000 for the One Drop Foundation.
For more information on the One Drop Foundation, visit onedrop.org. Any players interested in entering the Big One for One Drop, email Warren Lush at [email protected].
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]
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.