Big Deal for One Drop Raises For Charity At Resorts World Las VegasDerek Adamian Wins $10,000 Tournament Full of Stars From Formula 1 and Poker World |
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Resorts World Las Vegas played host to the inaugural Big Deal for One Drop charity poker tournament on Friday, with big names from the Formula 1 world, the poker scene, and philanthropy all joining together to raise funds for the One Drop Foundation, which has the stated mission of providing ‘safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to communities in need worldwide.’
“The Big Deal for One Drop is a testament to the power of community and collaboration,” said Guy Laliberté, founder of both Cirque du Soleil and One Drop. “It’s incredible to see so many people come together, not just for the love of the game but also to bring hope and opportunity to communities in need of access to safe water around the world.”
The event was run by One Drop and the WPT® Foundation, and featured a $10,000 buy-in. It came in the heart of the 2024 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and fittingly attracted big names from the racing community like David Coulthard, Martin Brundle, Mika Häkkinen, and Alex Wurz, and Otmar Szafnauer.
Poker was also well represented, with the likes of Tony Dunst, Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Tilly, and the event’s emcee Phil Hellmuth all in attendance. The all-time World Series of Poker bracelet leader was sporting a custom One Drop jersey, with the number ‘17’ on the back representing the amount of wins he has earned at the WSOP.
Hello
JenniferTilly</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/onedrop?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">onedrop pic.twitter.com/KYrGmRltbY— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) November 22, 2024
“We are very happy with how this inaugural event came together,” said Adam Pliska, President and CEO of the World Poker Tour. “The Big Deal for One Drop showcased the perfect blend of fun, competition, and meaningful impact, creating an afternoon to remember.”
In the end, it was Derek Adamian who hoisted the trophy and secured the champion’s package. His haul included an exclusive Monaco Grand Prix Experience, with VIP tickets to the race and invitations to the Prince’s Palace Reception, and a stunning limited-edition WPT chip set.
According to the press release, One Drop has already impacted over 3,000,000 people since being founded in 2007. The organization has teamed up with the poker world for over a decade, with several massive events helping raise funds over the years.
The $1 million buy-in Big One For One Drop charity event debuted in 2012 at the WSOP, and has been run five times overall, most recently at the Wynn Las Vegas as part of the WPT World Championship. Winners have included Antonio Esfandiari ($18.4 million), Dan Colman ($15.3 million), Elton Tsang ($12.2 million), Justin Bonomo ($10 million), and Mikita Badziakouski ($7.1 million).
There was also the $111,111 High Roller For One Drop that ran in alternating years, and was won by Anthony Gregg ($4.8 million), Jonathan Duhamel ($4 million), Fedor Holz ($5 million), and Doug Polk ($3.7 million). The WPT Alpha8 took over in 2023, with the two winners so far being Jonathan Jaffe ($1.5 million), and Steve O’Dwyer ($1 million).
For more information about One Drop’s safe water initiatives, visit OneDrop.org.
Photos provided by WPT.
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