At $50,000, last year's buy-in for the World Series of Poker Players' Championship—the highest-rolling event—was considered preposterously steep, a figure that might never be topped. But then $250,000 buy-ins began cropping up, with single-digit entrants.
The trend—less players and more money—reaches its apex this week with The Big One For One Drop: a three-day, no limit Texas Hold Em tournament featuring a $1 million buy-in, 48 millionaire and billionaire players (pros and businessmen alike), and a $18 million grand prize, which will catapult the winner to poker's all-time leading money winner, according to ESPN.
There's a kick though. Of the $48 million pot, around $5 million, or roughly 11 percent of the winnings, will go to the One Drop Foundation, The Big One founder Guy Laliberte's cause célèbre. Laliberte, the man behind Cirque de Soleil, has campaigned for years to ensure that children across the world don't go thirsty and have access to clean water.
The tournament is comprised of 29 professionals and 19 big-time businessmen. A lot of them are names you've heard of, too.
On the poker side, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and Gus Hansen will all be taking a seat at the table. On the money end, David Einhorn heads a list of venture/financial-minded tycoons with a passion for high-stakes poker.
For their efforts and their $1 million entry, all participants will be treated to top-of-the-line amenities like personal butler service and a private bar in their opulent suite, according to The International Business Times.
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