After a five-year hiatus, the poker world is abuzz with the return of the $1,000,000 buy-in tournament, The Big One for One Drop. Scheduled as a part of the WPT World Championship at the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas this December, the tournament is attracting some of the most renowned names in poker.
The event, famous for its staggering buy-in and significant charitable contributions, promises to be a major highlight of the poker calendar. To date, 13 players have confirmed their participation, including the last five additions – Aleksejs Ponakovs, Artur Martirosyan, Orpen Kisacikoglu, Santhosh Suvarna, and most notably, Jason Koon.
Jason Koon, a dominant force in the poker world with his recent 10th Triton title win and a ranking of 4th on the all-time money list with over $52 million in live tournament earnings, is one of the most anticipated players. Having competed in the 2018 edition, Koon’s experience in high-stake games makes him a player to watch.
While Koon brings experience, players like Ponakovs, Martirosyan, Kisacikoglu, and Suvarna will be stepping into the $1 million buy-in arena for the first time.
As the tournament is only a month away, the poker community is on the lookout for more player confirmations. Some, like Ethan “Rampage” Yau, are still in the process of securing backers, with Yau taking to Twitter to gauge interest from his followers. Still, his participation would be a big surprise.
Confirmed players:
| Aleksejs Ponakovs | Artur Martirosyan | Chris Brewer |
| Daniel “Jungleman” Cates | David Einhorn | Jason Koon |
| Mikita Badziakouski | Nick Petrangelo | Orpen Kisacikoglu |
| Phil Ivey | Rick Salomon | Santhosh Suvarna |
| Talal Shakerchi |
Fans worldwide can look forward to 14 days of live streaming from the 2023 WPT World Championship, including the much-anticipated final table of The Big One for One Drop on December 20. For the full schedule and more details, check out here.
