Record poker tournament to offer largest-ever prize

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Published time: April 12, 2012 20:23
Edited time: April 13, 2012 00:50

Thirty top poker daredevils have already confirmed their participation in an unprecedented $1 million buy-in tournament, which is expected to produce the biggest grand prize in the game’s history.

The players have let go of $1 million just in order to participate in the Big One for One Drop battle, while the series officials expect to reach a cap of 48 entries. With that many players, the top prize would reach an enormous $18.3 million.

You may calculate yourself how much greater this sum is than the $12 million Jamie Gold won in 2006 for beating over 8,700 players at no-limit Texas Hold 'em in the $10,000 buy-in main event.

Judging by the list of participants, which includes such poker sharks as Johnny Chan, Tom Dwan, Daniel Negreanu on the one side and wealthy businessmen for whom spending in seven-digits is a routine practice, the struggle, indeed, promises to be deadly.

Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte and casino owner Phil Ruffin, who will personally sit at the table, say they will relax with seven figures at stake.

Laliberte organized the tournament with WSOP officials to raise money for the Big One for One Drop, a non-governmental organization he founded that pushes for access to water in poor countries. The $1 million buy-in tournament includes a roughly 11 per cent cut for the charity.

The big game kicks off on July 1 in, that’s a given, Las Vegas.