42 Players Confirmed for World Series of Poker Big One For One Drop
On Thursday, the World Series of Poker announced 12 more entrants for the highly anticipated Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in tournament taking place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas from July 1 through 3.
Thirty players had confirmed their participation when the WSOP released its updated list in April. The latest additions brings the total to 42, just six shy of the 48-player cap.
Among the latest to throw their hats in the ring are poker pros Jason Mercier, Eugene Katchlov, David "Viffer" Peat, Vivek Rakjumar, Andrew Robl, Nick Schulman, Sam Trickett and Noah Schwartz, as well as Winmark Corporation CEO John Morgan. All nonsatellite winners are required to pay a $50,000 refundable deposit to reserve a spot, with the entire buy-in due two weeks before the event begins.
Here is a look at the players who have committed to the event thus far:
- Guy Laliberté
- Bobby Baldwin
- Phil Ruffin
- Andy Beal
- Patrik Antonius
- Gus Hansen
- Daniel Negreanu
- Johnny Chan
- Tom Dwan
- Tony Guoga
- Jonathan Duhamel
- Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier
- Giovanni Guarascio (Montreal private citizen group)
- Arnaud Mimran
- Cary Katz
- Paul Phua
- Paul Newey
- Richard Yong
- Bob Bright
- Justin Smith
- Erik Seidel
- Dan Shak
- Carlos Nahas (Loto-Québec/Casino Montreal satellite)
- Anonymous (U.S. Venture Capitalist)
- Anonymous (European Hedge Fund Manager)
- Anonymous (U.S. Hedge Fund Manager)
- Frédéric Banjout (French businessman)
- Caesars Entertainment seat
- Caesars Entertainment via June 30 $25,300 satellite at Rio
- MGM Mirage Satellite seat
- Anonymous (U.S. Hedge Fund Manager)
- John Morgan (CEO, Winmark Corporation)
- Eugene Katchalov
- Jens Kyllönen
- Jason Mercier
- David "Viffer" Peat
- Vivek Rakjumar
- Andrew Robl
- Nick Schulman
- Noah Schwartz
- Roger Teska
- Sam Trickett
You'll notice that a number of seats are reserved for giveaways and a Caesars Entertainment satellite. Caesars announced in April that the WSOP is offering players the opportunity to satellite into the event for as little as $65. Venues around the country are hosting live step-satellite poker tournaments into a $25,300 buy-in mega satellite will take place at the Rio on June 30, one day before the Big One kicks off.
The mega satellite on June 30 will award a minimum of one guaranteed entry to the $1 million buy-in event — regardless of the number of participants — and will create one seat for every 40 entries. The satellite will run one day, have a $25,300 entry and allow rebuys.
According to the WSOP, the prize pool for the Big One for One Drop is projected to now exceed $35,000,000, with the winner to walk away with an eight-figure payday larger than Jamie Gold's record-setting $12,000,000 prize for winning the 2006 WSOP Main Event. The winner will also have a chance to become the all-time money winner in the history of poker.
For more information on the Big One for One Drop satellite, visit WSOP.com.
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