Ivey Plays the $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop, Virtue Poker Gives Away a Piece
Phil Ivey returned to the 2018 World Series of Poker by entering the $100,000 buy-in High Roller at the last minute. While Ivey had been absent from the WSOP for some years, only playing the sporadic Main Event, it came as no surprise to see him playing the big buy-in event. He had, after all, announced his return in the winner interview following his Triton Poker short deck win, and had already played the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl earlier in the month.
But what did come as a surprise, was Ivey entering flight Day 1d of the $565 buy-in COLOSSUS. That left the people in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino gossiping on what kind of bracelet bets Ivey had; not many expected him in an event so small.
Ivey, who was announced as a consultant for Virtue Poker last November, plans to play a big schedule this summer, Virtue Poker confirmed to PokerNews.
Ivey to Enter $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop
Virtue Poker announced today that Ivey is entering the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop. Fans can watch the last two days of the massive event play out on PokerGO July 16 and 17.
Virtue Poker announced today that Ivey is entering the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop.
The illustrious event's previous editions resulted in some of the largest prize pools and first-place prizes in poker history. The inaugural event in 2012 attracted a field of 48 entries with the Top 9 paid. Antonio Esfandiari came out on top beating Sam Trickett heads-up. Esfandiari walked away with $18,346,673. In 2014, the event saw 42 players buy in for $1,000,000. Dan Colman beat Daniel Negreanu heads-up for the title, taking home $15,306,668.
After a four-year absence, the big buy-in event returns this year to the World Series of Poker running July 15-17, 2018.
Piece of Ivey
Besides watching the action as some of the game's greatest players are battling for millions of dollars, fans can have a piece of the action from Ivey. On their site, Virtue Poker announced they're having a share of his action, and are giving it away:
Virtue Poker owns 30% of his action in $100,000 of his WSOP tournaments, and Virtue Poker owns 5% of his action in this year's Big One for One Drop! We’re giving away our entire stake in Ivey this year to ten lucky winners in our Piece of Ivey Sweepstakes.
Virtue Poker's promotion will result in at least ten fans of Ivey being glued to their TV screens and the PokerNews Live Reporting pages as they see how their "horse" tries to make them money. Virtue Poker dubs the campaign 'Piece of Ivey.'
Every entrant in the Piece of Ivey campaign has a chance to win one of ten shares of Ivey’s action in these tournaments.
Every entrant in the Piece of Ivey campaign has a chance to win one of ten shares of Ivey’s action in these tournaments. The ten winners will share Virtue Poker’s 30% stake, with a minimum prize pool of $10,000. Players can track Ivey’s progress at the Virtue Poker website.
Players can enter the Piece of Ivey sweepstakes in one of two ways. Players who are attending the WSOP can download the Virtue Poker Tournament Planner app from the Google Play Store. The Tournament Planner, which lists all of the over 1,400 tournaments in Las Vegas in June and July, includes an entry form for the Piece of Ivey promotion. Players can also go to www.virtue.poker and complete the entry form there.
One of the Game's Best
Ivey needs no introduction as he's undoubtedly one of the world’s best-known and most successful poker players. Since first appearing on the poker scene in 2000, winning a WSOP bracelet at age 23, Ivey has won over $26 million in poker tournaments worldwide and countless millions more in cash games.
Ivey, 41, is tied with Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan with ten WSOP championship bracelets, second only to Phil Hellmuth.
Phil Ivey World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha | $195,000 |
| 2002 | $2,500 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo | $118,440 |
| 2002 | $2,000 S.H.O.E. | $107,540 |
| 2002 | $1,500 7 Card Stud | $132,000 |
| 2005 | $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha | $635,603 |
| 2009 | $2,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball | $96,367 |
| 2009 | $2,500 Omaha Hi/Lo / 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo | $220,538 |
| 2010 | $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. | $329,840 |
| 2013 | A$2,200 Mixed Event (WSOP APAC) | A$51,840 |
| 2014 | $1,500 Eight Game Mix | $166,986 |
Ivey lost heads-up for a bracelet four times; to Huck Seed in 2003 (Razz), to Sam Farha in 2006 (Omaha-8), to Chris Reslock in 2007 (7-Card Stud), and to Andy Frankenberger in 2012 (Pot-Limit Hold'em).
