Deputy Editor
The Big Deal for One Drop charity poker tournament will return to Las Vegas this fall, once again scheduled to coincide with the Formula 1 race, which is bound to attract the high roller crowd.
This year’s Big Deal for One Drop will take place on Friday, Nov. 21. Resorts World Las Vegas will host for the second straight year.
The One Drop charity was founded by former Cirque de Soleil owner Guy Laliberte. The foundation’s mission is to provide clean drinking water solutions to those in need worldwide through a variety of fundraisers, including poker. The original Big One for One Drop in 2012 was the world’s first tournament with a million-dollar buy-in. That tournament was won by Antonio Esfandiari for $18.3 million. At the time, that was enough to put him immediately at the top of the all-time money list. However, super high rollers have since become more common, and Esfandiari is no longer in the top 25.
According to a press release, One Drop has raised more than $26 million from its famed poker events, starting with that 2012 debut.
Popular poker pro Phil Hellmuth will return to emcee the event. The press release promised attendance from Jennifer Tilly as well as a host of other celebrities from the worlds of poker and F1.
“For those who played in the Big Deal in 2024, thank you for your support of the cause and for making the Big Deal the companion event of Race Weekend in Las Vegas,” Laliberte said. “We’ve added a prize pool this year, so it’s next-level win-win with Phil Hellmuth, Jennifer Tilly, some poker and racing community friends – all for a great cause.”
Key Info for 2025 One Drop Poker Tournament
Although the timing is the same as last year, the format for the 2025 Big Deal for One Drop has changed considerably.
The 2025 edition of the tournament will feature a $5,300 buy-in, from which $1,000 will go to the charity fundraiser. Of the remaining money, $4,000 goes toward the tournament prize pool. Players can rebuy and add-on for $1,000 as well.
Last year, the event had limited seating, a $10,000 buy-in, and awarded a Monaco Grand Prix VIP package to the winner, Derek Adamian.
This year’s One Drop event will distribute cash prizes from the pool according to a more traditional tournament structure.
Scheduling the event concurrently with F1 provides a unique opportunity for the tournament. There will be plenty of wealthy tourists in town for F1 who will have no problem paying $5,300 to play a poker tournament recreationally. F1 events consistently create headlines due to their ticket, hotel, and food prices that seem exorbitant to all but the most well-off patrons.
The F1 race itself will take place on Nov. 22, the day after the tournament. One leg of the track will see competitors tearing down the center of the Strip at speeds over 200 mph. Ticket packages for sale on the official F1 website start at $2,827 and range into the tens of thousands of dollars for VIP access.
Registration for the Big Deal for One Drop is already open at the foundation’s website.
Image credit: Ken Lund/Wikimedia Commons (license)
