Guy Laliberte Announces €1 Million Big One for One Drop Amateurs Only Event

Fresh plans in place for €1 million event

Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte has unveiled his new vision for the Big One for One Drop this week, with a surprising change to the make up of the tournament field. He has stated that, the high number of poker superstars attending the event has led to a decrease in the number of wealthy amateurs taking part. His assertion is that these amateurs would rather buy percentages of a top pro’s action in the event, rather than play themselves, as it is simply a better investment.

The core principle of the One Drop idea is that lots of players buy in for €1 million and donate a €111,111 portion of that to the One Drop foundation in the process. So, anything that keeps players from buying in is clearly not optimal for the charity. With this in mind, the next installment of the One Drop will be open only to recreational players, with invitations sent out to those who are deemed suitable players for the event.

The event itself has actually been extended to a series of high stakes cash games and tournaments, with pros being welcome for networking, spectating, and even coaching recreationals. When it comes to the big tournament that crowns the series however, the pros will kept on the sidelines. The venue for this series will no longer be in Las Vegas either, as the Casino de Monte-Carlo is now hosting what has been named the Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza. Laliberte hopes that the changes will result in a more relaxed atmosphere, and more entries, all of whom will be competing for a special platinum bracelet, trophy, and very large pot of prize money.

He had the following statements to make about the changes:

“The message I got was these recreational players, businessmen and philanthropists felt like they physically did not stand a chance,” Laliberté said. “They wanted to play for the money and the fun of it, but they would rather stake a pro than risk playing themselves against a field of professionals. That forced me to rethink the entire event.”

Laliberte went on to add that,

“We decided to create a more comfortable experience for these recreational players, and we’ve talked to a lot of the pros, like [inaugural Big One For One Drop Winner] Antonio Esfandiari, and there has been a good response. We have a little window and a chance to change the dynamic for recreational players in an event like this, and I think that is being accepted by all professionals.”

As well as securing the support of the professional players in the community, who understand the ultimate fund-raising goal of the One Drop is always the priority, Laliberte has also won the royal support of Prince Albert II of Monaco, who added his thoughts on the project:

“I am pleased that Monaco has been chosen to host the 2016 edition of The Big One for One Drop, one of the most innovative charity events,” Prince Albert II said. “After only two editions, The Big One for One Drop has raised more than $10 million for water, a cause that I hold particularly dear. I wish an even greater success to the third edition of The Big One.”

Article by Craig B.