One Drop High Roller Event Tournament Returns For First Time Since 2023

The iconic One Drop poker tournament is returning this year. This time it carries a €100,000 buy-in and is part of the European Poker Tour Monte Carlo festival from May 1-3.

PokerStars is teaming up with the One Drop Foundation for the event. Like in years past, the tournament helps raise funds for global water access. Organizers will take 3% of each buy-in and donate it to the organization’s global safe water projects.

“One Drop Foundation is thrilled to partner with EPT and PokerStars to bring the cause of safe water to the poker table at the iconic Sporting Monte Carlo,” One Drop Foundation founder and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté said.

“Witnessing the poker community compete at the highest level for such a vital cause – access to clean water for all – is truly inspiring. We hope to see you there.”

PokerStars YouTube Handles One Drop Coverage

This year’s event marks one of the few times a One Drop tournament is happening outside the World Series of Poker. Since it’s going down at a PokerStars-owned EPT stop, PokerStars will stream the coverage on its YouTube channel.

Additionally, PokerStars ambassador Jason Koon is one of the first committed to play the event. One Drop last held a high roller event charity event in 2023.

The online poker site is pleased to see the massive charity tournament come together

“Poker has always had a strong culture of community, and partnering with One Drop allows us to channel that spirit into supporting an incredibly important cause,” PokerStars Live Events Associate Director Cédric Billot said. “The €100,000 High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo attracts some of the best players in the world, and we’re excited that this year it will also contribute to supporting global water access and help drive a meaningful impact.”

One Drop History

The 2012 WSOP hosted the inaugural One Drop event. It was dubbed “The Big One for One Drop” and featured a $1 million buy-in. It was the largest buy-in in tournament poker at the time.

Antonio Esfandiari topped Sam Trickett heads up to win the title for $18.3 million.

Since then, the high roller One Drop events have oscillated between roughly a $100,000 buy-in and a seven-figure event. The WSOP hosted a high roller version of the event every year between 2012-2018. They also had a $1,111 buy-in charity event as well.

In 2016, One Drop held the first non-WSOP high roller event. They hosted a €1,000,000 buy-in in Monte Carlo. Elton Tsang took it down, netting more than $12 million in the process.

German poker pro Fedor Holz took down the $111,111 edition earlier that year at the WSOP for nearly $5 million. The event’s location and buy-in has changed through the years, but other winners have included Justin Bonomo, Doug Polk, Dan Colman, and Steve O’Dwyer.

The tournaments have raised more than $26 million for the foundation, which focuses on providing access to safe water and sanitation in countries around the world. The group also works “to facilitate the behavior change and community empowerment that makes water access sustainable.”

According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization, 2.2 billion people lack safe water at home (one in four people globally). To date, One Drop has improved the living conditions of more than 3 million people around the world, according to the organization.

Past One Drop Winners

In 2023, One Drop hosted six-figure buy-ins at WPT Alpha8 stops in Las Vegas and South Korea. Mikita Badziakouski won the $1,000,000 Big One For One Drop at the 2023 WPT World Championship for $7.1 million.

Here’s a look at all past winners of the One Drop high roller events.