The return of the Big One for One Drop tournament at this year’s WPT World Championship was confirmed by the organizers some months ago, and it was none other than poker legend Phil Ivey who broke the ice and announced himself as the first confirmed participant of the epic $1 Million event.
Successful pros like Chris Brewer, Daniel Cates, and Nick Petrangelo then confirmed they would be joining Ivey at the Wynn, alongside recreational players and businessmen like Rick Salomon, David Einhorn, and Talal Shekerchi.
We wrote about all of those before, but the list has been updated since, with another six players announcing they would be entering the fray this December in the WPT Big One for One Drop event in pursuit of one of the most coveted trophies in the world of poker.
Turkish pro Orpen Kisackikoglu, high stakes crushers Artur Martirosyan, Mikita Badziakouski, Aleksej Ponakovs Jason Koon, and one of the most entertaining players we have had a chance to see on TV, Santosh Suvarna, will all be joining the festivities a few weeks from now.
This brings the list of confirmed participants up to 13, a respectable number for such a high buy-in already, but there are quite a few big names still missing that are likely to show up in time for the shuffle up and deal.
In fact, it appears that the WPT is doing its best to keep the names from us and only release them one bit at a time, so it will be very interesting to see what other players show up on this list before the official start of the tournament.
For the time being, let’s take a look at who the newly added players are and how they stack up against those already announced for the Big One earlier in the year.
Badziakouski and Koon Among the Heavy Hitters
There are a few names in the world of poker without which it is hard to imagine any major high roller event, and both Mikita Badziakouski and Jason Koon are on that shortlist.
Koon currently sits in fourth place of the all-time money leaderboard at Hendon Mob with $52,600,000 in tournament winnings, and is easily one of the most feared poker players in the whole world.
There are few players in the world who have had as much success in the high roller events as Jason, whose domination of the Triton Poker Tour has been the crowning jewel of his career to this date, as he continues to expand his accolades with each passing year.
The @WPT Big One for @onedrop lineup expands as @JasonKoon and four others officially join in for the $1 million buy-in event, bringing the total publicly confirmed entries to a total of 13.
📰 See who else is confirmed in the latest Press Release: https://t.co/Pu8bWGfP9h
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) November 16, 2023
Mikita Badziakouski does not track too far behind either, holding $43,500,000 in tournament winnings, which puts him in the 10th place on the all-time money leaderboard.
Money aside, Mikita is also one of the most technically sound players in the whole world, as his meticulous considerations of all aspects of different poker situations makes him a player no one really wants to see at the table.
Both Mikita and Koon will be joining the likes of Ivey, Petrangelo, Brewer, and Jungleman in pursuit of the Big One for One Drop trophy and the millions of dollars that will be awarded with it later this month.
Emerging Super Pros Join the Fold
Three more big names that have been a part of every major high roller event in recent years and who have now been confirmed for participation at the Big One are Aleksej Ponakovs, Artur Martirosyan, and Orpen Kisackikoglu.
All three players were playing relatively low stakes tournaments ten, or even just five years ago, and all three now find themselves at the very top of the poker tournament pyramid.
Without speculating on where their buy-ins are coming from or who might be backing this group of talented poker players, who hail from Latvia, Russia, and Turkey, the important thing to note is that they will be serious contenders for the trophy.
All three have been staple names on the high roller scene for several years now, and they all exhibit the same kind of skillset boasted by the likes of Jason or Mikita.
The less experienced pros may be at a slight disadvantage against the very best of them, but with a slight stroke of luck and the significant edge they have over the recreational players in the field, they stand every chance for a deep run in this historic event.
Santosh Suvarna to Add Flare to the Event
High roller tournaments tend to be somewhat mundane to watch as times, as pro players often play very methodically and don’t allow themselves to gamble it up or show too much emotion at the tables.
Indian businessman Santosh Suvarna does the exact opposite at the poker tables, as he loves to gamble it up and bring action anytime he’s seated at the green felt.
As we have seen from his recent appearances at WSOP Europe and on live streamed HCL cash games, Suvarna is one of the most active players ever to play poker at these stakes, and he has now confirmed he will be playing at the Wynn this winter.
Santosh’s unique style of poker will see him enter many pots, battle for every chip, and give pros a run for their money and some difficult decisions every step of the way.
One thing that’s for sure is that Suvarna is not playing with scared money and he will be far more comfortable gambling for millions of dollars than money of the pros in the field, which might give him an advantage of its own kind.
More Big Names Coming Soon
While thirteen players have already confirmed their participation at the return of Big One for One Drop, the list is certainly not finalized just yet.
The event officially kicks off on December 18, which means there are still more than enough days for new big names to be revealed and mystery players to sign up for the event last minute.
As we await to hear more on potential entries by the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Andrew Robl, or Rampage Poker, the WPT World Championship festival draws ever closer.
By everything we have seen thus far, it will be one of the most epic poker festivals ever played anywhere in the world, and the return of the Big One for One Drop will make the whole spectacle even greater.
Stay tuned for more information as more player names are released by WPT as well as live updates from the Wynn itself over the course of the festival.
