On July 1, 2012, the World Series of Poker will host The Big One for One Drop at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. The $1-million buy-in event will be the largest poker tournament ever held, with a projected eight-figure first prize. Now, the WSOP is offering players without an astronomical bankroll the opportunity to satellite into the event for as little as $65.
Venues around the country will host live step-satellite poker tournaments that will culminate with a a $25,300 buy-in finale that event will take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on June 30, 2012, at 1 p.m. That event will guarantee a seat into The Big One for One Drop; in addition, one seat will be created for every 40 entries in the mega satellite.
Step tournaments will be held at the following locations:
| Casino | Location | Mega Satellite Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Bicycle Casino | Los Angeles | Thursday, April 5 @ 6:00 p.m. |
| Canterbury Park | Minnesota | Sunday, May 13 |
| Harrah’s Chester | Philadelphia | Saturday, May 19 @ 11:00 a.m. |
| Harrah’s New Orleans | Louisiana | Saturday, May 19 |
| Choctaw Durant | Dallas/Oklahoma | Sunday, May 20 |
| Caesars Palace | Las Vegas | Sunday, May 20 |
| Harrah’s St. Louis | St. Louis | Sunday, May 20 @ 2:00 |
| Horseshoe Hammond | Chicago Area | Saturday, May 26 |
| Horseshoe Southern Indiana | Indiana | Sunday, May 27 |
| Council Bluffs | Iowa/Nebraska | Sunday, May 27 @ Noon |
| The Lodge Casino | Colorado | Sunday, June 3 |
| Palm Beach Kennel Club | Florida | Saturday, June 9 |
| Horseshoe Bossier City | Louisiana | Sunday, June 10 |
| Horseshoe Tunica | Tunica, Mississippi | Sunday, June 10 @ 11:00 a.m. |
One Drop Chair and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté introduced the tournament last year at the WSOP with the goal of raising enough money for a project to provide access to clean water for an impoverished country. To do so, $111,111 of the $1 million buy-in will be donated to One Drop, leaving $888,889 for the prize pool.
Whoever manages to qualify will have his or her work cut out because some of the game’s most notable players have committed to the event, including Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu, Johnny Chan, Tom Dwan, Tony Guoga, Jonathan Duhamel and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier.
For more information, visit WSOP.com, which includes all the specifics and will be updated regularly.
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