|
Antonio Esfandiari wins $18.3m in the Big One for One Drop
Poker pro Antonio Esfandiari has won the biggest payout in the history of the game after coming out on top in the Big One for One Drop event at the World Series of Poker.
The Magician came through a field of 48 to take down the $18.3m first prize, beating Britain’s Sam Trickett in heads-up play.
The 33-year-old’s victory in the $1m buy-in tournament means he claims poker’s largest ever prize, topping Jamie Gold’s $12m win in the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event.
“It’s called clear intention; I had it,” Esfandiari said afterwards. “I just knew I was going to win. I just had to put it out there and believe it, and sometimes it comes true.”
The event has been raising money for international anti-poverty charity One Drop, who develop access-to-water and sanitation projects across the world. The $5.5m the organisation have received from the tournament will help fund three ongoing projects in Honduras, El Salvador and Burkina Faso.
|
