Triton to Break Record for Highest Buy-in Poker Tournament
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The Triton Super High Roller Series will go higher than anyone has gone before this August, as they've announced they plan to break the record for the highest buy-in poker tournament ever held.
According to Triton's website, starting Aug. 1, they'll hold a £1 Million Main Event for Charity as part of Triton Super High Roller Series London. Due to exchange rates on currency, that appears set to surpass the €1 Million Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza.
Details are scarce, with only a hype video posted on the site, but Triton's tournament appears to be a three-day event taking place early in the series, which begins July 31 and ends August 8. Triton will be breaking into new ground with the London event, after holding tournament series in Philippines, Montenegro, Macau and Jeju over the past few years, catering exclusively to high rollers.
History of Million-Dollar Events
The Triton event in London marks the third year out of the past four that a tournament of at least $1 million will be held.
The original $1 Million Big One for One Drop, held in 2012, remains the gold standard with 48 entries and a prize pool north of $42 million. Antonio Esfandiari won that one for a record-setting $18,346,673.
Since then, participation has slid a bit, but the WSOP made a somewhat surprising decision to bring it back for the 2018 WSOP. Justin Bonomo would top a field of 27 for a $10 million first-place prize.
Big One for One Drop Winners
| Year | Series | Winner | Country | Prize | Entries | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | WSOP | Antonio Esfandiari | United States | $18,346,673 | 48 | $42,666,672 |
| 2014 | WSOP | Dan Colman | United States | $15,306,668 | 42 | $37,333,338 |
| 2016 | Monaco | Elton Tsang | Hong Kong | €11,111,111 | 28 | €24,888,892 |
| 2018 | WSOP | Justin Bonomo | United States | $10,000,000 | 27 | $24,840,000 |
While the buy-in has stayed seemingly constant over the years to the casual observer, what nudged first the Monte Carlo event, and now this one, past the other $1 million events is currency exchange rates.
The event in Monte Carlo cost €1 million to enter, which was about $1.1 million at the time. The Triton event, at the current exchange rate via XE.com will set a new bar at $1.27 million.
Stay tuned for more details from Triton in the coming months leading up to August.
