Phil Hellmuth Emcees Scenic Big Deal for One Drop Charity Event in Las Vegas
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Tucked comfortably in a hidden speakeasy on the 66th floor of Resorts World, some of the best poker players in the world kicked off F1 week in Las Vegas with a scenic poker game overlooking the Strip.
The event, the $5,300 buy-in Big Deal for One Drop charity poker tournament hosted by Cirque du Soleil Guy Laliberté, was emceed by 17-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth and drew cash game stars like Jennifer Tilly and Antonio Esfandiari.
It also produced one of the most stacked charity event final tables in recent memory, excluding super high roller charity events like the $1 million Big One for One Drop, as 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up Steven Jones defeated reigning WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb to win $73,900.
Also at the final table were Esfandiari, high-stakes pro Sergio Aido, Hustler Casino Live regulars Steve Swedlow and Randy "3Coin" Sadler, Global Poker Index (GPI) Player of the Year frontrunner Jesse Lonis, and defending champion Derek Adamian.
Big Deal For One Drop Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven Jones | United States | $73,900 |
| 2 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $45,500 |
| 3 | Randy "3Coin" Sadler | United States | $30,300 |
| 4 | Jesse Lonis | United States | $22,700 |
| 5 | Steve Swedlow | United States | $17,200 |
| 6 | Antonio Esfandiari | United States | |
| 7 | Derek Adamian | United States | |
| 8 | Sergio Aido | Spain |
Poker on the 66th Floor
The Big Deal for One Drop festivities at Allē Lounge on 66, which PokerNews was on-site to document, kicked off early with a welcoming reception and opening remarks from Laliberté, Hellmuth and Esfandiari, who won the 2012 Big One For One Drop for $18.3 million and spoke about his involvement with the One Drop Foundation and its safe water initiatives.
"I had the pleasure of going down to El Salvador, to South America, and to actually witness firsthand what this amazing charity does for people," Esfandiari said. "We all wake up in the morning ... we got in the shower, we turned on the water. We didn't think for one second that there are so many people on planet earth that can't do that. That is a luxury that we take for granted every day."
After a few more opening activities, including Lonis being mesmerized by mentalist Jason Suran, cards went in the air at tables overlooking the Las Vegas Strip. Upbeat music boomed throughout the speakeasy as Hellmuth narrated the action in a #17 blue One Drop hockey Jersey.
There were several Hellmuth revelations throughout the champagne-heavy afternoon, including that Esfandiari had disinvited him to dinner the night before because he wouldn't remove his headphones. Hellmuth later revealed he wasn't among the 17 players who bought add-ons in the charity event, which led to a few needles from Deeb.
Speaking of, Hellmuth bragged that he was featured in an advertisement being projected onto the side of Resorts World, to which Deeb quipped, "Your ego is still bigger than the building!"
Steven Jones Gets Team Lucky Rematch
Despite only drawing 23 entries, there were a stunning 105 re-buys to create a prize pool of $189,600 ($1,000 of the buy-in went to the One Drop Foundation).
The host of the evening, Laliberté, was eliminated from the tournament early and the billionaire spent the rest of the afternoon close by at the high-stakes blackjack table.
Lonis has been the hottest tournament player in 2025, so no one was surprised when won a queens versus ace-king flip to eliminate Nacho Barbero and make the final table.
"I got in a flip with Jesse, who do you think won?" Barbero told the other table.
Lonis' hot streak continued as he his pocket sixes pipped the pocket fives of Esfandiari to send the "Magician" out in sixth place on the money bubble. But the young poker pro couldn't crack Deeb's kings in a three-way all-in that led to the eliminations of Lonis and Steve Swedlow, a lawyer known for his HCL appearances.
The third-place elimination of Randy "3Coin" Sadler led to a poetic heads-up match-up between Deeb and Steven Jones, who two years earlier finished runner-up to Deeb's "Team Lucky" compatriot Daniel Weinman.
After a second-place finish in the 2023 Main Event and a more recent third-place finish on Squid Game: The Challenge, Jones finally tasted victory as he overcame Deeb's chip lead to win the charity event.
Hellmuth posed with Jones quickly before they and the rest of the poker pros headed off for other F1 weekend festivities. Hellmuth still had his black headphones wrapped around his neck, and he gave no indication that he'd be leaving them behind.
