Elton Tsang wins the Big One for One Drop

The third biggest prize in poker history goes to an amateur player in Monte Carlo.

With the biggest buy-in in poker history and no professionals allowed, the Big One for One Drop in Monte Carlo was a very unique event. 

Surprisingly the 35 players confirmed for the event did not quite materialise, and in fact we had 26 players and two re-entries.

Maybe even more surprising is what constituted being a 'recreational' player as final tablists Rick Salomon, WSOPE champion James Bord, Carey Katz and Andrew Pantling (not to mention Haralabos Voulgaris who bubbled) all have formidable records in poker. 

It would be high rolling amateur Elton Tsang of Hong Kong who would walk away with the €11,111,111 prize - the third biggest in poker history beaten only by the previous two Big One for One Drop tournaments - after he defeated Russian Anatoly Gurtovoy heads-up. 

It was perhaps a disappointing event after promising more players and potentially the biggest prize pool in history. With the Monte Carlo setting and Bond Girls in the winner's photos this event was perhaps aiming to emulate the classic Casino Royale high stakes poker game. 

However, with the buy-ins alone amounting to €3,111,108 for the One Drop charity and no doubt much more from donations and the side events, this is still very much a remarkable and very welcome event in the poker calendar. 

Did you expect more players? Will we see this event again? Let us know your views in the comments.