The 2021 WSOP Event #68: LITTLE ONE FOR ONE DROP No-Limit Hold’em is a charity event put on by the World Series of Poker every year since 2013.
The event has a $1,000 buy-in, for which players receive 20,000 in starting chips. In return for a $111 donation to One Drop, players receive a further 20,000 in chips. Donations come from the players, not from the WSOP, which takes its 10% rake from the prize pool.
3,797 players bought in, setting up a prize pool of $3,417,300.
The One Drop Foundation was set up by Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil. The charity aims to "ensure sustainable access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene for the most vulnerable communities through innovative partnerships, creativity and the power of art."
Ball to the wall
By the time Scott Ball was on the home stretch to bracelet town, charity wasn't on the front of his mind.
"I've really had my sights set on the No-Limit Player of The Year," Ball told reporters. "I think it's really hard for any No-Limit player to just play No-Limit events and no mixed events like I do, to try and get as many points as someone in the other events. [...] So I'm really glad the WSOP has separated those two things, and I'm pretty sure this will put me into the lead for No-Limit player of the year, and I would really like to hold on to that. It's a legacy thing."
Ball went into heads up play against Michael Shanahan with a reasonable lead — 94.0 million to 57.9 million.
Things evened up for a little while, but in the end Ball managed to pull away in a string of hands that ended with Shanahan all-in pre-flop with A♣8❤️ against Q♠Q♣.
Shanahan was rooting for the ace as the dealer burned and turned over 8♦️3♦️K❤️K♦️2♣. The queens held and Ball took home his second bracelet.
"It's like a simulation to be heads-up again for a bracelet in like two weeks," Ball said. "I've just worked so hard to get better at No-Limit this past year, so when it peeled off and I won another one, it just didn't feel like reality. It feels like I'm dreaming, and I'm going to wake up tomorrow and be like, dang, I can't wait to live that one day."
Michael Shanahan won $245,068 for second place.
2021 WSOP Event #68: LITTLE ONE FOR ONE DROP No-Limit Hold’em complete final table results
| Position | Player Name | Payout |
| 1st | Scott Ball | $396,445 |
| 2nd | Michael Shanahan | $245,068 |
| 3rd | Sorel Mizzi | $186,824 |
| 4th | Sebastian Medina | $143,399 |
| 5th | David Jackson | $110,827 |
| 6th | Ronnie Ballantyne | $86,249 |
| 7th | Petro Zakusilov | $67,592 |
| 8th | Seth Fischer | $53,343 |
| 9th | Frank Marasco | $42,389 |
| 10th | Jose Latorre | $33,939 |
Featured image source: WSOP
