Daniel Colman famously said that poker was a “dark game” to explain his lack of exuberant celebration and his sparse media presence after his win in the Big One for One Drop last year.
Of course, that didn’t stop Colman from playing lots of poker last year, but it did suggest that perhaps he’d like to see more social good come from the game. And what better way to do that then to use his poker skills to give back to the charity that helped make him famous?
Colman and fellow poker pro Olivier Busquet teamed up to offer a coaching lesson as part of an auction package that will help raise money for the One Drop Foundation, a charity that works to provide access to clean water around the world.
The auction is being hosted by Charitybuzz, which specializes in offering unique experiences that raise money for charity.
Package Includes Lesson, Tournament Entry, and Accommodations
The eventual winner of the auction will receive a one-on-one (perhaps better described as two-on-one) lesson with Colman and Busquet for a single person. They will then get to test their newfound skills in the Little One for One Drop, the $1,111 buy-in charity tournament that will take place during the World Series of Poker on Tuesday, June 30.
In addition, the winner will receive three nights of accommodations in a Caesars Palace suite, as well as dinner for two at Nobu, a world-class Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas.
The auction is being conducted over two stages. Interested parties could place their bids online up until 11 am EDT on Thursday. However, the auction will actually end on Friday, when Charitybuzz will conclude the proceedings in a live auction process in New York City.
That two-stage process meant that bidders were encouraged to place current bids as well as maximum bids, particularly if they wouldn’t be able to make the live auction, so that a representative could be appointed to continue bidding on their behalf.
Just how high will the bidding go? As of Wednesday, the package had already been bid up to $3,000. However, Charitybuzz expected it to go higher, suggesting that the package was actually valued at $10,000. It’s hard to say where the final bid will land, as it will depend heavily on just how much interest the lot receives during the live auction.
Colman and Busquet Known for Making Waves
Both Colman and Busquet have been outspoken and successful members of the poker community, particularly in the last year. The two made the final table of the 2014 European Poker Tour Barcelona Super High Roller event, with Busquet eventually emerging as champion.
However, the table might be better remembered for the fact that Colman and Busquet chose to wear t-shirts sporting messages of support for Palestine during the action, a move that prompted PokerStars to change their clothing policy for final tables with live coverage.
One Drop will have a significant presence once again at this year’s World Series of Poker. Along with the Little One for One Drop, the WSOP will also host a High Roller for One Drop, which begins on June 28 and carries an $111,111 buy-in. The Big One for One Drop, the $1 million buy-in version of these charity tournaments, was held in 2012 and 2014, and may well return again at next year’s WSOP.
