Dan Colman And Olivier Busquet Auction Poker Lesson To Benefit Charity

March 21st, 2015 | by Kaycee James

Dan Colman and Olivier Busquet made headlines for what they wore to last year’s EPT Barcelona Super High Roller final table. (Image: highstakesdb.com)

Dan Colman went from being a mostly anonymous poker player to one of the world’s most famous professionals in just a few months.

And while he had a number of excellent results that made it clear he was an elite tournament pro, there was one tournament in particular that powered his meteoric rise to fame: his victory in the 2014 World Series of Poker Big One for One Drop.

Now, less than a year after he won $15.3 million in that tournament, Colman is planning to give a little something back to the charity that lent its name to that event.

Daniel Colman and Olivier Busquet are teaming up to offer a poker lesson to the winner of an auction that will benefit the One Drop Foundation.

One Drop, established by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, is an initiative that attempts to improve clean water access throughout the globe. The auction, being conducted by Charitybuzz, will conclude this Friday.

Winner Gets Lesson, Then Will Play in Tournament

The winner of the auction will receive a package of benefits that revolve around poker. Along with the private lesson for one person with Colman and Busquet, the winner will also receive their buy-in for the Little One for One Drop, the $1,111 charity tournament that begins on June 30 at the World Series of Poker. The winning player will also receive a three night stay in a Caesars Palace suite, as well as dinner for two at world-famous Japanese restaurant Nobu.

The auction has a two-party format that began online. Charitybuzz, which runs many “experience” auctions for charities, offered the poker lesson package on their website up until 11:00 am EDT on Thursday. At that point, no more bids were taken through the website, but that didn’t mean that the auction had concluded.

The final stage of the bidding is taking place on Friday, March 20 at a live auction in New York City. Because of the format and the fact that some online bidders would likely be unable to attend the live portion, bidders were encouraged to submit a maximum bid so that a representative could bid on their behalf.

The eventual winner will have to pay a pretty hefty price. Charitybuzz put the estimated value of the package at $10,000, and as of Wednesday, the current leading bid had already hit $3,000. That number will likely rise significantly at the live auction, though there’s no telling whether the $10,000 estimate will be reached.

Colman and Busquet Known for Being Successful and Outspoken

Colman and Busquet each had big years in 2014, making headlines both for their poker play and their outspoken opinions.

Colman won over $22 million over the course of the year, combining his One Drop victory with wins at the EPT Grand Final Super High Roller, the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Main Event, and the WPT Alpha8 at London. He also finished second at the EPT Barcelona Super High Roller, a tournament which was won by Busquet.

Colman may be better remembered for his muted response after winning the Big One for One Drop, however. He later explained online that he had mixed feelings about poker: while he loved the game, he didn’t wish to promote it considering the social ills gambling can cause.

Both Busquet and Colman then made headlines at that EPT Barcelona final table, where they wore t-shirts bearing slogans in support of Palestine throughout the live streaming broadcast.