Currently one of the youngest and most skilled professional players in the poker world, Tom Dwan is also one of the fiercest. He adopts an aggressive game-play similar to that of legendary poker player Doyle Brunson, because of which he is considered by many to be a modern version of the veteran. Owing to his accomplishments in the game, Dwan is one of the most popular players in the industry. He is a regular poker player online, where he spends several hours every day, sometimes more than what any other professional poker player puts in. Dwan mostly plays Pot Limit and No-Limit Texas Hold’em games at Full Tilt Poker, a poker room which sponsors Dwan.

A Legend of the Poker World

Having played in live poker tournaments, Dwan has won a considerable amount in cash. He has also featured in four seasons of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Dwan has also been a part of two seasons of Million Dollar Cash Game and High Stakes Poker program. In the fourth season of the Million Dollar Cash game, Dwan won $1.1 million, which became the largest pot to have been won on a live recorded game.

Starting a Career in Poker

Dwan’s stint with poker began in 2004 when he used the $50 his father gave him for his birthday, for playing poker online. As a minor, this was the best platform for him to develop his skill. He then started playing at sit-n-go tourneys with $6 buy-ins. The first time around, Dwan lost almost $35, but determined to win, he continued playing.

Following this, he went on to play cash games, through which he enhanced his bankroll. He played at low stakes games online and then moved on to high stakes ones. Dwan soon set his eyes on playing No Limit Hold’em heads-up games against professional poker players. He played against Frederick Halling at a game of $10/$20 in one such match.

Downswings and Upswings in Dwan’s Career

Before he played at the 2007 World Series of Poker tournament, Dwan had lost nearly $2 million from the $3million he had in his bankroll that year. However, he was able to earn it back by 2008, when Dwan reportedly won almost $5.5 million playing in the poker room at Full Tilt Poker. In 2009, he went on to lose $5 million when he played against Victor Blom, a poker professional who challenged him to a marathon heads-up match. This prompted him to challenge the player to a live match at the Full Tilt Poker Million Dollar Challenge. By the end of the year, Dwan’s losses had amounted to almost $4.5 million, which left him with a cumulative winning of just under $1.5 million.

By 2010, Dwan won back this sum and some more, when he played at different tournaments. In the first match he earned more than $1.5 million, and in the second he took home the same amount when he played against Illari Sahamies. By the middle of that year, Dwan had more than $7 million. However, he lost $4 million of this when he played at high-stakes games.

What the Million Dollar Challenge is All About

The Million Dollar Challenge issued by Dwan was that he would play against any poker player online, except his friend Phil Galfond. Dwan is willing to play for 50,000 hands in the heads-up challenge at Pot Limit Omaha or No-Limit Hold’em. In case the person with the most chips by the 50,000th hand is his opponent, Dwan will pay him $1,500,000. On the other hand, Dwan will get $500,000 if he is ahead by that stage. This gives his opponents 3-1 odds in the challenge. Two players who are playing the challenge against Dwan are Daniel Cates and Patrik Antonius. Once they pass the 50,000 hand limit, the challenge will be played out by Dwan, against David Benyamine and Phil Ivey.

Dwan’s Tournament Winnings

Since 2008, Dwan has played in varied events at the WSOP. In a $10,000 buy-in World Championship Mixed Event at the 2008 Annual WSOP, Dwan came 7th and took home $67,680. He then played in the $5,000 buy-in No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball w/Rebuys event, in which he came in eighth and took home $45,111. Dwan has also participated in the World Series of Poker in 2009, where he placed 14th and the No Limit Hold’em event at the Annual WSOP in which he came in 2nd. Dwan has also played in HORSE, Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship and Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship in which he came 74th, 17th and 9th respectively.

Other People Found This Page When Searching For: