Tom Dewan
Tom Dwan was born on July 30, 1986, in Edison, New Jersey. Playing online poker under the alias "durrrr," he embarked on his poker journey in March 2004 at the tender age of 17. His initial bankroll consisted of the $50 birthday gift from his father. At first, Dwan lost $35 in $6 Sit-and-Go tournaments. However, he then shifted his focus and gradually became profitable. As these tournaments ceased to challenge him, he delved into cash games, gradually increasing the stakes. While attending the engineering school at Boston University, he made the decision to drop out and pursue a full-time career as a professional poker player.
| Land | Professional since | Favorite games | Bracelets | Highest profit | total profits | List of Top Earning Individuals (2023) | Global Poker Index (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 2008 | Texas Hold'em, Omaha | 0 | 447.844 $ | 2.913.934 $ | 421 | - |
| Hometown: | Edison, New Jersey |
| Interesting facts: | He goes by the nickname "durrrr". At the age of 17, he started playing online poker. He left engineering school with the intention of becoming a professional poker player. |
| Key moments in poker: | Holder of the record for the largest pot winnings in the history of a live game; the 2009 Durrrr Million Dollar Challenge. |
| Number of WSOP bracelets: | None |
| WPT/EPT Winnings: | No |
| Total tournament winnings: | $2.913.934 (Stand 2017) |
Career, profits, and achievements
In 2007, it was reported that Dwan won $312,800 at Full Tilt Poker. He managed to increase his gaming earnings to $5,400,000 in 2008. However, like many other professional poker players, Dwan experienced extreme swings of luck and financial success. During a span of four months in 2007, he lost $2,000,000 out of his $3,000,000 bankroll. It was said that he managed to recover from this loss in less than a year. In January 2009, he lost over $3,500,000, but within six months, he had recouped that amount. Dwan faced his biggest losing streak in December 2009, where he lost $2,000,000 in just that month alone. By the end of 2009, it was reported that Dwan had lost a total of $4,350,000 at Full Tilt Poker, reducing his overall online winnings to $1,400,000. After experiencing ups and downs in 2010, his total winnings for that year amounted to $3,300,000.
Dwan made his first cash in a tournament at the age of 19 during the second leg of the European Poker Tour. It wasn't until he turned 21 that he achieved the same feat again at the World Poker Finals in 2007. He secured a second-place finish at the Aussie Millions in 2008 and replicated his success at the Borgata Winter Open that same year, claiming second place once more.
In the year 2008, he managed to rake in some cash at 2 events of the World Series of Poker, and in the WSOP 2010, he secured second place. Dwan holds the current record for the live game pot win amounting to $1.1 million in the fourth season of the Million Dollar Cash Games by Full Tilt Poker.
The Durrrr Million Dollar Challenge
In January 2009, Dwan embraced the challenge of putting $1.5 million against each challenger's $500,000 in a high-stakes heads-up competition. This intense game took place simultaneously across four tables, spanning 50,000 hands. Patrik Antonius was the first to step up, followed by Phil Ivey and David Benyamine. Dwan served as the driving force behind Full Tilt Poker's groundbreaking "Durrrr Million Dollar Challenge," which unfolded at the prestigious Les Ambassadeurs Club in London from November 17th to 19th, 2009. Dwan emerged victorious in two out of three matches, ultimately taking home a staggering $795,500.
After his tenure as a member of the Full Tilt Poker Team from 2009 to 2013, the paths of the poker shooting star and the online poker room diverged. The collaboration that had once brought them together came to an end, marking a significant shift in their respective journeys.
