How Good is Tom Dwan?

Just how good is Tom “Durrrr” Dwan at poker? Certainly better than me that’s for sure but I would hazard a guess that many players could stake a claim to be better than me. Durrrr, as he is known, is one of the best poker players in the world today after years of dominating the cash game tables both live and online. At the age of 17 Dwan was given $50 by his father and rather than buy a gift he invested that into his favourite poker room and started to play poker. The rest, as they say, is history.

Six years later and Durrrr has never had to re-deposit, building a bankroll of many millions of dollars and a reputation as one of the finest cash game players in the world at the highest stakes. But is this reputation justified? Results certainly suggest that it is. Dwan has an average record in poker tournaments and is one of only a handful of poker players who have forged their reputation from solely being a ring game specialist. Dwan is a cash game prodigy, in every sense of the word.

Dwan has his critics. Success in poker is usually judged by tournament success and he has not really had any of that. He is unconcerned with winning WSOP bracelets and prefers to sit in the highest stakes cash games instead during the World Series. When he was bashing players up during online poker games, people said that he would be unable to take on the best and win. Players like Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey and Gus Hansen soon found out Dwan was the real deal when he started dominating the live games too. They quickly realised this player was here to stay.

His cash game success was tested when he issued an open challenge to everyone except close friend Phil Galfond for a multi-table cash game contest. At the time this was considered the big news of the poker world. With 33,000 or so hands played of an allotted 50,000 Dwan is leading Patrik Antonius by $2 million. He was considered crazy to offer three to one on a $500,000 bonus if he wins, but now he seems certain to collect from Patrik when they eventually finish this challenge.

To be considered great you must return from adversity. Life is easy when things are going well. Durrrr was tested in November 2009 when he suffered a horrific series of losses to Isildur1. According to pokertableratings, Tom lost $6 million between August 2009 and December 2009. People were claiming he had been found out and could no longer beat the online games. Durrrr managed to avoid tilting (amazing when you consider the losses he endured) and he has gone on a recovery run and has won about $5 million of that money back so far in 2010. Just last week he is reported to have made a profit of over $1.2 million. He will be a far wiser and more rounded player having had the experiences he has had over the last six months.

He is fearless, talented and has a wealth of online poker and live poker cash game experience. Every single top player respects his abilities at both Texas Holdem and Pot Limit Omaha. Players like Phil Hellmuth, begrudging at best in praising other player’s talks very highly of Dwans poker ability as does poker legends like Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey. Not many players can match these boys as top players, but Dwan is now part of that elite group of players.

Does it matter how good he is? Would you relish seeing Tom Dwan sit down at your cash game table with a large stack of chips? I guess he would say he is good enough.

By Malcolm Clarke

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Tags: cash games, durrrr, high stake poker, phil hellmuth, poker, tom dwan