Tom Dwan Talks Live Poker & Controversies on 888Ride

Tom “Durrrr” Dwan is one of the game's biggest legends and a name that nearly everyone in the poker world knows and respects.

Having come up in the online streets during the days of the poker boom, Tom Dwan was the direct inspiration for thousands of players to join the game during the days of Full Tilt Poker.

The legend joined David Tuchman on the popular 888Ride podcast and spoke about some of the biggest cash game pots he played on TV, the private games he plays in these days, and some of the controversies that have been surrounding him in recent months.

Check out the full 888Ride interview with Tom Dwan below, or keep reading to find out what Tom had to say about these important topics.

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Does Tom Dwan Care About WSOP Bracelets?

Tom Dwan is a busy man, and he wasted no time making sure David would skip his intro and get right into the nitty gritty.

The first questions that came at him had to do with a topic that’s very current, with David asking whether or not Durrrr cares about WSOP bracelets.

Tom was quick to say no at first, and that he would rather take the money that came with them, but then realized he might actually not be saying the full truth.

He proceeded to correct himself and say that he maybe does care a little bit, although he doesn’t want to admit it to himself.

Of course, the WSOP bracelets have plenty of value beyond the sheer metal, as they represent success and allow players to get their names out there, not that Dwan lacks in popularity in the poker world.

Nevertheless, it appears his stance on WSOP events and bracelets has changed a bit over the years and that he may try a bit harder to win a few in the years to come.

It is interesting to note that Tom Dwan has no WSOP bracelets in his name, but he has been on three WSOP final tables in the past.

The truth is that Tom plays very few tournaments and is mainly focused on the cash games, making such trophies hard to come by.

Online vs. Live Poker

Anyone who knows Tom’s story knows that he came up in online poker, playing some of the biggest online games back in the day under the moniker Durrrr.

Durrrr was an absolute legend in the online streets, with thousands of people tuning in to rail him each day as he played huge games with the likes of Patrik Antonius, Phil Ivey, Viktor Blom, and many others.

Tom came up along the likes of Phil Galfond and other legends of online poker, many of whom transitioned fully or in part into live poker over the years.

Today, Dwan is known as a live cash game player, as he spends the majority of his time grinding the highest- stakes games around the world, including those happening around the various Triton Poker Tour stops.

Asked to compare the two, Tom said he never expected he would become a full-time live poker player, but that he could not foreshadow Black Friday and the events that followed it.

All those events led to Tom going out to Asia, getting friendly with people like Paul Phua, and eventually becoming the poker player he is today.

Dwan also discussed the nature of the high stakes private games happening out there and mentioned that those games exist because they cater to the needs of recreational poker players like Santhosh Suvarna and others who make the games possible.

Indeed, poker games that are made up exclusively of poker pros aren’t really worth playing in, which is why it’s important for game organizers to cater to pros and recs alike if they want their games to keep on running.

Huge Pots and Confrontations of Tom’s Poker Career

For most fans, the huge pots that Tom Dwan played on TV against the likes of Phil Ivey and Wesley Fei remained some of the iconic moments in the history of TV poker.

However, Tom says that such pots are just a part of his everyday life, as he could not even recall the huge million-dollar pot against Phil Ivey that was played some 15 years ago at first.

Speaking about the biggest pot he played on a Hustler Casino Live stream last year, Tom said that this pot was a bit different simply because he never played that big against Wesley before.

The hand became famous for both the massive size of the pot and the fact that Doug Polk saw Wesley’s cards before he decided to put over $1.5 million into the middle with it.

It all went Tom’s way in the end, as he scooped up what was the biggest pot on TV poker at the time and one of the more substantial pots of his poker career.

Is There Truth to the Allegations?

Tom Dwan’s name has been brought up in bad context in recent months, with several poker industry insiders suggesting he owed them money and was in massive debt overall.

Addressing these allegations, Tom said that he didn’t always do everything perfectly but that the particular allegations coming out against him recently were completely or mostly bogus.

While the exact financial situation of the poker legend remains undisclosed, it is clear that he continues to play some of the biggest games around and that the money keeps on flowing regardless of its source.

Whether or not Tom owes people money is beside the point anyway, as it was his integrity and willingness to pay his debts that were called into question. According to Tom, such allegations were without any basis.

What’s Next for Durrrr?

Somewhat surprisingly, Dwan also pointed out that he does not love poker as much as some of the other pros and that he doesn’t always enjoy playing.

Amidst the long sessions he tends to play, poker can feel a lot like work, which is why he’s been looking for opportunities outside of poker in recent years.

Crypto has been one field that got Tom particularly interested and that he believes he may have a future in.

Speaking about what’s next, Dwan said he may be more invested in crypto than poker over the next ten years, although his passion for poker is still obvious and it’s hard to believe Tom would step away from poker altogether.

Article by

Zvonimir Potocki

Zvonimir has played poker for well over a decade and shared his knowledge with his fans and followers on various sites. He will help you master anything from basic strategies to advanced topics, so you will not go wrong with his articles. He also loves watching poker on TV and shares his insights about poker celebrities. You can connect with Ivan via his LinkedIn profiile.