Poker genius Tom Dwan: from 50 bucks to tens
of millions dollars
Hello everyone, this is Cardmates.
There are many incredible stories of success
in poker.
The debut of Chris Moneymaker, the career
of Phil Ivey and other impressive transformations
inspire millions of people.
But American Tom Dwan can, without exaggeration,
be called the real poker Cinderella.
In this video you will learn how to take 50
bucks from dad and turn them into millions.
Tom Dwan was born on July 30, 1986 in Edison,
New Jersey.
He was the only child in the family.
In childhood he was fond of basketball, football
and baseball, but all this could not fascinate
the guy entirely.
There was no such passion in traditional sports
that Tom Dwan was looking for.
For the first time he played cards with friends,
and they played not for real money.
He enjoyed this activity and began to play
in free tournaments of the Empire Poker room.
After some time, he earned there his first
huge bankroll, however, in the play money.
One day Tom Dwan felt that it was time to
finish with play money game.
On his 17th birthday, Tom persuaded his father
to deposit the first real money in his account,
50 dollars.
With this bankroll the future highroller began
to play Sit`n`Go tournaments for 6 bucks,
and very soon his bankroll grew six times.
With 300$ on his account, Dwan moved to a
cash game at the $0.25/$0.50 limits, which
he considered to be a huge achievement.
Later he moved to the blinds of 1-2 dollars
which was incredibly cool by his standards.
At that time Tom could not even think what
a bright future awaited him...
When Dwan finished school, his father's 50
dollars had already turned into 10 thousand.
He rejected the parental idea of getting a
job, and with the money he earned from poker
he rented a house on the Boston coast and
hung out with friends all summer.
When the summer was over, it was time to go
to the university.
The first year of university was difficult
for Dwan, since poker had to be combined with
studying.
But it was harmful only for studying, and
as to game progress everything was in perfect
order: in one year Tom’s bankroll grew up
to 150 thousand dollars.
However, Dwan lost 60 thousand because his
studies distracted him from the game.
Realizing his position and appreciating the
risks, Tom decided to leave the university
and focus on the game.
It was then that the rumors started about
a new guy under the nickname “durrr”,
who crushes everyone at the blinds 10/20 and
25/50 dollars.
Tom Dwan worked hard, improved his skills,
and by 2008 he had earned enough to play at
limits of 500/1000 dollars.
Already having a solid bankroll and the glory
of an invincible online poker player, Dwan
never participated in a live championship
— American law banned him from playing offline.
At 21, he was a young but experienced master.
In 2007, Dwan took part in the Main Event
of the World Poker Tour and immediately took
fourth place.
Another famous event happened in early 2009,
when Tom Dwan allowed himself one of the greatest
audacities in the history of poker.
He challenged the entire poker community of
the world.
Tom claimed that he would beat any player,
except Phil Galfond, at least for a dollar
during 50 thousand online hands at limits
of at least $200/400.
If the opponent wins, Dwan pledged to pay
him one and a half million dollars.
In case of loss, the opponent will have to
pay 500 thousand himself.
If this idea seems arrogant to you, imagine
that you are so strong and famous that no
one just wants to sit at the poker table with
you.
And it is necessary for you to earn money
somehow.
Many players accepted the challenge, but only
two of them started the game itself.
Patrick Antonius played 39 and a half thousand
hands with Dwan and lost more than two million
dollars.
Daniel Cates played less than 20 thousand
hands, but already was ahead of Tom by a million
and a quarter.
In the end, neither challenge was completed.
If you believe that Dwan’s road to success
was smooth, you’re making a huge mistake.
He is known also due to very loud losses.
For example, in 2009 he lost more than three
million dollars to Viktor Blom.
In his own words, after such a loss, it was
necessary either to go to work at McDonalds,
or somehow to restore his bankroll.
Tom is really very popular player; he participated
in many television projects, such as High
Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark.
It was Tom Dwan who set the record for the
most expensive hand in poker history.
In just one hand Dwan beat Phil Ivey for $1,100,000.
Interestingly, that after Tom left the project
High Stakes Poker, the rating of the show
instantly fell several times.
The history of Tom Dwan is rich in adventures,
ups and downs.
This guy can win two million dollars in one
day, and can lose 30 million in one hand.
He is a recognized world poker star, but he
does not have a single WSOP bracelet, and
in live tournaments he won only about 3 million
dollars.
He now rides a Lamborghini Diablo and participates
in the private games of Milan and Macau at
nosebleed limits.
He is one of the main poker heroes of our
time.
His career provides an example of what 50
dollars can turn into in the capable hands
of a talented and hardworking person.
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