While most normal people kicked off 2009 with typical New Year's Resolutions, such as quitting smoking, losing weight, or stop chasing gutshots, Tom "Durrrr" Dwan began January with one of the most daring and risky challenges to date. Durrrr is laying 3-to-1 odds that he can beat anyone in the world heads up over 50,000 hands in either no-limit
hold'em or pot-limit Omaha.
"I'm making this heads-up challenge to the world," Durrrr told Bluff Magazine. "Anyone can accept. Four tables, minimum of $200-$400, and I'll put up $1.5 million to their $500,000. We play 50,000 hands minimum and if they end up a dollar ahead after rake they keep the side money or whatever. So basically, if you and I played and you won a dollar, you would get my $1.5 million and if I won a dollar I would win your $500,000. So I'm giving a million dollars free if anyone thinks they can do it."
Only Phil "OMGClayAIken" Galfond was barred from participating in Durrrr's Million Dollar Challenge. Within a short period of time, Durrrr had three eager challengers; Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, and David Benyamine. At stake? $4.5 million of Durrrr's own money against $1.5 million from three of the biggest cash game sharks in the world.
Many of Durrrr's peers considered him the best short-handed high stakes player in the game. However, several of the older Las Vegas veterans feel as though Durrrr over-extended himself.
"Somebody could go broke," suggested Phil Ivey in an interview on Poker Road Radio. "That's a lot of money and a lot of time."
Antonius thought differently since the four simultaneous tables increased the difficulty of the challenge.
"Durrrr has much more experience at playing four or more heads-up tables at the highest stakes," said Antonius in an interview with Poker News. "His brain seems to be programmed much better for that kind of thing."
Originally from New Jersey, the 22-year old Durrrr amassed a million dollar bankroll before he was legally able to gamble in Las Vegas. Durrrr dropped out of Boston University and moved to Texas, where he shared a house with other online pros. Durrrr diligently studied the game and logged an ungodly amount of hours at the virtual tables. He quickly ascended the ranks and became a regular at the $500-$1,000 no-limit tables against pros such as Gus Hansen, Ivey, and Benyamine. Durrrr also proved that he can handle himself at the live tables. Shortly after he turned 21, he made two final tables at the WSOP and one final table on the WPT.
In January, Durrrr took a massive hit at the tables in non-challenge sessions during a three week downswing where he lost over $3 million. Durrrr was rumored to have a bankroll in excess of $10 million and the pundits on the various internet forums wondered if Durrrr would go busto before the challenge even started. Antonius siphoned off almost $1 million from Durrrr in one session of pot-limit Omaha, and Ivey won almost $700,000 during sessions of pot-limit Omaha and a mixed game format that included pot-limit hold 'em and pot-limit Omaha. Despite the adversity, Durrrr stormed back in early February with a $1 million surplus over one weekend. Durrrr won most of that money playing $500-$1,000 NL against Antonius. The two young guns agreed that the next time that they meet would be for the official start of the challenge.
The Million Dollar Challenge finally kicked on the morning of February 18 when Antonius sat down for a brief session. Durrrr took an early lead over 1,500 hands and won approximately $135,000. You can follow along with the action over at Full Tilt Poker. Just search for the tables labeled "Durrrr Challenge" in the pot-limit Omaha section where you can watch Durrrr take on Ivey, Benyamine, and Antonius. Tune in to find out if any of them actually win $1 million of Durrrr's money.
Paul "Dr. Pauly" McGuire is a writer, poker player, and avid traveler from New York City. He's the author of the Tao of Poker blog which can be found at taopoker.blogspot.com.
