Tom Dwan is well-known for his high-stakes poker games and impressive cashes. He holds the record for winning the largest pot in televised poker history, a staggering $3.1 million. In this report, we will delve into Tom Dwan’s early career, poker earnings, personal life, and the rumors surrounding his alleged $30 million debt.
Tom Dwan’s Early Life and Introduction to Poker
Tom Dwan was born on July 30, 1986, in Edison Township, New Jersey. He and his friends discovered sit-and-go games on Empire Poker, where they realized they could earn money. Eventually, Dwan convinced his father to deposit $50 on Paradise Poker, marking the start of his poker career.
Dwan is also known by his screen name, “durrrr,” which he chose to irritate other players after beating them. He told PokerNews, “I wanted to select a screen name that sounded ridiculous and insane, hoping it would put players who lost to me on a massive tilt.” This strategy seemed to work, as Dwan earned over $10,000 before turning 18. By the time he reached 18, he had already accumulated around $15,000 playing multi-tabled $1/$2 and $2/$4 no-limit hold’em cash games on PokerStars and Paradise Poker.
After high school, Dwan enrolled at Boston University to study engineering. However, like many aspiring poker pros, he struggled to focus on his studies, having already committed to a career in poker. During this time, he lost nearly $60,000 from his $150,000 bankroll and was failing his classes. Eventually, Dwan decided to drop out of Boston University to pursue poker full-time.
Tom Dwan’s Poker Career Highlights and Earnings
While Dwan primarily enjoys playing cash games, he decided to try his hand at live tournaments. In the U.S., players must be 21 to compete in the World Series of Poker or other major tournaments. Instead, Dwan traveled to Europe, where 18-year-olds can gamble. At 19, he competed in the 2005 EPT London Main Event, finishing 12th and earning $12,398 in his first live cash.
After turning 21 in 2007, Dwan participated in the World Poker Finals $10k Championship Event, where he finished 4th, earning an impressive $324,244. In 2008, he added another $184,670 to his earnings with a 9th-place finish in the World Poker Tour $25,500 Championship Event.
That same year, he made two final table appearances at the World Series of Poker (WSOP): 8th in the $5,000 2-7 Draw event for $45,110, and 7th in the $10,000 World Championship 8-Game event for $67,680. He also won Heat 7 of the PartyPoker Premier League Season 3, collecting $20,000.
In 2009, Dwan played only a handful of live tournaments and televised poker games. However, a significant highlight came when he finished 14th in the World Series of Poker Europe £5,250 PLO event, earning $20,959.
In 2010, Dwan’s tournament participation remained low, but he nearly claimed his first WSOP bracelet in 2011, finishing as the runner-up in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event, earning $381,885. That same year, he won Poker After Dark Season 7’s $50k Sit & Go game, taking home $300,000. He also made two final tables in the 2011 WSOP: 9th in the $25k NLH Heads-Up Championship for $67,436, and 5th in the $10k H.O.R.S.E. Championship for $134,480.
In 2014, Dwan finished 6th in the Aussie Millions Poker Championship $250k Challenge, adding $447,844 to his career earnings.
Mysteriously, Dwan then disappeared from the live tournament scene, returning only in 2017 to compete in a single event: the MBP Spring Challenge HK$500,000 High Roller, where he finished as the runner-up, earning $252,153.
Though his tournament volume remained low, Dwan secured a career-high score in 2019, earning $793,775 for his 8th-place finish in the Triton Poker Super Series London £250k Short Deck Private Event. In 2021, he defeated Phil Hellmuth in PokerGo’s $100k Heads-Up High Stakes Duel, winning $200,000.
Dwan continued his success in 2022, winning two Triton titles at the Triton Madrid Events #11 and #14, collecting over $650,000 in total.
One of his prominent recent cashes include a 4th-place finish in the 2024 Triton Jeju Event #10 $37,000 NLH Turbo Bounty, where he earned $346,000. Dwan also cashed in two 2024 World Series of Poker events (Event #73 and Event #81), adding $90,000 to his earnings.
Tom Dwan’s Love for Cash Games
Tom Dwan’s love for cash games has been a defining part of his poker career. He even holds the record for winning the largest pot in televised poker cash game history.
In 2009, Dwan participated in Full Tilt Poker’s Million Dollar Cash Game. The table was narrowed down to three players: Dwan, Phil Ivey, and Patrik Antonius. Dwan eventually faced Ivey in a massive pot, with Dwan making a straight to scoop $1.1 million.
Fifteen years later, in 2023, during Hustler Casino Live’s Million Dollar Cash Game, Dwan broke his own record, winning a $3.1 million pot.
Although it is hard to estimate his total cash game earnings, they are believed to be in the eight-figure range or higher.
Tom Dwan’s Net Worth in 2024
Tom Dwan’s net worth is estimated to be around $10 million. Dwan is known for grinding high-stakes cash games and has even moved to Macau to compete in some of the biggest games, where wealthy businessmen and recreational players frequently participate. Dwan has over $6.9 million from live poker tournament earnings.
Tom Dwan’s Personal Life
In the early 2010s, Dwan moved to Macau due to his love for high-stakes cash games. Despite this, he has still appeared in numerous U.S. live cash games.
In 2018, Dwan announced his marriage to Bianca Rossi in a Twitter post, mentioning her love for tennis. The couple has been spotted at various tennis tournaments.
Does Tom Dwan Owe $30 Million?
Tom Dwan has often been surrounded by controversy, particularly for alleged unpaid debts. Several poker players have accused Dwan of not repaying loans dating back to 2010.
Things escalated when Doug Polk claimed, “Tom Dwan owes about $30 million.” Polk suggested that Dwan prioritizes paying off large debts, ignoring smaller ones. There are also rumors that Dwan owes money to the Chinese Triad Mafia, which allegedly funds his high-stakes games.
This rumor is still alive, although in March 2024 Dwan fired back at Haralabos Voulgaris and Peter Jetten, who accused Dwan of not paying back their money.
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