The Won'durrrr'ful Life of Tom Dwan

On Dec. 6, 2008, Tom Dwan found himself in a particularly action-packed game on Full Tilt. Most days, this $500-$1,000 no-limit hold'em six-max table is vacant, but on this Saturday night, the seats were occupied. It was during this session that Dwan raked in $657,070 in one pot, setting the record for the biggest hand he'd ever won online. It was cause for major buzz on the online poker forums, but to Dwan, it was just part of another session. The exchange of six-figure amounts is nothing out of the ordinary for the 22-year-old.

It's hard to believe that just a few years ago, Dwan was a high-school student, sitting at his parents' computer, nervously playing two $6 sit-and-gos on Paradise Poker with his account at zero. Knowing that he would have a tough time convincing his parents to deposit more money online, he had to cash in at least one of them. He did snag a first-place finish, which gave life to his depleted bankroll, boosted his confidence, and put him on the path that has led him to become the poker phenom he is today.

How it All Began

Dwan was born and raised in Edison, New Jersey, a town that is home to around 100,000 residents. He grew up as an only child. A carefree, happy, and outgoing kid, Dwan tried his hand at a few competitive activities. He played basketball, baseball, and soccer, and while he excelled at a few of them, he didn't find a passion in any of the sports.

As he became older, it was common for him to play some variation of cards with his aunt, uncle, and parents. One day, Dwan's friend was hanging out at his house and they decided to play a $5 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament. Immediately fascinated by it, Dwan and his friend introduced the game to the rest of the group, and they began playing sit-and-gos. On one fateful rainy day, Dwan and a couple of his friends came across Empire Poker, an online site where he could play the game for free. Hooked on the game, Dwan wanted to play for real money.

"I convinced my dad to put $50 online for me. I had some Christmas money, so I gave it to him to put on Paradise Poker," said Dwan. "It wasn't hard to convince him the first time, but I'm sure he wouldn't have kept depositing for me. He would think I was a degenerate or something."

Dwan began playing $6 sit-and-gos. Still learning the ins and outs of the game, his bankroll dropped all the way down to $15, but he found a way to win. He played tournaments until he built it up to $300, at which time he started playing cash games.

"I remember the first time I won $100 in a day. I was playing 25¢-50¢, and I thought it was so awesome."

As Dwan improved and built more wealth, he moved to PokerStars in pursuit of higher limits. It was there that he began multitabling [playing more than one table at the same time] $2-$4 and $3-$6 no-limit hold'em. At the end of Dwan's senior year in high school, his parents attempted to force him to get a job for the summer, but by this time, he had built his $50 into $10,000. Not only did he not get a job, he also paid for a house at the shore to spend the summer months with his friends before he was to begin his freshman year at Boston University.

He entered college as an engineering major, but it was clear that he spent much more time studying poker. He continued to learn, progress, and hone in on his edge at the table, often winning or losing more money in one session than his fellow college buddies could earn in a year.

"I ran my bankroll up to 150K, but then lost like 50 or 60K really quick, and at the same time, I realized I was failing out of school."

Struck with somewhat of a self-imposed ultimatum, Dwan gave up school to focus on poker.

Just Poker

Dwan played on numerous sites under the alias "durrrr," with the number of r's varying from site to site. In 2004, after he conquered the $10-$20 and $25-$50 no-limit hold'em games, word of the young, ruthless, and hyperaggressive player spread like wildfire through the underground world of high-stakes online poker.

Though cash games remained his bread and butter, Dwan couldn't resist taking a shot in major tournaments, and in 2005, at the age of 19, he finished 12th in the European Poker Tour London event. While most people his age were digging through seat cushions and recycling empty beer cans for some extra money, Dwan was jet-setting around the world, playing in the most prestigious poker tournaments ... well, the ones that he was allowed to play, of course.

Too young to play tournaments in the U.S., he continued to concentrate on cash games, and met a few fellow players along the way, including David Benefield. The two became fast friends and, along with a few other regulars, traveled to overseas tournaments together.

High-Stakes Living

In 2006, Dwan and Benefield, both of whom were still too young to even drink legally, decided to buy a house in Fort Worth, Texas. The bachelor pad, impressive by any standard, gave the two a place to not only party hard, but work hard, as well. Dwan focused on his game, plugging leaks and tightening his grasp on advanced no-limit hold'em concepts and strategies.

Constantly challenging himself, Dwan was not afraid to sit at the virtual felt with anyone. He admits to being a little cocky, and nearly always feeling like he had an edge over every opponent, but when he'd lose, he would step back and re-evaluate, rebuild, and then try again. He recalls the days of competing heads up against players like Frederick "H@££ingol" Halling at $10-$20, as well as Prahlad "Spirit Rock" Friedman at $25-$50. "I would play Prahlad day in and day out for a week, and if I was down, I would just take a couple weeks off from playing him until I earned the money back against other players, then play him again. I definitely attribute that as being a huge reason I got better so quickly, because it's so much easier to learn when you're playing against good players."

Armed with a "bring-it-on" attitude and no-fear mentality, Dwan moved up in stakes at a rapid pace, and within a year of living in his new house, he had begun taking shots at $200-$400 no-limit hold'em. Despite being a little under-bankrolled for the game, Dwan was successful at the sky-high limits.

Million-Dollar Downswing

When there are ups, there are, inevitably, a few downs. Dwan experienced the largest downswing of his career just before the 2007 World Series of Poker. After running well for a few weeks at the $200-$400 level, his bankroll hovered around the $3 million mark. Then, in the span of four months, he lost more than $2 million.

"That was really rough to deal with. I was thinking there was no way I was going to make that money back anywhere other than poker. It would take like 10 years if I was really successful somewhere else. It was some bad play and a ton of bad luck."

With two-thirds of a bankroll gone, it would be easy for many 20-year-olds to buckle under the pressure. However, Dwan proved once again why he's not just an ordinary player. With wisdom beyond his years, he rolled up his sleeves and put in the work. He dropped down to $25-$50 and steadily rebuilt.

"I didn't have much of a choice. It was either that or throw the rest of my money in a bank account and start working at McDonalds. Grinding it out sounded more fun."

Turning 21 Brings Tournament Success

On July 30, 2007, just after the culmination of the WSOP main event, Dwan turned 21. Just months after beginning to compete in major U.S. tournaments, he made a World Poker Tour televised final table in the World Poker Finals main event at Foxwoods. He placed fourth, for nearly $325,000. Following that, he had a couple of cashes at the 2008 Aussie Millions tournament series, as well as a second-place finish in a Borgata Winter Open preliminary event. He also placed ninth in the prestigious $25,000 WPT Championship, for more than $184,000.

The 2008 WSOP was Dwan's first crack at a bracelet. Proving that his poker talent transcends variations of the game, he finished eighth in both the $5,000 no-limit deuce-to-seven draw lowball event and the $10,000 world championship mixed event. So far, Dwan's lifetime tournament earnings total nearly $1 million. However lucrative tournaments have been for him, he says that cash games are still where the money is.

What it Takes

So, what does it take for Dwan to be so successful? Well, if you ask him, he might say, "I just gamble and hope I win." From the charming smile that always follows his many sarcastic statements, it's easy to deduce that this just isn't the case.

Dwan consistently crushes the highest-stakes no-limit hold'em and pot-limit Omaha games on the Internet, and is one of the biggest winners on Full Tilt. One of his major assets is the ability to avoid tilt, but at the limits he plays, most everyone is a high-caliber player who rarely lets emotions take over.

"Right now, at the highest stakes, no one has an understanding of no-limit hold'em or pot-limit Omaha that is much above anyone else, meaning that the best player and the next-nine-best can play together. You just need to adapt to your opponents."

When he talks about poker, Dwan has a tough time articulating exactly what it is that makes him so good. Perhaps it's because most of it is instinct. In poker, players often talk about an X factor, an intangible skill set that is impossible to teach. Almost like a sixth sense, those who have that X factor can literally feel their opponents' breaking points, read their subconscious minds, and punish them by always thinking a step ahead. There's no question that Dwan has this X factor. He is constantly making incredible reads online by always trusting his instincts. Because he has become one of the most feared players in the world, he often finds it hard to get people to play him.

The Challenge

The flailing economy and legal restrictions of online poker have greatly affected the high-stakes games. There is less "dead money," and the big-limit heads-up tables online are often lined with different pros sitting at various tables, refusing to play with one another. In an attempt to stir up some action, many pros have resorted to offering enticing challenges for both profit and fun, and Dwan has one of his own - a heads-up challenge.

Dwan is putting up $1.5 million to anyone's $500,000 as escrow on the side to play 50,000 hands heads up against him at four tables minimum and at $200-$400 minimum stakes in either no-limit hold'em or pot-limit Omaha. The player who ends the session with the most money will win both the equity earned during the heads-up match and the bet on the side. If Dwan loses, he will pay his opponent $1.5 million. Should Dwan win, he will keep the money earned, as well as the $500,000.

"I don't get enough people to play me heads up. Even though there is more money to be made in other games, rather than playing heads up at one or two tables, it's so interesting and you learn a lot. I might think I have an edge here, but it's more to have fun and gamble a little. That's why I'm making this challenge."

There is one stipulation, however. The only player to whom this challenge is not open is Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond. Not only are Galfond and Dwan close friends, but Galfond is another elite and widely respected player online.

"Not only is he challenging any player in the world, he's offering them odds," said Galfond. "I mean, a lot of people are confident in their game, but no one I'm aware of has ever backed it up like this. I really hope someone takes him up on it, because I'd love to watch the match. As far as the challenge being open to anyone but me, I take that as one of the highest compliments I've received as a poker player."

What's Next

For someone who never books a flight more than a couple of hours before going somewhere, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where he sees himself in a few years, but if he had to guess, Dwan says he'll be playing a lot less poker.

"A lot of the hours I play now, I'm not enjoying. I obviously enjoy doing this more than about any other job I could have now, but a lot of the hours, I'd rather be doing something else." When Dwan isn't making millions of dollars online, he's busy enjoying life, whether he's watching TV, hitting the hottest Vegas club, or losing a $50,000 chess bet with Benefield.

In the short time that Dwan has been running in the poker circles, he's gained the utmost respect from tournament and cash-game players alike. He has come a long way from where he was as the anxious teenager on the brink of going broke. Part of becoming a poker legend is having staying power, proving that one's success isn't just a flash in the pan. Should Dwan jump off the poker radar in the next few years, it's safe to say that it would be for one reason only - he decided to do so.

Poker's Top Pedigree on Tom Dwan

Barry Greenstein: "Tom is very dangerous and really tough to play against. He's real active and the kind of player who forces you to play pots with him. He's the table captain and you always know he's there. He's pretty fearless, and he's taken on all comers."

Nick Schulman: "He's probably the best young player in the world as far as no-limit [hold'em] and pot-limit Omaha go. He's the type of player whose style is hard to simply describe. He's aggressive when he should be, and he's passive when he should be. He's just a great player and immensely talented."

David Benefield: "He's just so unique, and he plays different than anyone else. When he is playing well and running well, he is absolutely the scariest person at the table, bar none."

Phil Galfond: "Tom is an enigma. Most players fall into one of a few categories as far as style of play, but Tom kind of created his own. He's a world-class player, but he plays much different than all the other world-class players. Since Tom's style is so unconventional, a lot of his plays seem strange. Because of that, and the huge swings he's had in big games, any player you ask about his game could have a completely different opinion than the one before. The one thing they'll all have in common, though, is being less smart than Tom is."