Tom Dwan Wins First Live Tournament Title At Triton Series Madrid

Tom Dwan is one of the most popular poker players in the game, thanks in large part to his many years playing nosebleed cash games for large audiences, whether on shows like High Stakes Poker or online, where he was best known as ‘durrrr’. The 35-year-old American poker pro has primarily focused on cash games since rising to the top of the game in the late 2000’s, but despite only dabbling in the tournament world of late, he has managed to amass more than $5 million in earnings on the tour. Dwan has made several deep runs in big events, including finishing runner-up for a bracelet in 2010, but had not yet won a live tournament title. That changed when he emerged victorious in the 2022 Triton Series Madrid €25,000 buy-in pot-limit Omaha event, a field of 34 entries to earn his first trophy and the top prize of €290,000 ($304,500 USD).

“I like playing tournaments. It’s nice not to be bummed out from not winning. Hopefully I’ll be up here again in a day or two,” Dwan told Triton staff after winning before preparing to hop into the short deck main event at the series.

This maiden live victory came 16 years, 7 months, and 3 weeks after Dwan secured his first cash back in the 2005 European Poker Tour London main event.

Despite being his first title, this was only Dwan’s sixth-largest tournament payday yet, with his largest score being a $793,775 USD cash in a £250,000 buy-in short deck event at a Triton festival in London back in 2019.

Dwan also scored 336 Card Player Player of the Year points for his victory. This was his third final-table finish of the year. With 696 total points and more than half-a-million in year-to-date earnings, Dwan now sits within reach of the top 300 in the 2022 POY race, which is sponsored by Global Poker.

The second and final day of this event began with eight remaining and only six set to make the money. Jeff Gross and Paul Phua hit the rail in the early going, with Phua bursting the bubble. Big One For One Drop Invitational winner Elton Tsang was the first knocked out inside the money, getting all-ing with A-K-K-J with not flush draw. He was up against the 10-10-7-5 of Dwan, which improved to a ten-high straight on the river. Tsang earned $63,000 USD as the sixth-place finisher.

Filip Lovric was the next to fall, with his pocket queens running into the pocket kings of three-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus. Lovric was unable to come from behind and was eliminated in fifth place ($80,325 USD).

Finnish high roller Patrik Antonius’ run in this event concluded in fourth place. He got the last of his stack into the middle with bottom two pair facing a flush draw with some back door straight possibilities for Dwan. The flush draw came in on the turn and Antonius missed his full-house redraw on the river, settling for $102,375 USD.

Dwan’s steamrolling of the final table continued when Tom Aksell Bedell called for the majority of his short stack preflop with AQ53. Dwan had raised with 10865. The rest of the chips went in on a 762 flop. The 4 turn saw Dwan make an eight-high straight to leave Bedell drawing dead. He earned $133,350 USD after the 3 completed the board.

Dwan took more than a 3:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Ausmus, who was already at his 14th final table of the year. He extended the lead even further before the final hand was dealt. Dwan raised to start with QQJ3 and Ausmus defended his big blind with 9543. The flop came down J83 to give Ausmus a flush draw and bottom pair. He moved all-in for a pot-sized bet and Dwan called with his superior diamond draw, tow pair with jacks and threes, and an overpair for good measure. The 8 on the turn left Ausmus drawing dead. The K was a mere formality, as Ausmus earned $208,950 SUD for his runner-up finish. He also secured 280 POY points. With 3,442 total points and more than $1.8 million in year-to-date earnings, Ausmus now sits in second place in the 2022 POY standings.

Here is a look at the payouts and POY points awarded at the final table:

Photo credit: Joe Giron / Triton Poker.

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