There was a moment in time in 2010 when Tom Dwan may well have been one of the most committed players at the World Series of Poker. Between personal ambition and some lucrative side bets on whether or not he’d win a bracelet that summer, Dwan was on a mission. He got dangerously close in a 2,563-player $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event, ultimately finishing in second place.
Back then, Dwan was known almost exclusively by his online poker handle, ‘durrrr’, playing the highest stakes cash games in the world, making regular appearances on almost all of the most famous televised poker shows in existence.
It might seem shocking, especially to a poker fan of that time, to know that when the money bubble burst on Wednesday on Day 4 of the 2024 WSOP Main Event, it was Dwan’s first ever cash in this tournament and only 11th career WSOP tournament cash.
“Thanks for the reminder,” Dwan remarked upon hearing that note during the first break in play on Day 4.
Dwan spent the first three days of the tournament in seemingly good spirits, engaging with players and fans at and away from the table. At the end of Day 3, he paused to take a photo with one of his tablemates at the secondary TV table. But post-bubble, Dwan wasn’t quite feeling quite so positive about where he stood in the tournament.
“I’ve been swinging a bit actually. I’m still a little tilted,” said Dwan. “I have one hand I should have gone for it yesterday and I didn’t. I had a few other hands I went for, mostly it was right. I think once or twice I got it wrong.”
The next couple of levels post-bubble in the WSOP Main Event are generally moving time, as those hanging on to get into the money take their stands and chips start flying. Back at the secondary feature table, Dwan seemingly sensed that the next few hours would go a long way toward defining his trajectory in this tournament.
“I wouldn’t be shocked if I’ve got a bunch of chips in two hours,” said Dwan. “I wouldn’t be shocked if I’m out in 20 minutes, so we’ll see. Hopefully, it’s the first and not the second.”
Dwan would indeed get to enjoy a timely spinup in short order during the level that followed, as he flopped a flush against Austin Apicella and allowed Apicella to bluff three-streets,including a river shove.
With a stack of over 1 million following that hand, Dwan didn’t so much as crack a smile as he collected his double-up. And despite an affable air on breaks, as it’s been on recent appearances on streams like Hustler Casino Live, it seems likely we’ll be seeing a lot more of the serious side of Dwan as the 2024 WSOP Main Event continues.
“I’ll be enjoying it if I’m here in two or three days with a bunch of chips,” said Dwan. “But so far, it’s not too bad.”