'durrrr Challenge' Update 12: 10,000 Hands in the Books
For the second consecutive night, Tom "durrrr" Dwan and Patrik Antonius played a session in their 50,000 hand challenge, logging 890 hands over the course of two and a half hours of poker play. Despite the high stakes and the volume played, the session ended with little more than three big blinds exchanging hands when all was said and done, Dwan finishing only $1,243 ahead of Antonius. Though in the end the rake was perhaps the biggest winner in this particular session, it did contain by far the two largest pots of the challenge thus far. Even more remarkable? They unfolded within six minutes of each other.
Antonius waited on and off all evening for Dwan to make an appearance at the "durrrr" Challenge tables, with the cards finally going on the screen just before 4:45 a.m. EDT Thursday morning. The first six-figure pot developed less than twenty minutes in, Dwan raising to $1,200 on the button, Antonius reraising to $3,600 and Dwan making the call. Antonius check-called a $4,800 bet from Dwan on the J♦8♦2♠ flop and check-called another $12,200 when the turn came the Q♣. The river was the 10♦ and Dwan moved in for his remaining $37,947, Antonius looking him up. Whatever read Antonius had on Dwan in this hand was dead-on, as Dwan showed 8♠7♥5♠3♣ for nothing more than a pair of eights while Antonius made a king-high flush on the river with A♠K♦6♠5♦ to take down the $117,093 pot.
The "sick hand of the night" award has to go to the $133,087 pot that unfolded just past the session's one-hour mark. Antonius made a standard opening raise to $1,200 with K♦K♠J♥7♠ and Dwan called from the big blind with 10♥10♦8♣8♠. Both players flopped sets when the first three came down K♣10♣5♥. Dwan played it slow, check-calling a $2,400 bet from Antonius before his gin card came on the turn—the 10♠ making him quads and Antonius the nut full house. Dwan coyly checked again, Antonius bet $5,200, Dwan raised to $16,900 and Antonius smooth-called. The Q♠ fell on the river and holding the stone nuts, Dwan led out for $27,600. Antonius moved in for $46,044 and Dwan snap-called. Say it now—"Sooooo siiiick!"
Two pots broke the $200,000 mark during this session, the first coming when Dwan opened for $1,200 and Antonius called. Antonius took the lead on the Q♠J♦5♥ flop, betting $6,000 and Dwan called. The 6♠ landed on the turn and Antonius took another shot at it, betting $19,200. Dwan raised to $76,800 and Antonius came back over the top for $155,893. Dwan called off the $28,066 he had behind and turned over A♠J♠9♦5♦ for two pair, jacks and fives and a flush redraw while Antonius showed Q♥Q♦3♦3♥ for top set. The river was a safe card for Antonius, though, falling the 4♥ to earn him the $228,932 pot which was, up until then, the single largest pot played so far in the "durrrr" Challenge. That is, until six minutes later.
Sitting at durrrr Challenge table 4, each player with a stack in the $150,000 range, Antonius opened for $1,200 and Dwan called. Dwan led out for $1,750 on the J♠6♣4♣ flop, Antonius raised to $7,650, Dwan three-bet to $20,200, Antonius four-bet to $63,000 and Dwan called, the pot swelling to over $128,000. Dwan moved all in for $81,775 when the turn fell the 10♦ and Antonius called, having Dwan slightly covered. Dwan rolled over A♣7♣5♥3♣ for an ace-high flush draw and a wrap draw while Antonius revealed K♥J♥J♣9♣ for top set and a lower flush draw. $291,951 was on the line as they waited for the river card… and it was the Q♣ making Dwan the nut flush to win the "durrrr Challenge"'s largest pot to date.
Just over 20% of the challenge match has been played so far, with the high-stakes foes passing the 10,000-hand mark in this session. Antonius still holds the overall lead in the challenge, up $79,277. Keep it here at PokerNews for continuing updates on this heads-up battle.
Editor's Note: Nicole Gordon's continuing reports on the "durrrr Challenge" highlight PokerNews.com's coverage of the latest in online poker. To railbird the "durrrr Challenge" yourself, open up an account at Full Tilt poker today.
