‘durrrr Challenge’ Update: Dwan Clobbers Antonius for $376,000, Pulls Nearly Even
The “durrrr Challenge” just keeps rolling on, ever so slowly, though Patrik Antonius and Tom “durrrr” Dwan’s personal decisions to focus on the cash-game action rather than grinding out WSOP events day after day has yielded online railbirds another mid-series challenge session, the 28th of this match. In the wee hours of the morning, Dwan and Antonius played 786 hands of $200/400 pot-limit Omaha over the course of two and a half hours. Though Antonius came into the session with roughly a $400,000 lead, he found it all but erased by the time they quit for the night, Dwan picking up over $376,000 to shrink Antonius’ lead to only $34,594 after 16,124 hands.
This session was, quite simply, all about durrrr. Of the six $100,000-plus pots that developed, Tom Dwan won five. The first one unfolded on table “durrrr Challenge 1,” where Antonius had ground out about $13,000 over Dwan so far, his stack nearly $93,000 to Dwan’s $67,000. Dwan opened for $1,200, Antonius reraised to $3,600 and Dwan called. Antonius checked the Q♠8♦6♠ flop over to Dwan, who bet $4,800. Antonius re-potted to $21,600 and Dwan decided to call. The turn brought the J♣ and Antonius fired a $50,400 bet, attempting to set Dwan all in. Dwan happily called, turning over 10♠10♣9♥5♠ for a queen-high straight and a flush re-draw to Antonius’ A♠K♣8♠5♣ for a pair of eights and the nut flush draw. Though the river brought Antonius a third eight with the 8♣, it wasn’t enough and Dwan raked in the $134,394 pot.
About fifteen minutes later on table “durrrr Challenge 2,” they got their stacks in again with eerily similar hands. Antonius opened for $1,200, Dwan three-bet to $3,600 and Antonius called. Dwan check-raised Antonius $6,000 bet on the J♠7♦4♥ flop to $25,200 and Antonius made the call. The turn was the 8♣ and the rest of the money went in, Dwan check-calling all in after Antonius bet $57,600. Antonius had turned a set of eights with 10♣8♠8♥5♥, but Dwan had the open-ended straight draw, a flush draw, and an overpair with J♣J♥10♦9♥. Dwan hit the Q♠ on the river to make a queen-high straight, again toasting Antonius’ set of snowmen for a massive pot, $159,992 in total.
The bloodshed continued over on “durrrr Challenge 3,” where Antonius three-bet Dwan’s $1,200 open to $3,600. Dwan called and they saw a 5♥4♦2♦ flop. Antonius bet $6,000 and Dwan called. The turn was the 10♥ and Antonius led again, this time for $19,200. Dwan potted to $76,800, leaving himself only $465 behind and Antonius called. The rest of their chips went in on the 3♥ river. Though Antonius rivered a wheel with A♦8♦7♠4♠, Dwan had him one better with 8♣6♣5♣2♠, his flopped two pair turning into a six-high straight on the end to earn him the $173,730 pot.
The last major pot of the session ended up being the second-largest pot of the entire challenge at $229,590 (the largest was $291,950, in case you’re curious). Both players were sitting pretty deep on “durrrr Challenge 3,” Antonius with nearly $115,000 and Dwan with just over $245,000. Antonius led off the action with a pre-flop raise to $1,200, Dwan three-bet to $3,600 and Antonius came right back at him with a reraised to $10,800. Dwan called and they saw a flop of A♦J♦2♠. Dwan checked, Antonius bet $16,400, and Dwan was back over the top with a check-raise to $70,800. After a bit of a think, Antonius called and they saw the 6♦ fall on the turn, putting a potential flush on board. Dwan set Antonius all in for his remaining $33,195 and the Finn called, revealing Q♣10♦6♣3♦ for the flush. Dwan was looking for the board to pair on the river with J♣J♥10♥9♦ for a set of jacks and got there when the 2♦ came on the river, making him jacks full of deuces to take down the huge pot.
With Dwan and Antonius continuing to play a very limited schedule of WSOP events (though we hear the action is juicy as ever at Bellagio), will we see a few more sessions before the Main Event? Keep it here at PokerNews for continuing coverage of this match.
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.
