Tom Dwan: The talk of the 2010 World Series of Poker

By Case Keefer (contact)

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

A crowd forms near whatever table he's playing at and fans swarm him for autographs and pictures every time he steps into a Rio hallway.

At the World Series of Poker, an event with thousands of participants, Tom 'durrrr' Dwan undoubtedly is the center of attention. It's quite the change from a year ago, when Dwan rarely ventured down to the Rio and played in only three of the series' 57 tournaments.

Dwan, a 23-year old professional poker player from Edison, N.J., spent most of last summer in Bobby's Room at the Bellagio and other venues around Las Vegas playing in the world's biggest cash games.

"I never went all out for the World Series," Dwan said. "I figured it was about time I did. It seemed like a good idea."

By going "all out," Dwan means booking bets that he would win his first World Series of Poker bracelet. Unimaginable amounts of bets.

Nearly every high-stakes poker player at the World Series bet Dwan, who focuses on cash games more than tournaments, he would not win a tournament at 3-to-1 odds. Dwan will not disclose the total amount he stands to win if he prevails, except by saying it will be "the best day I've ever had."

Estimates from fellow pros range anywhere from $5 million to $12 million. ESPN.com reported a single bet with Phil Ivey would net Dwan $3 million.

Put simply, a lot of money was on the line Sunday night when Dwan outlasted 2,561 opponents in a $1,500 no-limit hold'em tournament to reach heads-up play against New Zealander Simon Watt.

A buzz usually reserved for only the $10,000 Main Event final table took over the Rio. A number of pros said a Dwan victory would have shook up the entire poker economy.

"I think that's an overstatement if I won one. If I won two, it might shake it up," Dwan said with a smirk.

With almost every bracelet bet, Dwan also placed a wager that he would win two bracelets in three years.

But much to the appreciation of players like Ivey and Daniel Negreanu, Watt used a large chip advantage to take down Dwan and win the bracelet Sunday.

"It was amazing," Watt said. "It was strange. It would have been crazy enough just to make the final table. But to play against durrrr made it much better."

For his second place finish, Dwan won $381,885, much less than some of the pots he regularly plays for in cash games.

He left the Rio immediately after the final hand and admitted the next day that he was upset about coming so close. But by Tuesday, Dwan was upbeat and optimistic about going after the bracelet in the 40 tournaments left this summer.

"I wouldn't say I'm really confident," Dwan said. "I'm obviously an underdog to win a bracelet, but that's why I'm getting good odds. I'm hoping to work it out."

Dwan entered Event No. 17, a $5,000 no-limit hold'em tournament that attracted an elite field of 792 players, Tuesday and built up a nice stack in the first few hours. But he did not last through the night and busted shortly after the 6:00 dinner break.

Although Dwan admits his best chance to win will come in no-limit hold'em or pot-limit Omaha events, he's entering every tournament he can. That includes stud events, which Dwan says is a game he "doesn't really know how to play."

Every opportunity is worth it for the millions he could make with a victory. Dwan's mere presence has made him the unofficial king of the 2010 World Series of Poker.

"Last year, there were tons of big cash games," Dwan said. "This year, I expected there to be a decent amount less and because of that, I decided to focus on this. It seemed like a good year to do it. Hopefully, I'll win a bracelet and be happy."