Another Dwan challenge

08/29/2010

With his 18 month long 50 000 hand million dollar Challenge competition with Patrik Antonius still running, internet high stakes maniac Tom 'durrr' Dwan has embarked on another mammoth confrontation.

Dwan announced the new Challenge in a typically laconic Twitter post this week, naming his next opponent as 21-year-old University of Maryland economics major Daniel ?jungleman12? Cates, who has apparently lodged $500 000 in escrow pending the outcome of the new Challenge.

The terms appear to be a 50 000 hand, 3 to 1 deal through which Dwan will cough up $1.5 million to Cates if the new challenger is $1 up at the end of the 50 000 hands, and Cates will pay Dwan $500 000 if durrr happens to win.

The game of choice is $200/$400 NLHE across a minimum of four tables, with the option of boosting to six. Interestingly, a ?run it twice? rule has been introduced which will see the contestants having to reload to a full starting stack if their chips fall below 75 big blinds.

The first session was promisingly long and action-packed, with almost 12 hours of play amounting to 5 829 hands. Cates is off to a great start, taking Dwan for over half-a-million dollars in the two-part session and winning the biggest pot at $192 983.

Dwan may have been distracted, because with typical insouciance, in the first half he was simultaneously hammering away in two $200/$400 six-handed pot-limit Omaha games against some of the top high stakes aces at Full Tilt!

With over 10 percent of the required 50 000 hands played in one session, this new Challenge holds the promise of being somewhat more absorbing than the turgid progress of the original Dwan challenge, with its infrequent get-togethers.