It’s been a busy week in the Durrrr Challenge. Shortly after Poker News Daily published an article recapping Wednesday’s encounter on the felts, Tom “durrrr” Dwan and Dan “JungleMan12” Cates began playing in earnest once again, this time logging another 1,214 hands.
The session featured wild swings, with Dwan at one point cutting the overall challenge deficit to just $200,000. However, Cates rebounded down the stretch in part by scooping a $210,000 pot and Dwan ended up profiting $63,000. Now, Cates leads by $500,000 in the second installment of the Durrrr Challenge and 14,190 hands have been played. Fourteen sessions have been held since the Challenge began covering a little over 24 hours of real time.
You didn’t think we’d mention that there was a $210,000 pot and then not talk about it, did you? Dwan raised before the flop to $1,200 and Cates came over the top to $5,200. Dwan wasn’t content to call and instead raised to $14,500. Cates obliged and the flop came 9-3-6 with two spades. Cates check-called a bet of $17,800 from Dwan and the turn brought the five of diamonds.
Cates checked when the five hit and Dwan shoved his $166,000 stack into the middle. Cates, sitting on $72,000, called all-in and flipped up 8-7 for the nuts. Dwan showed 9-5 for two pair and, as has become customary, the river was run twice. A four and a deuce secured both halves of the pot for Cates.
The second largest hand of the session clocked in at $189,000. In it, Cates raised to $800 before the flop and Dwan 3bet to $2,400. Cates 4bet to $7,200 and Dwan called to see a flop of 5-9-4. Dwan checked, Cates led out for $7,200, and Dwan called, bringing a six on the turn.
The action slowed down, as both players checked, and the river was an ace. Dwan checked, Cates fired out $23,600 in chips, and Dwan shoved over the top for $80,000. Cates called and Dwan tabled pocket fours for a set. His challenger promptly mucked and Dwan scooped the second largest pot of the two-hour afternoon session.
Thursday’s battle resulted in five of the 10 largest pots in the Challenge, including three that lapped $150,000. Amazingly, Cates has taken down all but three of the top 10 largest pots overall and five of the top seven. Cates has also been dominant in the number of hands won, scooping 8,265 of the 14,190 played so far, or 58%. Meanwhile, Dwan has won 5,826 pots, or 42%. Dwan and Cates have bet over $92 million total at the $200/$400 No Limit Hold’em tables on Full Tilt Poker.
Also during the Challenge, Dwan commented via Twitter that he was tilted beyond belief and his frustrations took him two Tweets to convey: “Just had one of the most tilting hands of my life happen. Was playing JungleMan in the Challenge and my internet cut out, so I checked behind… the nuts in a spot where he would’ve 100% called with two pair for $34,683 more. Sooooooooooo tilted.” Cates did not post on Twitter during Thursday’s session.
The Cates versus Dwan Durrrr Challenge began in August amid much fanfare, with many believing that the duo could complete the requisite 50,000 hands by the start of the 2010 World Series of Poker in September. However, that did not come to fruition. An abundance of traveling and nosebleed live cash games in Europe and Asia appear to be partly to blame.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from the Durrrr Challenge.
