The (Yawn) Dwan Challenge Cranks Up Again

Tom Dwan and Patrik Antonius (pictured together, left) have cranked it up again, and after a six week hiatus, they seem to be back on track and may yet complete the “Dwan Challenge.” When Tom Dwan first offered the world an opportunity to play him heads-up, online, at multiple tables, with the challenger paying Dwan $500,000 if he lost—but receiving $1.5 million if he won—along with whatever was won or lost across the tables, the world was enthralled by these seemingly over the top stakes.

But in that intervening time, even higher stakes games have been played online. The “nosebleed” games at Full Tilt, in which as much as $4 million has been won and lost in a single session appear to have made the Dwan challenge seem, well … pedestrian by comparison, never mind the fact that the 50,000-hand match between Dwan and Patrik Antonius has dragged on so long that it’s lost momentum and most of the railbirds have lost interest.

Antonius took Dwan for $340,437 in the most recent five hour session, which comprised 1,184 hands.

Accrording to MarketPulse, here’s what the Dwan Challenge stats look like right now:

* Total amount wagered in the Challenge to date: $313,193,943
* Dwan lead to date: $ 1,468,655
* Antonius win in latest session: $ 46,437
* Total number of hands played to date: 37,366
* Total hours played in the Challenge to date: 123
* Percentage of Challenge now completed: 75