Another day, another great run by Patrik Antonius who at this point is squarely whipping Tom Dwan to the tune of a cool half million dollars. Let’s not forget that if Dwan loses the challenge by even $1 over 50k hands, he has to fork over another $1.5 million! By that point Dwan might be next in line to GM for a government bailout. To put a new spin from a famous Rocky III line, Antonius might be able to say “I reject the Durrrr Challenge because there IS NO challenge!” or at least something to that effect. Let’s take a look at some of the hands from the May 4th session.
Top Two Holds for $125K
Full Tilt Poker $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha Hi – 2 players
durrrr (BB): $177596.00
Patrik Antonius (BTN/SB): $62394.00
Pre Flop: ($600.00)
Patrik Antonius raises to $1200, durrrr raises to $3600, Patrik Antonius calls $2400
Flop: ($7200.00) Kc 4s Jh (2 players)
durrrr checks, Patrik Antonius bets $5600, durrrr calls $5600
Turn: ($18400.00) 3h (2 players)
durrrr checks, Patrik Antonius bets $18400, durrrr raises to $73600, Patrik Antonius calls $34794 all in
River: ($124788.00) 7c (2 players – 1 is all in)
Final Pot: $124788.00
durrrr shows Kh 4h Td 9d (two pair, Kings and Fours)
Patrik Antonius shows 3s Kd 8h Jd (two pair, Kings and Jacks)
Patrik Antonius wins $124787.50
Hand Analysis
Pre-flop had durrrr on the big blind holding K-4-10-9 double suited for an okay starting hand while Antonius held an equally marginal 3-K-8-J single suited. Per the usual, we see the button raise and durrrr from the big blind 3bet and called by Antonius. At this point in the challenge it seems that these guys should just make the blinds $1,800 – $3,600 to save themselves the time of constant 3betting/calling!
The flop showed K-4-J to give durrrr top and bottom pair while Antonius outflopped Dwan with top two pair. Durrrr check called, which was a little curious, as in spots like this we’ve seen him check-raise – perhaps we’re beginning to see him alter his usual play in the challenge. The three of hearts on the turn gives Dwan two pair plus the King high flush draw while Antonius didn’t improve. This time, we see Dwan check-shove with two pair plus the redraw to the flush which was called by Antonius, who pretty much committed himself with the pot-bet at the turn. The seven of clubs missed durrrr’s outs which included any heart or 4 (for a boat). Although Dwan probably thought he was getting his money in good we see him take another big gamble with a stack, this time as a 67-33% underdog and come out on the short end of the draw.
durrrr Misses Another Draw for $160K
Full Tilt Poker $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha Hi – 2 players – View hand 112520
durrrr (BB): $80574.50
Patrik Antonius (BTN/SB): $109412.50
Pre Flop: ($600.00)
Patrik Antonius raises to $1200, durrrr raises to $3600, Patrik Antonius raises to $6000, durrrr calls $2400
Flop: ($12000.00) Kd 4c 3c (2 players)
durrrr bets $7600, Patrik Antonius calls $7600
Turn: ($27200.00) Ad (2 players)
durrrr checks, Patrik Antonius bets $27200, durrrr calls $27200
River: ($81600.00) 6c (2 players)
durrrr bets $39774.50 all in, Patrik Antonius calls $39774.50
Final Pot: $161149.00
durrrr shows 6h Qd 8s 5d (a pair of Sixes)
Patrik Antonius shows Ac Th 6d Ah (three of a kind, Aces)
Patrik Antonius wins $161148.50
Hand Analysis
This hand shows durrrr hold a really weak 6-Q-8-5 single suited hand while Antonius holds a much more dominant A-10-6-A double suited. Following the norm in Pot Limit Omaha getting the money in with any A-A-x-x hand is the mission objective, which Antonius did by 4betting pre-flop to $6k. The thing to note is that we’ve really rarely seen 4bets pre-flop by either player in the challenge and Dwan decided not to fold but to flat it out of position. The K-4-3 flop gave durrrr the open ended straight draw and curiously Antonius doesn’t get durrrrr all in but rather flats the donk bet. The Ace on the turn gives Antonius the set while durrrr is still drawing, and this time Dwan check-calls the pot bet. This is really the critical moment in the hand as Dwan has put in half his stack in a 4bet pre-flop pot where all he has at the turn is a straight draw. At this point Dwan was a 70-30% dog (yet again) and then the 6 of clubs came on the river. The interesting thing about that card is that it was pretty much the perfect bluffing card for Dwan as it just nails any straight or flush draws that he really was representing in the hand.
The river open-shove by Dwan was the right move since it really was the only way he was going to win the hand and now we see that he positioned himself to either hit the draw *or* bluff a good bluff card (which he did). Against another player, this line probably would have worked, but Antonius knows better (plus he held a set of Aces) and looked Dwan up for a huge $161,148 pot and now a massive lead in the Durrrr Challenge.
