At the Triton Poker Montenegro series, Tom Dwan sat down for an interview where he answers questions about all stages of his career. We get to hear how his journey started, as well as what kind of a man and thinker he really is.
How it All Started for Tom Dwan
Tom Dwan is the most iconic poker player in the modern game. His exploits at the highest stakes for heads-up cash games are legendary.
Like everyone else though, he started with a small deposit of $50 and went from there. What was different for the 33-year-old American, was that he immediately went on a heater and turned his $50 into as much as $15,000.
Only months later he was sat with $30,000 and wondering just how far he could go.
After moving to Boston University he built up his bankroll to $80,000 and set his mind to crushing the $200/$400 level.
Seemingly without any problems, he added another $120,000 profit which was the catalyst for dropping out of his studies and becoming a full-time professional.
Becoming the Best
Most of his poker strategy study had been done alone. It had been effective but something needed to change to take the next step. This step was meeting up in person with other good players to pool their knowledge.
Guys such as Phil Galfond would work with Dwan and secrets were shared. Everyone benefited. There were also no thoughts of employing a coach because nobody could be found who Dwan had the confidence was so much better than him.
Dwan is also asked about his opinion on video training websites. He looks uncomfortable and laughs before saying,
“Phil Galfond decided to go and make everyone good…I think it some respects it was pretty inevitable.”
What Kind of a Man Is Tom Dwan?
Throughout the entire interview Dwan makes it clear that poker has given him choices in his life. While he feels he can follow rules, his propensity to ask why all of the time can make it an uncomfortable situation.
For this reason, poker has been a perfect career choice. In terms of the money that poker has given him, he talks about how it’s just a means to an end in a capitalist society. He goes further and says while not a perfect system, it’s the best the world has right now.
Some future projects to “change the world” are also mentioned. Unfortunately Dwan doesn’t elaborate beyond saying they are for after poker. Poker is still clearly his main focus in life.
The interviewer now tries to find out what kind of a thinker Tom Dwan is. Dwan responds with a business analogy.
“I think I could be a decent chairman of the board type, but you want to short that company if I am the CEO.”
The discussion highlights how Dwan works best with other people’s ideas, rather than creating his own original strategies.
The interview ends with a brief chat on how involved Dwan is with the Triton Series. We hear how he has been coming up with many new suggestions that may be seen in the near future, in the drive to keep poker fresh.
This is why the short deck format has been pushed so hard at Triton. It’s exciting and nobody has it all figured out yet.
Tom Dwan is still exciting to watch for sure. We hope that he keeps on entertaining us for years to come.
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