Durrrr Wins $1.1m Pot

Full Tilt Poker’s Million Dollar Cash Game has completed filming for its fourth season in London, living up to its reputation as one of the world’s richest cash games. This year’s event, filmed by Emblaze Productions, featured a pot of more than $1.1 million– the largest pot in television history.

Million Dollar Cash Game features an all-star cast of the world’s best poker players, each of whom must put up at least $100,000 of their own money to compete in this invitation-only event. This season’s line-up includes Team Full Tilt superstars Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Gus Hansen, Mike Matusow, Allen Cunningham and Patrik Antonius, along with high-stakes online sensation Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan.

Early highlights from the action included a huge pot between online foes Antonius and Dwan, who regularly play head-to-head at the highest stakes available online at Full Tilt Poker. Both players put all of their chips into the pot before even seeing a flop, with Dwan holding pocket Aces against the pocket Kings of Antonius. The flop brought a King for Antonius, giving him a set and a lead in the hand. No help came for Dwan on the turn or river, and a massive pot of more than $500,000 was won by Antonius.

Dwan, who is used to the massive swings of fortune that are part of the high-stakes lifestyle, battled his way back out of the red by winning a half-million dollar pot versus Cyril Mouly, a regular high-stakes player online at Full Tilt Poker. All of which led up to the largest pot ever played in televised poker history.

Down to three-handed play with Dwan, Antonius and Ivey, perhaps the three most prolific high-stakes players in the world, the blinds were at a whopping $1,000/$2,000 with a $200 ante. All told, there was more than $2.2 million on the table.

James Hopkins, Managing Director of Emblaze Productions, said “After almost 20 hours of play, other players stepped aside as the Million Dollar Cash Game turned shorthanded. Three of the world’s elite players; Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius and Tom Dwan, started playing blinds of $1k/ $2k. It was great to watch.”

Dwan was first to act and raised it up, only to be re-raised by Phil Ivey from the small blind. Patrik Antonius quickly got out of the way, and Dwan made the call. With nearly $60K already in the pot, the flop came Qc-3d-5c. Ivey bet out $40,000, and Dwan made the call. The 4h hit on the turn, and that’s when the fireworks started going off. Ivey bet again, only to see Dwan put in a massive raise, making it more than $240k to go. Faced with a monumental decision, Ivey went into the tank for several minutes, debating his options. Finally, Ivey said the two words that Dwan had been waiting to hear: “all in.”

Dwan called away the rest of his chips without a moment’s hesitation, revealing 6h-7h for the nut straight. A disappointed Ivey revealed Ac-2h, good for a straight, but not good enough to win the hand. With Ivey drawing dead, the harmless Jh fell on the river, making Tom “durrrr” Dwan the winner of more than $1.1 million – the largest pot ever to be won on a televised poker show.

Full Tilt Poker’s Million Dollar Cash Game will be aired on Sky Sports in the UK in January 2010.