Tom Dwan won what Hustler Casino Live is calling the biggest pot in televised poker history last night against a crypto-trader with as much money as guts — but no pair.
Dwan’s victim was “West Side” Wesley Fei, who once made history by buying in $1 million in a $5/5 game. Fei said he become a millionaire many times over through Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining, and is the founder of investment firm Infinite Decentralization Capital.
He had $2.8 million when the hand started. Dwan who got all his money by being one of the top high-stakes poker players in the last 15 years, had $1.5 million behind him.
There were playing $500/$1K with a $3 bb ante.
Blasting away
A player raised to $7K, but when Fei looked down and saw , he bumped it to $30,000. But in the meanwhile, Doug Polk, who was sitting directly to Wei’s left, declared he saw his cards.
The Bitcoin miner slide his cards over to Polk with a smile, a sugar-free Red Bull in his other hand. Polk looked at Fei’s cards and said “Yep,” confirming he knew what Fei had.
Dwan made it $100,000, and it wouldn’t be until the river until the more than 50,000 fans watching the stream would know he was holding because the card reader didn’t pick up his hand until the very end.
The original raiser folded, and Fei five-bet to $275,000. Dwan tanked for a moment before making the call. There was now $562,000 in the middle.
The flop came . Silence hit the table after Fei asked how much Dwan had and was told about $1.25 million.
Fei bet $125,000 and Dwan called.
With a on the turn, the board was as dry as cork for him.
“Wesley’s hands are shaking,” announcer David Tuchman said. “He is loading up for another bet.”
That bet was $350,000 and Dwan, without much hesitation, made the call. The river was . Dwan again checked to the aggressor who took very little time to say “all-in.”
This time, Dwan didn’t instantly call. He stood up, grabbed a bottle of water, and began going over the hand out loud as he faced a bet for his entire stack of $786,000.
Fei put his head down in his arms on the rail as Dwan twisted in his seat, narrating the action.
“I’m going to feel real dumb when you roll over 87 suited or some shit,” Dwan said. Fei stayed with his head down. “What the fuck,” he repeated, saying he’d feel dumb if Fei turned over aces, too.
Dwan did everything he could to talk himself out of calling the river bet. He said it felt like Fei flopped the trips, that he could have aces, but something was off.
Polk looked like he was in the hand himself. He’s was the only person who knew what was going on with Fei’s bluff and he did his best to remain impartial and calm, but his breath was heavier as he tried to remain as still as possible.
“So Doug saw his hand. This is a weird fucking hand. Doug saw his hand, tried to talk him out of three-betting — he three-bet anyway,” Dwan said, smiling, while glancing at Polk. “I mean, I guessed he flopped an eight, but it seems very hard to fold (my queens).”
It took a few more minutes of agonizing analysis before he made the call and won the biggest pot in broadcast poker history.
“Ohhhhhh,” Fei said, as his chips changed ownership. “Can’t bluff Tom.”
$3.1 MILLION POT!! THE BIGGEST POT IN THE HISTORY OF TELEVISED POKER!!@TomDwan vs @CryptoApprenti1
Tom Dwan is now winning more than $2 MILLION tonight pic.twitter.com/Fiv7ldVykt
— Hustler Casino Live (@HCLPokerShow) May 31, 2023
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