High-stakes poker phenom Tom "durrrr" Dwan, known for staring down millions in live pots and online duels, is now aiming his chips at a new opponent: a British mental health facility. After what he describes as a "nightmare" stint at the Park Royal Centre for Mental Health in Middlesex, Dwan says he's preparing to file a flurry of lawsuits - and he's not bluffing.
"I'll be filing many complaints and a buncha diff lawsuits, along with some various tweets and other PR..." Dwan posted on X, formerly Twitter.
This all follows a strange series of events that played out at the end of April. Dwan, who helped redefine aggressive online play during the golden days of Full Tilt Poker, began tweeting cryptic messages and tagging political figures from both the UK and the U.S. Those tweets seemed to land him in the Park Royal facility, where he says things quickly spiraled out of control.
"Effectively held as a prisoner," he wrote. "Drugged against my will."
The man once feared for his unpredictable 4-bets and fearless river bluffs says his stay included forced medication and psychological evaluations he didn't consent to. He also alleges the hospital staff coerced him into sending an April 30 tweet that downplayed the situation:
"Feeling a bit better. Was a bit stressed," the tweet read - one Dwan now claims was sent under pressure from hospital staff.
Dwan touched down back on U.S. soil on May 17 and has since gone relatively quiet, aside from dropping hints about a future livestream discussion with Abril Zucchi, a fellow poker personality, where he plans to break down the incident.
For now, Dwan says he's "laying low," but the PR game is part of the long play. He's likely to tell the full tale with the same intensity he brings to nosebleed games.
A Flop They Didn't See Coming
Dwan's situation isn't an isolated misdeal. Even before he walked free, other voices were raising concerns about the Park Royal facility. One notable tweet from James Marinkovic on May 1 questioned Dwan's wellbeing and attached a string of brutal Google reviews about the hospital:
"Hated to see how patients were being spoken to and sorry to say I saw zero compassion," wrote one reviewer.
Another former patient said the treatment was "frighteningly poor care," while a neighbor claimed to hear "screams often" and even contacted authorities due to the disturbing sounds coming from the premises.
Who Is Tom Dwan, Really?
If you're new to the poker scene, Tom Dwan isn't just any card shark, he's a living legend. Rising to fame in the mid-2000s, Dwan turned a few online deposits into millions, quickly earning a reputation for unorthodox play and fearless aggression. His screen name, durrrr, became synonymous with the golden era of online poker.
He starred in legendary poker shows like High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, and Million Dollar Cash Game, often playing pots worth more than most people's mortgages. More recently, he made waves in live high-stakes games in Macau and Triton Poker events, tangling with titans like Phil Ivey and Daniel "Jungleman" Cates.
But his mystique goes beyond the table. Dwan has always been enigmatic - disappearing for long stretches, surfacing in far-off poker rooms, and rarely revealing much about his personal life. This latest chapter, dramatic and disturbing, only adds to the mythos.
If the lawsuits proceed, they'll likely test more than just hospital policy, they'll test how society responds when someone who's always had control of the game suddenly finds himself with no chips, no say, and no way out.
Stay tuned. This pot is far from over.
Source:
https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/30240-poker-pro-tom-dwan-lawsuit-after-stay-at-mental-health-facility
Image: Tom Dwan | Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship | 2024 World Series of Poker via Pokernews
