Phil Hellmuth and Tom Dwan will square off once again in a High Stakes Duel and, this time, there will be $800K on the line.
The latest showdown between the two longtime foes will take place on May 12 in Las Vegas. Each player will put up $400K and the winner will take all. In addition to the prize money, the victor will become the reigning High Stakes Duel champion, while the loser will be offered a chance to avenge their defeat in a match worth $1.6 million.
High stakes history between Hellmuth and Dwan
The most recent High Stakes Duel got underway in June 2021 with a first-round match between reigning champion, Hellmuth, and Fox Sports 1 host Nick Wright. As he’d done in the previous two seasons, Hellmuth came out on top, and Wright declined a rematch.
Dwan was drafted in and, with that, a rivalry stretching back more than a decade was suddenly reignited. Dwan first got the better of Hellmuth in a 2008 NBC Heads-Up Championship match. He repeated that feat in August and won $100K in the second High Stakes Duel of Season 3.
The two met again in January with Hellmuth getting the win and taking home the $400,000 prize pool. Resident CardsChat poker pro Chris Wallace gave his take on the key hands. By all accounts, Hellmuth played better than some expected and may have even had a slight edge over Dwan on the day.
Whether he’s the underdog or not, Dwan will reach into his pocket for the third time. As is the nature of PokerGo’s High Stakes Duel, the buy-in doubles each time.
High Stakes Duel is about more than money
Given their history, both Hellmuth and Dwan will be playing for more than money. Even though they’ve become friends since their fateful clash 14 years ago (see video below), there’s a competitive rivalry between the two that will never disappear.
Hellmuth has the momentum going into the rematch, but Dwan is still regarded as one of the best Hold’em players in the world. It’s another intriguing match that fans can watch live on PokerGo.com.
Before that, Ali Nejad will host a “weigh-in” show on May 11, complete with player interviews and expert pregame analysis.
Existing PokerGo subscribers can tune in to watch the match on May 12 at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Everyone else can watch the first hour for free on PokerGo’s YouTube channel.
