Durrrr Challenge to Restart in 2017?

Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan finally finishing his challenge match with Daniel ‘Jungelman’ Cates? It’s never going to happen is it? Well, hang on, there may be light at the end of the tunnel thanks to Doug Polk’s off-the-cuff tweet - which saw Cates bringing some ‘news’ to the table in reply.

Just a casual reminder to everyone that the @TomDwan Challenge against @junglemandan was one of the most massive scams in poker history

— gN Doug Polk (@DougPolkPoker) January 15, 2017

That's what Polk tweeted – perhaps referencing the Durrr Challenge on the back of this week’s other allegations of scamming made against WSOP runner-up John Racener.

Daniel Cates – Jungleman as he is more often referred to in poker circles– was the one who lost out the most when Dwan pretty much gave up online poker after Black Friday in early 2011, meaning that their challenge match couldn’t continue – Cates $1.3million ahead after some 20,000 hands.

When Full Tilt re-opened for business in 2012, Dwan was none-too-keen to resume, having offered Cates 3-1 on the challenge – his $1.5 million to Cates’ $500K. Jungleman Cates even called Dwan out publicly on his disappearance and reticence to continue, but now that it seems the pair have made up somewhat, Cates tweeted…

@DougPolkPoker@TomDwan tom and I have been talking about this and working on a resolution. We should get some hands this year

— Daniel Cates (@junglemandan) January 15, 2017

The lengthy delay might seem unreasonable, but unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past few years you’ll know that Tom Dwan has been experiencing some ‘problems’ which Cates alluded to in his follow-up…

@DougPolkPoker@TomDwan I agree, Tom is cooperating though / has had some problems

— Daniel Cates (@junglemandan) January 15, 2017

Tales of being in hock to the Triads for huge gambling debts have done the rounds and are most likely hogwash, but ‘durrrr’ was pretty much MIA for a long time – fleeting glimpses of an unhappy-looking poker player the only news we had from his eastern sojourn.

With Dwan finally resurfacing for a series of interviews for Paul Phua’s new poker website, it may be that his self-imposed exile from the mainstream Western poker community will also end – and what better way to announce a return than to finally get it back on with Cates and finish the biggest challenge match in history?