It’s Time for Another High Stakes Duel, Phil Hellmuth vs. Tom Dwan for $400K

January 11th, 2022 | by Dan Smyth

It’s on. Phil Hellmuth will get the chance to avenge his High Stakes Duel loss to Tom Dwan in a rematch on January 26.

Phil Hellmuth will get a second shot at Tom Dwan in another High Stakes Duel match from the PokerGo Studio in Las Vegas. (Image: YouTube/PokerGo)

The two popular pros squared off in a High Stakes Duel match in August. They each put up $100,000, but Dwan walked away with the entire prizepool after a back-and-forth match inside the PokerGo Studio, Las Vegas.

As per the rules of High Stakes Duel, Hellmuth was given the right to rematch Dwan. He exercised that right in September and, following a break for the WSOP and Christmas, a date for the showdown is now set.

Hellmuth owns High Stakes Duel opponents

Hellmuth has a fantastic record in High Stakes Duel. He beat Antonio Esfandiari in the first showdown and Daniel Negreanu in the second. Next in the firing line was Nick Wright. Hellmuth emerged victorious again, taking his record to seven straight wins.

Wright declined a rematch and Tom Dwan was drafted in as a replacement. The two have a rivalry that stretches back to 2008 when Dwan famously sucked out on Hellmuth in the National Heads Up Championship. They renewed that rivalry in August and, once again, Dwan came out on top.

I texted my boy @TomDwan to let him know that I am officially challenging him to a match for $200,000 ($400,000 total) in “High Stakes Duel,” only on @PokerGo App. Tom is a great great poker player, and he beat me last match. I’m sure next round will be a battle! #POSITIVITY pic.twitter.com/ITo0xV6NFP
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) September 4, 2021

Now it’s time to settle things. They might not settle things once and for all, but the winner will get $400,000. That could bring the feud to a temporary stop, or it could sow the seed for another High Stakes Duel match.

Whatever the final outcome, Hellmuth has already said that rematching Dwan will be a “battle.” In fact, he was uncharacteristically complimentary following his loss in August. However, a lot has happened in a short space of time.

Things will be different this time

Hellmuth won his 16^th WSOP bracelet in October. Buoyed by setting another record, he went on to finish strong in other WSOP events and almost clinched the Player of the Year title. This, in tandem with his previous form in High Stakes Duel events, means Hellmuth is far from a spent force.

Will he start the latest match as a favorite? Possibly not. Dwan remains one of the most feared high stakes players in the world. Even if his edge has waned slightly over the years, he’s still an elite pro that has multiple wins over Phil Hellmuth.

The good news for fans of poker is that it will be another exciting match. Dwan will start as the betting favorite, but Hellmuth has form on his side. PokerGo subscribers can tune in at 8pm ET on January 26.

New customers can get $20 off an annual subscription with the promo code HSD3R3. For those that don’t want to create an account, the first hour of action will be available for free on PokerGo’s YouTube channel.