Poker After Dark: Remember Tom Dwan's Season 4 Debut?

Season 4 of Poker After Dark began with its first million-dollar cash game, available exclusively in the archives on PokerGO, with new host Leean Tweeden filmed in the Spring of 2008. Tom Dwan made his first appearance on the show and would go on to dominate poker on US airwaves for a few years before going dark leaving the TV tables behind for Macau’s big action. Dwan returned to the US last week with “The Return of Tom Dwan” episodes of Poker After Dark‘s return.

Dwan and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte, who made his only appearance on PAD, both bought in as the big stacks for $250,000 each. Allen Cunningham matched their stacks, hedge fund manager Mike Baxter and David Peat each brought $150,000 to the table and Phil Hellmuth was the short stack at the table with $100,000.

It appeared that Hellmuth had never seen a Cirque show before and couldn’t resist tooting his own horn right out of the gate when he asked Laliberte, “Do you ever do musicals Guy?”

“Well, they’re done differently,” Laliberte said. “There’s no lyrics, we create an international or universal language with it.” 

“I know someone that wrote a poker musical,” Hellmuth said. The players chuckled and Hellmuth continued, “he’s got 12 or 13 shows – mostly on cruise ships… It’s great actually. I brought him to the World Series of Poker people and they hired him on the spot to write the WSOP official theme song.”

Peat was a high stakes fixture and obvious Lakers fan. He made his first of three total appearances – all only during cash game sessions.

David “Viffer” Peat rocked the purple and gold hair to support the Lakers in the playoffs.
During a hidden gem on the Director’s Cut episode, Hellmuth and Dwan sit on the couch where Hellmuth gave Dwan some advice. He acknowledged that Dwan was more than one-hit wonder but ten or twenty years of experience will prove a great player. He also warned Dwan that “one thing he doesn’t is coming is big bankroll swings and one day he’s liable to be broke.”

Dwan sat and listened to Hellmuth’s advice as politely as he could.
Dwan laughed and said, “I mean, I had a $2 million downswing – that’s pretty big.” It would appear that life came full circle last week during “The Return of Tom Dwan” episodes where he talked about some of the swings he see saw in Macau.

While Poker After Dark continues with new “Voices Carry” episodes Wednesday and Thursday live on PokerGO, the first three seasons of the show are complete in The Vault.