Daily 3-Bet: Dwan Denial, Grinders Come Home, $200k Poker Watch

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Today in the 3-Bet we find Tom "durrrr" Dwan dismissing rumors he took in a $25m pot in Macau, Party Poker pro Jamie Kerstetter among the first US online pros coming home to grind again and a new $200k vanity watch you can play Texas Hold'em on.

1) Dwan on Macau Rumor: Definitely Didn't Win $25m

Yeah, so... remember the CardPlayer Latin America story that had it on good authority Tom "durrrr" Dwan scooped a $25m USD pot in Macau last week?

Turns out his information wasn't so dialed in:

ya so at the time of this bogus macau story 36hrs ago i was losing on my macau trip, and definitely hadnt won 25 million in a session.

After re-reading the original Spanish piece we saw it as saying he won a $25m "pot," rather than a full $25m winning session, so there could still be some truth to it.

Or, of course, Dwan wants to keep begging off playing/paying out his durrrr Challenge with Jungleman. Anyone up for a new reality series called As the durrrr Turns? We are.

2) Kerstetter Among First to Return Home

Believe it or not we're actually coming up on three years (three years!) since Black Friday for US online poker players.

Jamie Kerstetter (left): Back in Jersey.

 

Three years of unreasonable withholding of player money. Three years of uncertainty. Three years of absurb double standards towards online poker (and online gambling in general). Three years of exodus.

But, if US Full Tilt money makes it back into player pockets in the next few months as expected and the 150,000 new online gaming accounts created in New Jersey so far are a sign, things may finally - finally - be starting to turn around for US online poker players.

Online grinder Jamie Kerstetter, once exiled to Rosarito, Mexico to ply her craft, is among the first wave of pros finally able to return home and resume a poker-playing career. Small steps, sure, and Kerstetter's deal with Party Poker US makes her unique, but still. It's a start.

Philadelphia Enquirer writer Amy S. Rosenberg talked to her about it.

3) Designer Christophe Claret Releases $200k Hold'em Watch

Ever wanted to play Texas Hold'em on a tiny, $200,000 watch with two of your closest pals? Your ship has come in, my friend.

Joining previous Blackjack and Baccarat editions in his luxury watch collection designer Christophe Claret is finaly about to release his new Hold'em watch.

According to Gizmodo Australia Claret actually wanted to release it in 2011 but "the mechanisms required to orchestrate the 52 cards needed for a legit game of poker required an additional two years of development and refinement."

There's a mechanical card dealer for random deals, strategically angled shutters to keep other players from looking at your cards, two "pushers' to activate betting rounds and, perhaps best of all, a cathedral gong that sounds when you push them.

Only 80 wil be produced, Gizmodo says, and the cost should be around what the other gambling editions cost - $200k. If you got $200k in watch money laying around, better get your order in asap.

Cue the "watch poker is rigged" debate in 3, 2, 1...