JRB Says Tom Dwan Was His First Poker Backer

Jean-Robert Bellande revealed on Johan “YoH Viral” Guilbert’s podcast {that a} younger Tom Dwan was the primary one who ever backed him on the poker desk.

The backing association started within the early 2010s when “JRB,” a well-liked participant on televised poker exhibits throughout the poker increase period, grew to become an envoy for the Aria poker site in Las Vegas. Bellande, who performed nearly each day within the high-stakes room previously often known as “Ivey Room,” helped develop Aria into one of many high poker rooms on the earth.

Discussing the Poker Staking Association

Dwan burst onto the poker scene in his early 20’s enjoying on Full Tilt Poker, a poker website he’d quickly turn into a high ambassador for, enjoying underneath the display identify “durrrr.” The New Jersey on-line poker famous person who often performed within the nosebleed no-limit maintain’em and pot-limit Omaha video games on FTP was staking one other well-known poker professional on the time.

“The primary man to ever stake me in poker was really Tom Dwan,” Bellande, 16 years older than Dwan, instructed Guilbert, who appeared shocked at that assertion.

Bellande stated Dwan, who turns 40 this summer season, was 22 years outdated on the time. That places their preliminary staking association to someplace round 2009, proper about when Dwan made his first televised poker appearances on exhibits akin to Excessive Stakes Poker and Poker After Darkish.

Talking of TV poker, Bellande, who not too long ago scored a $1.5 million win within the Onyx Excessive Curler Collection, laughed at those that declare the gamers on televised poker exhibits aren’t enjoying with actual cash.

“I truthfully consider that most likely 25, 30% of those who ever watch us on TV suppose that that is all faux. All faux cash, yeah. It is not,” JRB stated.

Few poker gamers ever have appeared on extra televised poker exhibits than Bellande, a high-stakes money sport common for over 20 years. He is additionally a World Collection of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.

Dwan Not At all times the Backer

Dwan hasn’t at all times been the backer. Court docket paperwork reviewed by PokerNews present the poker legend was as soon as backed by Malaysian gambler Paul Phua. A few of these funds have been made by embattled high-stakes lawyer Tom Goldstein, who’s at the moment on trial for tax fraud associated expenses.

Textual content messages that Goldstein despatched to an undisclosed recipient (recognized in courtroom paperwork as Phua affiliate “Children”) in 2016 and 2017 reveal just a few cases wherein Goldstein had despatched a number of six-figure funds to Dwan, known as “TD” in textual content conversations in February and April 2017, transferring a stability Goldstein owed to Phua.

A ledger, which Goldstein verified as correct by signing a joint stipulation of truth reviewed by PokerNews, confirmed that he had transferred at the least $1,290,000 to a “Thomas Dwan” over a number of funds to cowl “poker losses or staking quantities.” These funds have been: $550,000 in 2016; $680,000 in 2017; and $60,000 in 2021.

The textual content trade additionally exhibits that Goldstein deliberate on getting Brief Deck teaching from Dwan. “Working with TD to be taught brief deck,” Goldstein wrote in February 2017.

Goldstein is accused by the federal authorities of misreporting his poker winnings to the IRS. His trial in a Maryland federal courtroom is winding down and a verdict could possibly be introduced throughout the week.

Dwan and Goldstein performed towards one another within the 2024 Hustler On line casino Reside Million Greenback Recreation. Goldstein, enjoying masked up in disguise falsely claiming to be a European businessman, misplaced over $2.7 million throughout two periods within the $1 million buy-in sport. He infamously mucked the profitable hand at showdown in a $540,000 pot towards “Steve the Lawyer.”