Tom “durrrr” Dwan is back in the United States after his two week detention in a London psychiatric hospital following an incident while travelling to the UK.
Three weeks ago, the poker legend shocked his followers on X with a slew of confusing and incoherent posts before it became apparent that he was in the middle of a mental health crisis.
A flurry of posts making little sense eventually revealed that he had been sectioned for his own welfare in Park Royal Hospital but was still in possession of his phone.
Please help save my life sir 🙏🏻. They just tried to force drugs on me even though the doctors had said I don’t need repeatedly (and why would I… Doesn’t make sense)
Please all my friends help amplify this, I’m literally begging 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 https://t.co/uXk52zAMQp
— Tom Dwan (@TomDwan) April 30, 2025
He was tweeting for the U.S. Vice President JD Vance to place political pressure in order to save his life. And later he joined a thread started by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer about fly tipping to plead for help.
Thankfully, a short spell in hospital allowed Dwan to recover enough to be allowed to travel back to the United States.
A few days ago, Todd Witteles explained that Dwan had an episode on the plane before it landed at Heathrow Airport in London.
From what I understand, Tom had a psychological issue on the plane coming into Heathrow, which allowed them by UK law to detain, institutionalize, and force medicate him at a hospital nearby.
I’ll let the reader determine things from there.
— Todd Witteles 📟 (@ToddWitteles) May 17, 2025
All of this tweeting took place on April 29 and 30 and then it was radio silence until May 17th when Dwan reappeared on X, posting the following tweet.
This tweet was coerced out of me (they restrain ppl n inject them with drugs).
Was supposed to have phone back after 5-10min.
Ended up not having access for 2weeks+
Obv judged some details wrong n got paranoid on some stuff, I need to go to a beach asap 🏖️ 🏝️ https://t.co/rZE14cVO2y
— Tom Dwan (@TomDwan) May 17, 2025
Dwan then took the time to make it clear that he doesn’t condone any threatening of NHS staff, especially if it’s done on his behalf.
But then he went on to write that he will be filing multiple complaints and instigating several lawsuits regarding his treatment in the United Kingdom.
“Btw apparently ppl were threatening nhs n staff n shit. I don’t condone that kinda shit n I hope no1 does it on my behalf. I’ll be filing many complaints and a buncha diff lawsuits, along with some various tweets and other PR… But only proper channels type stuff cool imo”
Exactly what Dwan is upset about regarding the episode three weeks ago is not clear. The United Kingdom’s Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983 (amended 2007) allows for persons deemed to be a danger to others or themselves to be held against their will. This is standard in all developed nations.
Dwan did post a couple more messages, which worryingly appeared to indicate that he still thinks the British authorities acted illegally.
“Btw if people around me had listened properly to my request for public pressure… I woulda avoided ~10days of being held effectively prisoner and being drugged against my will.
“They took my phone n devices, didn’t give in to my repeated requests for medical care, or my legal rights (nearest relative, tribunal, imha), for ~2weeks, and did what they could to bar me from all contact. There were a few dece ppl, but majority followed (illegal) orders.”
Daniel Negreanu might have shined a little light on why Tom Dwan thinks he’s a candidate for public pressure at the highest levels.
On a recent podcast, the Canadian recounted a story where Dwan approached him at the Aria Las Vegas and seemed a little off.
Before having a conversation, Dwan insisted that Negreanu removed the battery from his phone so he couldn’t be recorded. What then followed was just a normal conversation.
Negreanu said:
“He’s always had a little bit of a delusion of grandeur, if you will. He sees something going on in the news and he’s like ‘Let me talk to Putin, I’ll handle it.’ He believes he can go and talk to Kim Jung Un and fix things. And he really believes that.”
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