The PokerListings Daily 3-Bet is a high-speed hydrofoil ride across the oil-soaked harbor of the poker news world.

Any suggestions for a future 3-Bet, feel free to drop a note in the comments.

Today in the 3-Bet we find Phil Hellmuth “disgracing” a side event in L.A., durrrr showing us how easy the game of poker is and Gavin Griffin dropping a bomb about his demoralizing 2011 in poker.

1) Hellmuth “Wins” 8-Game Mixed Event at LAPC

Phil Hellmuth fanboys were front and center this morning touting Hellmuth’s “win” at the $2k 8-Game side event at the LAPC as a sign of big things to come at this summer’s WSOP.

Turns out it’s not quite as clearcut a win as the champ’s picture (left) suggests.

Besides it being a five-way chop, Bryan Devonshire also revealed there were a few conditions to it.

Phil’s Twitter take on it:

I’m chip leader, we just made a 5 handed deal for prize pool according to ICM: I get most money 22k, but we playing for trophy!

win!! Feels great to win a tournament, FINALLY!!

Bryan Devonshire’s account of the deal:

Got 5 handed, ICM chopped the $, chip chopped the last longer; conditional that we play, drink, levels are 15 mins, and Phil gets 2nd+.

And, of course, Tony G (who wasn’t even in the event)’s take:

Five way chop of all the money @LAPC side event – nice of them to let a desperate man win. What a disgrace.

Even when he wins, Hellmuth just can’t win. With the two chops including $10,700 from the $25k last longer bet, his take was still $32,700 though.

2) durrrr Sits Down, Wins $3.6 Million HKD in First Hand

Is there anyone left who still doubts Tom “durrrr” Dwan has some sort of magic powers?

The big games are running again in Macau and durrrr, as expected, has made an appearance.

It didn’t take him long to have an impact either.

Andrew Robl tweets:

5k 10k game brewing at the wynne Biggest poker game I’ve ever played ! Good luck me

Tom Dwan wakes up joins the game, and first hand wins a pot over 3 million by flopping the nuts #easssssygame

Ole-Kristian Nergård, Norwegian young gun and $30m family-fortune inheritor, was the victim apparently‏:

meh should have went to bali yesterday. Played 5k/10k with 20k mandatory straddle. lost a 3,6 mill pot v durrrr the first hand he sits down

For those wondering, $3.6 million HKD is roughly $464,258 USD.

3) Gavin Griffin: From High Roller to Low-Stakes Grinder

From the outside looking in, Gavin Griffin had reached the poker promised land.

Triple Crown winner (WSOP, WPT and EPT titles). Feared high-stakes tourney grinder. PokerStars pro.

As with most things, though, what you see isn’t always what you get.

Griffin went through a rocky year in 2011 that knocked him drastically down the poker ladder and he’s revealed a bit of his struggle in a recent blog post.

Now a HeroPoker pro and fighting his way back up through the lower limits, Griffin explains how he mismanaged his bankroll, lost his edge and paid the price. An excerpt:

“Los Angeles – Jan 4, 2012

“It’s my first time in this poker room with the beach murals on the walls. I came here to avoid familiar faces.

“I’m embarrassed. 2011 shattered many of my dreams and most of my ego. I was in a bad place mentally all year and that made for some bad decisions in my poker career.

“I managed my bankroll poorly and by the end of the year was playing some uninspired poker. I need to find a way to fix this. So, I’ve decided to drop down in limits, fix my game, and rebuild.”

It’s a great read and a poignant lesson for all poker players.

Success isn’t guaranteed no matter how high up you reach. And it’s entirely up to you to manage your career and your bankroll.

Read Griffin’s full post and follow his progress in his blog on CardPlayer.