The Phil Galfond Challenge Archives

We all have our thing.

Some of us like to gawk at the underside of motorway bridges. Others prefer the modern madness of a shopping mall. Then there are those of us who want nothing better than to relax in the comfort of our own home watching two people battling it out on the high stakes poker tables.

If you’re the latter, then you need to find a newfound reverence for something else, for a short while, at least.

Match #3 in the ‘Galfond Challenge’ is over, and Phil is losing his touch.

After the absurd way that Galfond recovered from a one million euro hiding from ‘VeniVidi1993’ in Match #1, to win at the death, in a gut and glory display of this great game – his match with ‘ActionFreak’ felt a tad tepid.

After losing €6.5k after the first two sessions, Galfond grabbed a blank canvas, slapped it on an easel, and painted a run of results that shut ‘ActionFreak’ out of the lead ever again.

Ever the scrutiniser of his work, Galfond will be a little irked at the way his final two sessions went (he lost close to €300,000) but will be relieved that the match is over.

Galfond can get back to chopping mushrooms without seeing the head of ‘ActionFreak’ underneath his knife after coming out on top by €114,803.51 through 15,000 hands of €150/€300 Pot-Limit Omaha. Add a €150,000 side bet to the mix, and, well, not bad, Phil. Not bad.

Entering the final session, Galfond led by €237,803.51. ‘ActionFreak’ put in a sterling performance on the last day, winning €123,000, but it wasn’t enough to tip the canoe in his balance, and the man who adorned his bedroom walls with posters of the master, had to settle for the experience of going toe-to-toe with one of his idols.

Galfond is now up €366,000 after winning both matches against ‘VeniVidi1993’ and ‘ActionFreak.’ He is also up more than $90,000 after the first 1,000 hands of his stop-start match with Bill Perkins. One assumes that this resumes once Galfond has spent some time clearing the silverfish from his bathroom, or whatever else he gets up to when not winning and losing millions playing poker.

Here are the final results.

Results

Day 1 – 145 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €11,162.32
Day 2 – 1,107 hands – Phil Galfond wins €3,632.83
Day 3 – 844 hands – Phil Galfond wins €310,594.59
Day 4 – 665 hands – Phil Galfond wins €113,377.48
Day 5 – 680 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €95,304.17
Day 6 – 727 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €74,625.85
Day 7 – 746 hands – Phil Galfond wins €26,980.36
Day 8 – 944 hands – Phil Galfond wins €165,093.85
Day 9 – 721 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €256,044
Day 10 – 776 hands – Phil Galfond wins €19,003.35
Day 11 – 784 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €23,363.64
Day 12 – 710 hands – ‘ActionFreak’ wins €57,580.53
Day 13 – 716 hands – Phil Galfond wins €48,169.76
Day 14 – 740 hands – ActionFreak wins €61,136.84
Day 15 – 833 hands – Phil Galfond wins €167,811.71
Day 16 – 674 hands – Phil Galfond wins €179,545.58
Day 17 – 725 hands – ActionFreak wins €180,000
Day 18 – 840 hands – Phil Galfond wins €135,000
Day 19 – 820 hands – ActionFreak wins €168,000
Day 20 – 881 hands – ActionFreak wins €123,000

Total

Phil Galfond wins €114,803.51 through 15,000 hands, plus a €150,000 side bet.

With less than 4,000 hands to play, Phil Galfond holds a €271,153.08 lead in his match with ‘ActionFreak,’ after another big win on Day 15 of ‘The Phil Galfond Challenge’.

But before we get there, Day #14 turned out to be a decent outing for ‘ActionFreak,’ winning €61,136.84 over 740 hands booking his fourth win in six sessions.

However, Galfond turned things around in a stunning Day #15 session that saw him net a €167,811.71 profit, the second most substantial win of this series for Galfond, and third in the match overall.

The Action

Big Pot #1: Galfond’s Aces Hold

The action starts with Galfond opening to €900 on the button, ‘Action Freak’ three-bet to €2,700, and then called an €8,100 four-bet in response.

Flop: Jc4s2s

With €16,199 in the pot, ‘ActionFreak’ checked, Galfond bet pot, ‘Action Freak’ moved all-in for €30,722.39, and Galfond quickly called.

Galfond: AsAd9c4h

‘ActionFreak’: AhJh6c5c

Galfond was ahead with his pocket aces, and it remained that way as the board ran out 8s and 8c, missing ‘Action Freak’ completely.

Big Pot #2: Galfond Gets There on the River

We join the action on this one a little late at the party.

We’re at the turn with the board showing Kh9s7hQs, and €21,596 in the middle. First, to act, ‘Action Freak’ bet pot, Galfond moved all-in for €32,778.99, and ‘ActionFreak’ made the call.

Galfond: KcQh9h5s

‘ActionFreak’: QcJsTsTc

‘ActionFreak’ was ahead with the King high straight, and Galfond trailed with KcQh9h5s for top two pair and plenty of draws. The river fell Kd to give Galfond a full house, and an €87,153.98 pot.

Big Pot #3: Galfond Holds

We join the action on a 9d5c3c flop with €5,399 in the pot. ‘ActionFreak’ checked to Galfond, who bet €2,699.50, ‘Action Freak’ check-raised to €13,497.50, Galfond moved all-in for €32,822.82, and ‘ActionFreak’ called.

Galfond: 7c6c5s3d

‘ActionFreak’: AdAh9c2d

This time Galfond was ahead with two pair and the draws. ‘ActionFreak’ had the overpair. The turn and river ran out 7d and Kc, giving Galfond a €71,044.64 pot.

Big Pot #4 Six-Bet All-In

We end with the rarely seen, but delightful six-bet all-in.

Galfond began the craziness with a €900 raise. ‘ActionFreak’ made it €2,700, Galfond made it €8,100, ‘Action Freak’ bumped it up to €24,300, Galfond moved all-in and ‘ActionFreak’ called.

Galfond: AcAsQs9s

‘ActionFreak’: AdQh9d8h

The flop of Ah7c4h handed Galfond a set but also gave ‘ActionFreak’ a flush draw. The turn and river were both red cards, but diamonds and not hearts. Galfond’s hand held for another big pot.

Results

Summary

All of that means, Galfond leads ‘ActionFreak’ by €271,153.08 through 11,055 hands. The pair are competing through 15,000 hands of €150/€300 PLO with the winner collected an additional €150,000 in a side bet.

Some people in the world won’t walk beneath a ladder, not through the fear of a hammer landing on your head, but because it’s deemed bad luck.

Pure superstition.

What’s not superstition is the belief that luck plays no part in our successes or failures. That control, strategy and foresight always triumph over fate.

Those people don’t play poker.

Hard work and effort doesn’t guarantee your results. Within every success, and every failure lies a degree of luck. We are not, the authors of our destiny, but if we were, then Phil Galfond would have written a script just like the way it played out in real life.

A Game of Two Halves

After taking time away from the game to build an online poker room, Phil Galfond shocked the world by offering a high stakes heads-up challenge to 7.8 billion people.

It wasn’t a plan to escape nappy duty. Galfond wanted to pump some life into Run It Once Poker while at the same time shaking the ring rust that had clung to his hairy body while others matters of the mind and heart took precedence.

Venividi1993 became the first player to sit down with Galfond. The stakes were €100/€200 Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO). The length of the match would be 25,000 hands, and Galfond said he would stump up €200,000 should Venividi1993 win, and the PLO genius would hand Galfond €100,000 should the roles be reversed.

Fifteen days in and Galfond was in trouble.

Down close to €1m, the wolves gnawed on Galfond’s Twitter bones. There were some beauties, with Luke Schwartz calling Galfond a washed-up has-been nice guy, punching way above his weight – or something like that.

Galfond, took a few days to ponder his future.

Prayer?

Meditation?

Running naked through the woods, howling at the moon.

Whatever Galfond did, it worked.

The RIO Founder leapt from his sickbed and went on an insane run, and by Day 35, Galfond had taken an €81,064.56 lead with 2,903 hands left to play.

Could Galfond do the unthinkable, and win?

Determined to put a fork into that idea, Venividi1993, knuckled down, thought back, and won two of the final three sessions, before taking a small lead into what would prove to be the last blob of wax to melt in this particular candle.

There Are People on The Pitch

When it comes to climactic moments in sport, none have been as memorialised as Kenneth Wolstenholme’s final words during the 1966 World Cup Final between England and West Germany.

With England leading 3-2 after extra time, and seconds remaining on the clock, Geoff Hurst, chasing a hat-trick, bore down on the German goal, and Wolstenholme began his awesome oration.

“And here comes Hurst! He’s got…”

“Some people are on the pitch!”

“They think it’s all over!”

Hurst smashes the ball into the roof of the net.

“It is now!”

People began clambered onto the pitch with 97-hands remaining in the war between Phil Galfond and Venividi1993. At that time, Venividi1993 held a €6,307 lead and seemed the favourite to win his €200,000 side bet.

12-hands later, and Galfond had the lead.

The people thought it was all over.

Galfond raised and Venividi1993 called. With €1,200 in the pot, the pair stared down at a Jd9d4c flop, and Venividi1993 check-called a pot-sized bet from Galfond. The 4d brought the flush in on the turn, and Venividi1993 check-called a half-pot bet. The Ts paired the board on the river, Venividi1993 checked, Galfond bet pot, and in came the call.

Galfond showed QsTcTd8d for the turned flush and rivered full-house.

Venividi1993’s hand went into the muck.

“It is now!”

Galfond had enough leeway to fold his way to victory, ultimately winning a little over a grand from the match, and a €100,000 side bet – an incredible feat when you consider his position after a fortnight of action.

During his post-match interviews, Galfond revealed that Venividi1993 had a full-house during the final hand, and had that ten not landed on the river, then there would have been a reversal of fortune.

‘Luck’ just had to squeeze itself into the headlines, and that’s not a bad thing. Luck takes the edge off our arrogance, and at moments when fate turns against us, it tempers the violence of our self-hatred.

After a month battling at crazy stakes, Galfond and Venividi1993 need that right now.

Results

Day 1, 655 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €72,572.68
Day 2, 715 hands, Phil Galfond wins €2,615.26
Day 3, 557 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €84,437.52
Day 4, 581 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €17,544.87
Day 5, 726 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €155,063.52
Day 6, 703 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €13.31
Day 7, 823 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €52,057.13
Day 8, 940 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €60,743.37
Day 9, 446 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €12,706.51
Day 10, 696 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €100,993.30
Day 11, 741 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €15,647.36
Day 12, 622 hands, Phil Galfond wins €87,940.91
Day 13, 470 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €267,949.70
Day 14, 593 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €48,473.73
Day 15, 659 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €102,593.34

Phil Galfond Calls for a Break

Day 16, 574 hands, Phil Galfond wins €183,481.38
Day 17, 582 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €21,571,51
Day 18, 555 hands, Phil Galfond wins €27,198.94
Day 19, 638 hands, Phil Galfond wins €26,018.41
Day 20, 566 hands, Phil Galfond wins €92,803.89
Day 21, 576 hands, Phil Galfond wins €3,766.94
Day 22, 556 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €88,465,60
Day 23, 598 hands, Phil Galfond wins €23,821.05
Day 24, 628 hands, Phil Galfond wins €19,099.65
Day 25, 664 hands, Phil Galfond wins €139,485.78
Day 26, 539 hands, Phil Galfond wins €110,752.58
Day 27, 645 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €76,026.05
Day 28, 503 hands, Phil Galfond wins €140,979.28

VeniVidi1993 Calls for a Break

Day 29, 642 hands, Phil Galfond wins €85,271.31
Day 30, 777 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €26,992.32
Day 31, 393 hands, Phil Galfond wins €106,328.51
Day 32, 664 hands, Phil Galfond wins €113,680.87
Day 33, 632 hands, VeniVidi1993 wins €28,538.21
Day 34, 680 hands, Phil Galfond wins €28,722.28
Day 35, 758 hands, Phil Galfond wins €121,486.95
Day 36, 592 hands, Venividi1993 wins €34,580.19
Day 37, 883 hands, Venividi1993 wins €78,237.54
Day 38, 734 hands, Phil Galfond wins €23,581,50

It’s not without a sense of irony that in the wake of much Twitter talk over the value of his post VeniVidi1993 match musings that Phil Galfond chooses to end speculation on his intentions to restart the match with a four-word blog post.

“I’m gonna keep playing.”

When you’ve been the apex predator for so long, the label becomes as sticky as a Winnie the Pooh paw.

Galfond has earned many millions of dollars playing online cash games. In his household, when Farah and Phil sing baby shark to their nipper, daddy shark really is a shark.

When the Run It Once founder issued his heads-up challenge to every human being this side of exoplanet K2-18b, the vast majority of the poker community assumed that he would have the best of it. He is Apollo Creed. Only those for whom poker is as frequent in their lives as a cuppa in the north of England cast him as Rocky.

It seems the apex predator has finally found a predator, and it’s not the man to whom he is stuck close to a million euros.

It’s himself.

The Man in the Mirror

Old Jacko once sang, “I’m asking him to change his ways,” and I bet my pet pigeon’s birdseed that this is relevant in the battle between Galfond and Galfond.

Football fans of the 1980s will remember the Norwegian commentator, Bjørge Lillelien, saying:

“Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana – can you hear me? Maggie Thatcher – your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!”

That’s what happened when Galfond pressed pause on his heads-up match with VeniVidi1993, €900,240.17 in the red through 15 sessions. The boy had taken one hell of a beating.

Galfond needed to regroup and refocus.

Was he masquerading as a shark?

Was Luke Schwartz right when he called him a ‘washed up nice guy?”

Plagued with self-doubt, Galfond had to ask those questions and more. He had to start believing that he was enough. He had to let go of who he is supposed to be, and be who he is.

Throughout his match, Galfond showed tremendous courage, bravery and resilience, and now, he’s delving into his stores of vulnerability. When Galfond holds up a mirror, I believe he likes what he sees. It’s a different story when he holds that mirror up to his detractors.

When he took a sabbatical, there was so much at stake.

All that changes thanks to a single sentence.

He’s already won.

Everyone was watching the wrong fight.