The Galfond Challenge just leveled up with the news that Daniel Cates will take Phil up on his heads-up online offer, the duo set to play 7500 hands at $100/$200 PLO.
Me and @junglemandan will play 7500 hands or €100/200 PLO. Working on the sidebet details but it will be 1:1 odds.
We’ll both stream it 🙂
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) December 15, 2019
Galfond, the owner of the Run It Once online poker-room, took his chance in Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio to ask Cates: “Jungle, are you going to accept my heads-up challenge?”
A single-question edition of #AskJunglemanAnythjng. Will he take the #GalfondChallenge? pic.twitter.com/gW8pC3L0om
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) December 15, 2019
Daniel Cates, one of the biggest-ever winners in the online nosebleeds, answered in no uncertain terms: “I’m not only going to accept…I’m going to take you down in style…and I’m going to show you a new definition of pain.
He added: “I’m not even in it for the money, I’m in it for the glory. I’m here to teach you a lesson and I’m going to break your spirit. I’m not even trying to break your bank vault, I’m just trying to break your spirit.”
It’s the match-up many have been asking for since Galfond offered out the online poker world.
So far billionaire amateur Bill Perkins, former RIO and Upswing Poker coach Fernando ‘JNandez’ Habegger and online beast VeniVidi1993 have stepped up to the plate, the latter accepting just yesterday as well.
Since people are asking, here are the rough terms for my #GalfondChallenge against VeniVidi1993.
They aren’t extremely thorough. I’d love some feedback/suggestions so that my opponents and I don’t run into issues that can plague challenges like this. pic.twitter.com/wpOxJLMil5
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) December 15, 2019
The terms for each match-up vary, but they will all be played at PLO, most likely on Galfond’s RIO site and streamed to the thousands of poker fans who have been crying out for a return to the highstakes challenge days on Full Tilt.
Daniel Cates’ Epic Battle against Tom Dwan
Jungleman, of course, was part of the biggest and most infamous match of all, taking Tom ‘durrrr’ Dwan apart in their epic, though unfinished, battle.
Dwan was $1.2million down when Black Friday struck, less than half the hands played.
Despite several attempts over the years to get it finished, it simply hasn’t happened. With that one unlikely to ever reach a conclusion, the Galfond – Cates fight is at least as good a replacement.
Both men have profited by $millions over the past decade or so in the online nosebleeds, Galfond sitting at 6th in the all-time list and Cates at 3rd according to highstakesDB, the head-to-head details below…
Phil ‘OMGClayAiken’ Galfond 6th
Profit:$6,599,839
Hands:645553
Win/hand:$10.22
Most played game: Omaha PL
Daniel ‘Jungleman12’ Cates 3rd
Profit:$10,270,847
Hands:394738
Win/hand:$26.01
Most played game: Omaha PL
Galfond, of course, has played very little compared to his peers over the past 3 years, focussing instead on his Run It Once poker site – the Galfond PLO Challenge matches designed to promote the poker-room and draw in some extra players.
One would expect him to still win against Perkins, Habegger, and VeniVidi1993 – though it won’t be easy, and the 4-1 and 5-1 side bet odds make it a big gamble.
Daniel Cates is a completely different matter, very few players in the world equal to Cates in the live and online nosebleed cash game, although over 7500 hands a bit of rungood could prove expensive for either player.
We’ll be sure to keep you posted so you don’t miss anything – just keep your eye on the latest poker news here
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