The first match in the Galfond Challenge is set to end this weekend. Phil Galfond and his rival VeniVidi1993 are basically even and have left just enough hands for a worthy grand finale starting on Sunday at 5 pm CET.
The Galfond Challenge promised much from the minute it was announced, and both Phil Galfond and VeniVidi1993 have not disappointed the fans.
Can Phil Galfond Steal Victory
After looking seriously outmatched in the first two weeks of the challenge Phil Galfond has risen from the grave and put in some stellar performances.
From close to a million euros in the hole, Galfond turned it all around to steal the lead four days ago with a €121,486.95 session win.
A couple of consecutive wins by VeniVidi1993 put him back in the driving seat, but going into tonight’s session he was only one and a half buy-ins up.
I didn’t expect many (or any) of these #GalfondChallenge matches to come down to the final couple sessions but here we are!
It feels like a WSOP FT. Hard not to focus on hoping for luck, but it’s important. I just have to make good decisions & give myself the best chance to win.
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) April 10, 2020
And what a cracking session it was too. Both players were switching between multiple plans and styles, trying to catch each other out.
In the end Galfond managed to turn it on in the last few hands and chalk up a €26,480 victory, leaving him only €5,273.17 behind.
Grand Finale
On Easter Sunday the fans are set up for an incredible treat. Only 702 hands left to play leaves us with enough time to still see some serious swings. This is anybody’s match and nobody is talking about there being any favourite here.
We shouldn’t forget about the side bet dynamic here. Galfond put up €200,000 against VeniVidi1993’s €100,000, and that will come into play towards the end of the session.
We should see some high variance, risky lines being brought into play by the chasing player as the EV of the move will now pale into insignificance compared to the side bet.
During tonight’s session, PLO diehard Joey Ingram was active in the chat and we heard that he will be commentating on Sunday’s grand finale. This is a guy who loves PLO more than anybody and we look forward to hearing his thoughts on how the play develops.
Run It Once Covid-19 Charity Heads Up Event
With most of the world stuck inside during the coronavirus lockdown Run It Once has organised a charity heads up event to be played tomorrow.
A 32-man heads up NL event will see 16 professionals take on 16 qualifiers. Incredibly, Galfond himself will be playing the night before his challenge grand finale.
This Saturday, I’ll be taking a break from the #GalfondChallenge to play a little 2-card for a good cause.
Thanks @DanSmithHolla for helping the @RunItOncePoker team put this together, and thanks to all the pros participating. Let’s have some fun!https://t.co/uedBE1s8SV
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) April 7, 2020
The entire event will be streamed on Twitch Poker, where 30 minute maximum matches will see fast-paced action with unknowns trying to take down a super star player.
The likes of Sam Greenwood will be lining up alongside Daniel Dvoress, and both Phil Galfond and Dan Smith. This is a stream that shouldn’t be missed.
After Sunday’s grand finale is wrapped up all eyes will be on the next challengers. Bill Perkins and Chance Kornuth are both chomping at the bit to see if they can dethrone the man once thought of as the best PLO player in the world.
Keep an eye on the latest poker news to see when the second Galfond Challenge match will be starting.
Galfond Challenge Results so far:
| Hands | Daily Winner | Amount Won | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 (Jan. 22) | 655 | VeniVidi1993 | €72,572.68 |
| Day 2 (Jan. 23) | 715 | Phil Galfond | €2,615.26 |
| Day 3 (Jan. 24) | 557 | VeniVidi1993 | €84,437.52 |
| Day 4 (Jan. 25) | 581 | VeniVidi1993 | €17,544.87 |
| Day 5 (Jan. 27) | 726 | VeniVidi1993 | €155,063.52 |
| Day 6 (Jan. 28) | 703 | VeniVidi1993 | €13.31 |
| Day 7 (Jan. 30) | 823 | VeniVidi1993 | €52,057.13 |
| Day 8 (Jan. 31) | 940 | VeniVidi1993 | €60,743.37 |
| Day 9 (Feb. 1) | 446 | VeniVidi1993 | €12,706.51 |
| Day 10 (Feb. 3) | 696 | VeniVidi1993 | €100,993.30 |
| Day 11 (Feb. 4) | 741 | VeniVidi1993 | €15,647.36 |
| Day 12 (Feb. 6) | 622 | Phil Galfond | €87,940.91 |
| Day 13 (Feb. 7) | 470 | VeniVidi1993 | €267,949.70 |
| Day 14 (Feb. 8) | 593 | VeniVidi1993 | €48,473.73 |
| Day 15 (Feb. 9) | 659 | VeniVidi1993 | €102,593.34 |
| Day 16 (Mar. 4) | 574 | Phil Galfond | €183,481.38 |
| Day 17 (Mar. 5) | 582 | VeniVidi1993 | €21,571.51 |
| Day 18 (Mar. 6) | 555 | Phil Galfond | €27,198.94 |
| Day 19 (Mar. 7) | 638 | Phil Galfond | €26,018.41 |
| Day 20 (Mar. 9) | 566 | Phil Galfond | €92,803.89 |
| Day 21 (Mar. 10) | 576 | Phil Galfond | €3,766.94 |
| Day 22 (Mar. 11) | 556 | VeniVidi1993 | €88,465.60 |
| Day 23 (Mar. 12) | 598 | Phil Galfond | €23,821.05 |
| Day 24 (Mar. 13) | 628 | Phil Galfond | €19,099.65 |
| Day 25 (Mar. 14) | 664 | Phil Galfond | €139,485.78 |
| Day 26 (Mar. 19) | 539 | Phil Galfond | €110,752.58 |
| Day 27 (Mar. 20) | 645 | VeniVidi1993 | €76,026.05 |
| Day 28 (Mar. 21) | 503 | Phil Galfond | €140,979.28 |
| Day 29 (Mar. 26) | 642 | Phil Galfond | €85,271.31 |
| Day 30 (Mar. 27) | 777 | VeniVidi1993 | €26,992.32 |
| Day 31 (Mar. 28) | 393 | Phil Galfond | €106,328.51 |
| Day 32 (Apr. 2) | 664 | Phil Galfond | €113,680.87 |
| Day 33 (Apr. 3) | 632 | VeniVidi1993 | €28,538.21 |
| Day 34 (Apr.4) | 680 | Phil Galfond | €28,722.88 |
| Day 35 (Apr.6) | 758 | Phil Galfond | €121,486.95 |
| Day 36 (Apr. 7) | 592 | VeniVidi1993 | €34,580.19 |
| Day 37 (Apr.9) | 883 | VeniVidi1993 | €78,237.54 |
| Day 38 (Apr. 10) | 730 | Phil Galfond | €26,480 |
| Total | 24,298 | VeniVidi1993 | €5,273.17 |
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