Luke Schwartz has challenged Phil Galfond to a heads-up duel. The British high stakes grinder has been running his mouth on Twitter yet again, but this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Phil Galfond, without any hesitation, accepted and set terms.
Solve for why @PhilGalfond trying to promote theese pigeon challenges . Not a single fuker cares wether u can beat some online nobody like venvidi at this pigeon solved online omaha shit . Let's set a challenge any LIMIT or big bet mix game of your choice me v u il give you odds
— luke schwartz (@__fullflush1__) January 5, 2020
Luke Schwartz Wants Mixed Games – The True Test
When Luke Schwartz taunted Phil Galfond on Twitter he was no doubt looking to get a rise out of somebody. He did raise a good point, though. Mixed games is where it’s at. They are a better test of a player’s true strength and versatility for sure.
Schwartz, in typical style, not only offered either limit or big bet mixed games, he also told Galfond that he would give him odds on the side bet. Most will agree this is more than a tad cheeky.
Also, the comment about online pot limit omaha being solved is more than ridiculous. That said, this is how Schwartz tends to operate. He loves it when people angry at him and fire back. In fact, he thrives on it, particularly when playing live poker.
Galfond also responded in typical style, calmly and politely.
Hi Luke! Happy New Year 🙂
Thanks for your interest in the #GalfondChallenge! What a great idea!!
We can play some 1k/2k 8-game (no pigeon stakes plz) but I‘d feel bad accepting odds from you, so I’ll offer 1.1:1 on a sidebet of $250k for a 15k hand match.
🐦 Flap Flap! https://t.co/LvDvh8Crd2
— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) January 5, 2020
The proposal was 15,000 hands of $1,000/$2,000 8-game. This encompasses all of the limit games found in ‘HORSE’ plus 2-7 triple draw. NL hold’em and pot limit omaha are, of course, included too.
Galfond couldn’t resist a sly push back, though. He refused to lower himself to taking Schwartz’s offer of odds, and suggested that 1.1-1 on a side bet of $250,000 be added in Schwartz’s favour.
Has Luke Schwartz Pulled a Masterstroke or Missed a Trick?
Knowing just how easy Luke Schwartz finds it to get under somebody’s skin, he was probably angling for this challenge without really believing it would happen.
Schwartz is now believed to be a mixed games specialist which indicates that he would never consider himself capable of beating Phil Galfond at PLO.
What he might not have taken into account is that Galfond has almost been in semi-retirement for the last few years, building Run It Once Poker.
Galfond hasn’t been grinding high stakes PLO online but we have seen footage of him grinding the biggest mixed games in the world in Bobby’s Room.
Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio Casino is always full of the world’s best live cash game players playing nosebleed stakes. Phil Galfond is clearly at home in this environment colliding with the likes of Gus Hansen.
Luke Schwartz may well find that he will have just as hard a time playing mixed games than he would purely PLO.
Many will also claim that Galfond plays in Bobby’s Room purely for fun, and he can afford any losses due to all his previous success.
We will soon see, anyhow. Schwartz quickly replied “Yes, let’s do it. DM me”
Who Is Luke Schwartz?
Luke Schwartz made his name as an online cash game player back in the glory days of Full Tilt Poker. After busting his roll, more than once, he won the Sunday Million in 2007 which put him back on track.
After heading straight back to the cash tables he played against some of the world’s best at that time. Names such as Urindanger, durrrr, and Ziigmund were taken on with good results.
$1.7 million in live tournament winnings, along with a World Series of Poker gold bracelet shows him to be a very talented player.
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