Phil Galfond has done it. Once down more than €900,000, Galfond stormed back to complete a comeback for the ages to win the ‘Galfond Challenge’ against ‘VeniVidi1993.’

Finishing in the black across the 25,000-hand match of €100-200 PLO on Run It Once Poker allowed Galfond to scoop the €100,000 side bet that ‘VeniVidi1993’ put up (Galfond was risking €200,000).

The Galfond Challenge between Galfond and ‘VeniVidi1993’ lasted 39 sessions and the sessions averaged 641 hands. The first session took place back on Wednesday, January 22, 2020, and the final session to wrap it all up took place on Sunday, April 12.

The final session was a must-see affair, with more than 25,000 viewers tuning in on Twitch and countless others sweating the details on social media. Entering the final session, ‘VeniVidi1993’ was up just €8,171. At the stakes they were playing, the match was virtually tied at this point. It stayed pretty close throughout the final session and eventually came down to the wire.

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Tense Final Session Decides It All

After 38 sessions, Galfond and ‘VeniVidi1993’ were pretty much tied, with ‘VeniVidi1993’ clinging to an €8,171.67 lead. Entering the final 39th session, the duo had 698 hands left to play out.

‘VeniVidi1993’ started off the final session with the lead and he held that lead for the first 75 hands or so before Galfond worked his way into the lead.

The first lead for ‘VeniVidi1993’ reached its high point about halfway through those 75 hands before Galfond started to turn things around in his favor. Helping Galfond to turn it around was the follow €39,999 pot that Galfond won with a full house.

With €7,999 in the middle on the  board, ‘VeniVidi1993’ bet €3,999.50. Galfond called and the river was the Jd. ‘VeniVidi1993’ fired a pot-sized bet to put Galfond all in. Galfond called off his last €12,000.50.

Galfond showed the for a full house, jacks over fives, to beat the  that ‘VeniVidi1993’ held for a straight.

Galfond moved into the lead over the next few hundred hands of the session, juggling between having the session lead and the overall lead. He couldn’t quite pull away, though, and eventually ‘VeniVidi1993’ fought back retake the lead.

Just before Galfond and ‘VeniVidi1993’ passed 400 hands on the session, ‘VeniVidi1993’retook the overall lead. He was still down on the session, though, but that also changed in his favor shortly after the two passed the 400-hand mark.

After ‘VeniVidi1993’ was up again both overall and on the session, time was working against Galfond as ‘VeniVidi1993’ kept the pressure on. At around the 450-hand mark, the two paused play to see where the numbers stood. At this break, ’VeniVidi1993’ was up and was approaching the point where he could mathematically win by folding out. He wasn’t quit there yet and the two returned to play with the entire Galfond Challenge hanging in the balance on every single hand.

Looking like he might be out of it, Galfond fought hard. Much of the final session was played much closer to the vest by both players, but ’VeniVidi1993’ really cranked up the defense with the finish line near, looking like Floyd Mayweather in the final round of a title fight.

‘VeniVidi1993’ couldn’t quite dodge the jabs Galfond was landing in the comeback within the comeback as the match went down to the wire. Then, the following hand came up that delivered the final blow and locking up the win for Galfond.

With €7,194 in the middle on the board, ‘VeniVidi1993’ checked and Galfond fired a pot-sized bet. ‘VeniVidi1993’ went into the tank and emerged with a call. Galfond showed the  for a full house, tens full of fours, and ‘VeniVidi1993’ mucked his hand.

Galfond went on to say after the session that ‘VeniVidi1993’ had a lower full house on that hand.

After that hand, Galfond was up by enough to fold it out. The numbers were confirmed and the two went through the process to make it official, with Galfond completing a monumental comeback to win the Galfond Challenge against ‘VeniVidi1993.’

Final Challenge Results

	Hands Played	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)	734	Phil Galfond	€23,581.50
Day 39 (Apr. 12)	699	Phil Galfond	€9,843.25
–	–	–	–
Total	25,001	Phil Galfond	€1,671.58