Galfond Challenge: Galfond Loses Tuesday, Maintains Overall Lead
Phil Galfond lost €34,580.19 to ‘VeniVidi1993’ in Tuesday’s ‘Galfond Challenge’ session, but he was able to maintain his overall lead.
Tuesday gave us the 36th session between these two. They played another 592 hands of €100-200 PLO on Run It Once Poker. With the Galfond Challenge now 22,689 hands complete, Galfond’s lead is €46,484.37.
The latest session was a bit of a back-and-forth affair and tightly locked between the two. In the middle of the session, it looked as though ‘VeniVidi1993’ was going to pull away, but then Galfond started to tilt things back in his direction before eventually taking the lead in the later stages. It was then that it looked as though Galfond was going to pull away and close out the session with a win, but ‘VeniVidi1993’ fought back with a couple of big punches to retake the lead. ‘VeniVidi1993’ rode out that lead to the end and bagged the session win.
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In this first clip we’ll look at, a pair of big pots played out on the adjacent tables. On the left, the two chopped a €21,582 pot. On the right, Galfond hauled in one worth €43,742.20.
In the hand that took place on the table on the left, ‘VeniVidi1993’ bet a pot-sized bet of €2,398 on the final board of 
. Galfond raised to €9,592 and ‘VeniVidi1993’ made the call.
Galfond had the 
for a full house, tens over eights. ‘VeniVidi1993’ had the 
for the same full house and the two chopped up the pot.
On the right table, there was a board of 
and a pot of €7,961.36 in the middle. After ‘VeniVidi1993’ checked, Galfond bet €3,980.68. ‘VeniVidi1993’ called and the river was the 
. ‘VeniVidi1993’ checked, Galfond went all in for €13,909.99, and ‘VeniVidi1993’ made the call.
‘VeniVidi1993’ had flopped a full house with the 
in his hand, but Galfond turned a straight flush holding the 
to win the pot.
Shortly after, an interesting hand played out that saw ‘VeniVidi1993’ just call Galfond’s reraise with the nuts on the river.
After ‘VeniVidi1993’ checked the 
board, Galfond bet a pot-sized €1,199. ‘VeniVidi1993’ raised to €4,796 and then Galfond reraised to €8,800. Galfond had €13,531.97 behind and ‘VeniVidi1993’ had him covered, but ‘VeniVidi1993’ just called.
‘VeniVidi1993’ had the 
for the nut straight and Galfond had the 
for a bluff.
The middle chunk of hands from this session saw ‘VeniVidi1993’ with the lead, but Galfond started to pull things back as time went on, including winning this €47,965.68 pots.
There was €7,999 in the middle on the 
board. ‘VeniVidi1993’ bet €3,999.50 and Galfond called to see the land on the river. ‘VeniVidi1993’ fired all of his chips for a wager worth €15,983.84 and Galfond called.
‘VeniVidi1993’ had the 
and Galfond had the 
. Galfond’s queen-high straight won the pot.
Helping ‘VeniVidi1993’ to close out the session with a win was the following hand. It was one that he won with a queen-high straight for a €39,999 pot.
Galfond raised to €600 on the button, ‘VeniVidi1993’ reraised to €1,800, and Galfond called to take the 
flop. ‘VeniVidi1993’ bet €3,599 and Galfond raised to €14,396. ‘VeniVidi1993’ moved all in for €25,921.71 and Galfond called off his last €3,804.
‘VeniVidi1993’ had the 
and Galfond had the 
. The turn was the to give ‘VeniVidi1993’ a queen-high straight and the river was the 
to secure him the pot.
One more pot that ‘VeniVidi1993’ won on Tuesday was the following one worth €49,164.34.
‘VeniVidi1993’ checked the 
flop and Galfond bet €1,799.50 into a pot of €3,599. ‘VeniVidi1993’ called and the turn was the . ‘VeniVidi1993’ checked, Galfond bet €7,198, ‘VeniVidi1993’ shoved all in, and Galfond called off his remaining €13,785.17.
Galfond had the 
and ‘VeniVidi1993’ had the . The river was the and ‘VeniVidi1993’ won the pot with two pair, eights and sevens.
Challenge Results To Date
| 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 |
| – | – | – | – |
| Total | 22,689 | Phil Galfond | €46,484.37 |
What’s Next for the Galfond Challenge?
The Galfond Challenge between Galfond and ‘VeniVidi1993’ has 2,311 hands to go. Wednesday, April 8, will be a day off for the two and then they’ll be back to battle on Thursday, April 9, for more €100-200 Pot Limit Omaha on Run It Once Poker.
Galfond has the overall lead but not by much. In addition to the money won on the virtual felt, Galfond is risking €200,000 in side action to the €100,000 of ‘VeniVidi1993.’
Be sure to stay tuned to PocketFives for more on the Galfond Challenge.