Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Galfond has founded his own poker site with the goal of keeping the online poker dream alive. Over the years, a big part of that dream has been epic high stakes battles for everyone to see.
With the Galfond Challenge, a series of high stakes heads up matches between Phil and his various challengers, Phil is bringing back the glory days of railing high stakes[...] Read more » Galfond Challenge: Phil Galfond Loses another €200K to 'Venividi1993'
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 22592
dont know anything about this players,but this heads up is sick!such a big number of hands and what about money that is in game,thats another story!we can see how much you can lose in heads up and what you can win!but this amount is just a dream fro 99 % of poker players!
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 13820
2 millions of dollars is a very big sum and if he likes to play big stakes, then to support the consequences of this loss. It is not easy to lose this amount and if his poker room is successful, Phil Galfond can recover from what he lost. It's easier in that way.
This is almost on the level of Isildur back when he made splashes online with his ultra-aggro heads-up sessions where he lost and won hundreds of thousands during multiple weeks playing PLO against high rollers. Oh, fun times...
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
In the mad days of heads up on the old Full Tilt, the stakes were even higher. I remember players winning and losing millions in a single day. And those games were often NL Hold'em, while these two here play PL Omaha. 700 hands of this game in a row, and my head would explode.
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 13820
Before there were good times but now the situation has changed. 10-12 years ago there were only a few poker rooms and many players. People were playing and lots of money was running. Now it's harder because the USA, Italy, Spain or France not play with rest of the world and other gamblers play in other rooms. This makes money to be few than in the past.
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 41 (M)
Posts: 2351
I wonder whether he'll be luckier and more successfull for the rest of the hands vs Venividi or for the hands with the other players , who have accepted his challenge to play with him the agreed number of hands in these high stakes PLO games .
I really don't like these challenges , they remind me of Tom Dwan's failed and not completed challenge . Not that I believe Galfond will actually step back , but these challenges by players that think they are masters on their field , the best of the best , in reality they are meaningless . Many must be on your own skill level or probably better , what exactly you are trying to prove ?? Is this the best available way to get some action vs high stakes players , for your games ?? It doesn't seem to be , imo .....
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
I guess for Galfond these challenges are a way to promote his own site. So the chances are slim, that he will be chicken out of them, like Dwan did with his, when things don't go his way. When one looks at the results tho, it seems his opponent has him figured out.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
After a few more sessions Galfond is now down $900k. And yes, he opted to chicken out of this thing. Play is suspended untill March the first, when he will decide if it will continue, or be called off completely.
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 13820
Cash games are the most dangerous because they can bankrupt you. When we think about past situations see some professional players who had $ 3-4 million today and tomorrow or in two days they were ruined. Isildur 1 is one of them. Their risk brings great losses or profit as well.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
That is when bankrollmanagement comes into play. If one or two bad days can bankrupt a player, he is playing far to high stakes for his bankroll.Those two are playing "only" $100/$200. There have been much higher limits used in the past.
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 13820
In the past it was like that, but then there were many more players than now. Let's not forget about the USA, Italy, France or Spain who played with the rest of the world. That means a lot of money because americans were everywhere with big money.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
It is March, and Galfond has made up his mind and surprisingly play will continue. Next session is shedued for 4.3.2020. They haven`t even reached half the hands they agreed to play, so this thing can get expensive, if the results will be like the were before the break.
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 13820
It is his risk, talent, pockets and he knows best what to do. It is based on something and can lose or recover from loss. He has money if preferred to continue the game and tomorrow will be an emotional day for him. We will see what will be.
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 22592
Posted by shokaku: It is March, and Galfond has made up his mind and surprisingly play will continue. Next session is shedued for 4.3.2020. They haven`t even reached half the hands they agreed to play, so this thing can get expensive, if the results will be like the were before the break.
probably he want to back some money and no matter what he lose money if he dont play,every day 3000 e,but ofcourse he can lose much more if he will play like it was on first days of this challenge!so we will see what will happen from today,will he earn something!
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
Galfond actually won ~ $180k in that first new session. He had winning sessions even before the break, but did not win so much money in those. We will see if this was a one off, or if the run of play will be reversed completely.
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 45 (M)
Posts: 13820
I think he trained a lot after first session with his opponent, because he watched his mistakes and understood many of them. Galfond recovered 20% of the loss, but this job is not completed. Learned from Veni Vidi mistakes and hope it will be better for him.
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 22592
Posted by shokaku: Galfond actually won ~ $180k in that first new session. He had winning sessions even before the break, but did not win so much money in those. We will see if this was a one off, or if the run of play will be reversed completely.
one good session will not be enough for him to back so much money,so he will need few of them to make something,but on some they be even or he will lose,so its question how this will finish!but for sure we will have news in next days here on forum about this challenge!
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 41 (M)
Posts: 2351
It would be one of the kind this duel and challenge if he manages to get back from all tgese losses , that would be a miracle in my eyes . I don't think it's possible , but then again to succeed in minimizing the losses , that would be also great if he manages to do it . So many have challenged him , so many hands to play , the penalties , the extra money he has to pay if he losses , his and his site's reputation , so many things to balance and see what is the best strategy and choice . Good luck to him
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6787
After a few days of mixed results, Galfond won close to $100k in the last session. He is now down less than $600k. Still a huge sum, but he could win bacj a third of his losses. They have reached around half time of the hands that will be played
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 22592
Yeah,still big loss,but he got back some amount and he have still time to earn some amount and maybe even to be even on this challenge!seems thats this break was good for him and now he start to earn!we will see in next days what will happen!