The Matches

vs. 'VeniVidi1993'

Status: Complete

Hands Played: 25,001 of 25,000

Winner: Phil Galfond

vs. Bill Perkins & Thirst Lounge

Status: Running

Hands Played: 1,013 of 50,000

Leader: Phil Galfond ($90,144)

vs. Chance Kornuth

vs. Daniel 'Jungleman' Cates

vs. Brandon Adams

vs. 'ActionFreak'

Status: Complete

Hands Played: 15,000 of 15,000

Winner: Phil Galfond

Starting January 22, 2020, the 'Galfond Challenge' will be front and center of the poker world. Phil Galfond, owner of the online poker site Run It Once Poker, is taking on at least six competitors in a series of high-stakes heads-up challenges that will be streamed for all to watch.

Once a dominant player in the high-stakes poker community, Galfond stepped away from the game professionally to start his own online poker site, Run It Once Poker, with a mission to serve players first. Issuing the Galfond Challenge, Galfond announced that he wanted to get back in the high-stakes poker ring, so he issued a challenge to the poker world in November 2019. The smallest stakes for the Galfond Challenge are $100-$200. Those stakes are not small by any means, but it’s the additional side betting action totaling in the millions of dollars that really has people salivating.

What Is the Galfond Challenge?

The Galfond Challenge is a series of high-stakes, heads-up poker matches. Various challengers will take on Galfond over a set number of hands or period of time. They’ll be playing Pot Limit Omaha and there will be betting action on the side as to who wins each match. 

Who Is Challenging Galfond?

There are currently six matches lined up, but more may be coming. The six challengers who will be taking on Galfond are Bill Perkins, Brandon Adams, Chance Kornuth, Dan 'Jungleman' Cates, and two online poker players known as 'ActionFreak' and 'VeniVidi1993.' Five of those six will face off against Galfond in heads-up online poker, and Adams will play Galfond in heads-up live poker.

How Can You Bet On the Galfond Challenge?

You can bet on the Galfond Challenge, thanks to PokerShares. PokerShares is offering match prices for the outcomes of the different Galfond Challenge matches, plus daily betting options for which player will come out on top after a specific session.

How Much Is at Stake?

Millions of dollars will be on the line. Not only will each side be playing for the stacks on the felt, but each side has agreed to terms of side betting action. In most cases, Galfond is laying odds to his opponent.

'VeniVidi1993' vs. Galfond

Start: Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Stakes: €100-€200 PLO
Duration: 25,000 hands
Side Action: Galfond's €200,000 to VeniVidi1993's €100,000

The first match of the Galfond Challenge saw Galfond square off against high-stakes online poker player 'VeniVidi1993.' Although not much information is available on 'VeniVidi1993,' we can tell you that he is a respected high-stakes PLO player. Galfond and 'VeniVidi1993' planned to play for 25,000 hands, with Galfond risking €200,000 and 'VeniVidi1993' having €100,000 on the line, in addition to any money won on the table.

The opening match of the Galfond Challenge saw two very different storylines play out. The first is the dominance of 'VeniVidi1993' over the first 15 sessions of play. At the end of those 15 sessions, 'VeniVidi1993' was up more than €900,000 and Galfond decided to suspend the match in an effort to regroup. After more than three weeks off, Galfond returned to continue playing 'VeniVidi1993' on March 4. That's when the second storyline kicked in and Galfond mounted a comeback for the ages.

Galfond went on to erase the €900,000 deficit, but the match came down to the wire. With less than 100 hands to go, 'VeniVidi1993' had Galfond on the ropes, but Galfond fought back in what was an incredibly suspenseful performance. Eventually, Galfond won a final pot that sealed his victory.

Day 1 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Grabs €72,527 Lead

Day 2 Recap: Galfond Books Small Win

Day 3 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Wins €84,437

Day 4 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Scores €17,544 Win

Day 5 Recap: Big Day for 'VeniVidi1993,' Wins €155,063

Day 6 Recap: Galfond Wins Final Pot for Breakeven Day

Day 7 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Wins €52,057

Day 8 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Now Up €439,817

Day 9 Recap: Galfond Now Down More Than €450,000

Day 10 Recap: Galfond Loses Another €100,000

Day 11 Recap: Galfond Now Down Nearly €570,000

Day 12 Recap: Galfond Wins Back €87,940

Day 13 Recap: Galfond Suffers €267,949 Loss

Day 14 Recap: Phil Galfond Down €797,646 Overall

Day 15 Recap: €102,593 Loss Leaves Galfond Down €900,000

Day 16 Recap: €183,481 Win for Galfond in Return

Day 17 Recap: ‘VeniVidi1993’ Picks Up €21,571 Win

Day 18 Recap: Friday Brings €27,198 Win for Galfond

Day 19 Recap: Galfond Picks Up €26,018 Win On Saturday

Day 20 Recap: €92,803 Win for Phil Galfond

Day 21 Recap: Tuesday Brings a Small Win for Galfond

Day 22 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Battles Back with €88,465 Win

Day 23 Recap: Galfond Books €23,821 Win

Day 24 Recap: Galfond Picks Up Another €19,099

Day 25 Recap: Galfond Wins €139,485 On Saturday

Day 26 Recap: €110,752 Thursday Win for Galfond

Day 27 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Scores €76,026 Victory

Day 28 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Rage Quits, Galfond Wins €140K

Day 29 Recap: Galfond Wins €85,271, Now Down €233,624

Day 30 Recap: €26,992 Win for ‘VeniVidi1993’

Day 31 Recap: Galfond Scores €106,328 Win

Day 32 Recap: Galfond Enjoys First Overall Lead

Day 33 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Wins €28,538 On Friday

Day 34 Recap: €28,722 Win for Galfond On Saturday

Day 35 Recap: €121,486 Win Gives Galfond Overall Lead

Day 36 Recap: Galfond Loses Tuesday, Maintains Overall Lead

Day 37 Recap: 'VeniVidi1993' Retakes the Lead

Day 38 Recap: Galfond Trails By €8,171 with One Session Left

Day 39 Recap: Phil Galfond Completes Incredible Comeback To Win Galfond Challenge

Bill Perkins vs. Galfond

Start: Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Stakes: $100-$200 PLO
Duration: 50,000 hands
Side Action: Galfond's $1,000,000 to Perkins' $250,000

Bill Perkins was the first to accept the Galfond Challenge, and he’ll square against Run It Once Poker’s head honcho for 50,000 hands of $100-$200 PLO. Galfond is laying $1,000,000 to Perkins’ $250,000 in the match.

For the match against Perkins, there is a $400,000 stop-loss in place. Should the stop-loss be hit short of the 50,000-hand target, the match will end.

Action kicked off on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, and the first 388 hands were played. Perkins took the early lead by winning the first session by $1,561, but Galfond stormed back in a big way during the second session and booked a $91,705 win.

Day 1 Recap: Perkins Starts with $1,561 Lead Over Galfond

Day 2 Recap: Galfond Books $91,705 Win Over Perkins

Brandon Adams vs. Galfond

Start: To Be Determined
Stakes: $100-$200 PLO
Duration: 40 hours live poker
Side Action: Galfond's $150,000 to Adams' $100,000

The Galfond Challenge match between Galfond and Brandon Adams has a unique twist in that the match won’t be played online. Galfond and Adams will compete against each other in $100-200 PLO and do so in a live, heads-up format. Galfond will be risking $150,000 to Adams’ $100,000.

A location has yet to be determined for this match, as has a start date. The two will eventually play 40 hours of live poker against one another. Our suggestion would be for PokerGO to pick this one up for their platform.

Chance Kornuth vs. Galfond

Start: To Be Determined
Stakes: €100-€200 PLO
Duration: 25,000 hands
Side Action: Galfond's €1,000,000 to Kornuth's €250,000

Like Bill Perkins, Chance Kornuth is getting odds of 4-1 on his money. He’ll play Galfond in €100-€200 PLO for 25,000 hands. Galfond is laying a whopping €1 million in side action to Kornuth’s €250,000.

Although the odds Galfond is laying should tell you just how confident he is against Kornuth, Kornuth has enjoyed some PLO success over the years. In 2010, he won the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event at the World Series of Poker for $508,090. He also won a $5,000 buy-in six-handed PLO side event at the WPT Gardens Poker Championship in January 2019 for $42,300. At the 2019 Poker Masters, Kornuth took second in the $10,000 PLO event for $124,000.

'ActionFreak' vs. Galfond

Start: Monday, April 27, 2020
Stakes: €150-€300 PLO
Duration: 15,000 hands
Side Action: Galfond's €150,000 to ActionFreak's €150,000

Another unknown online player that Galfond will be taking on, ‘ActionFreak’ presents what Galfond said is one of his toughest opponents. The side bet odds alone should tell you all you need to know for this one. If Galfond is laying even money, he views this one as a pretty even match if not as with himself being a slight underdog.

The match against ‘ActionFreak’ was 15,000 hands in duration and the stakes were a little higher than some of the other matches at €150-€300 PLO. This challenge started on Monday, April 27, 2020, and wrapped up on Tuesday, May 26. The two played 20 sessions, with Galfond winning €114,803 to win the match. With that, Galfond also secured the €150,000 side bet between the two.

Day 1 Recap: 'ActionFreak' Takes €11,162 Lead

Day 2 Recap: Galfond Sees €200,000 Win Slip Away

Day 3 Recap: Huge €310,594 Win for Galfond On Thursday

Day 4 Recap: Galfond Banks €113,377 On Friday

Day 5 Recap: 'ActionFreak' Beats Up On Galfond

Day 6 Recap: 'ActionFreak' Banks €74,625 Win

Day 7 Recap: Galfond Books Small Win

Day 9 Recap: 'ActionFreak' Pummels Galfond for €256,044

Day 10 Recap: Galfond Wins €19,003 Off 'ActionFreak'

Day 12 Recap: 'ActionFreak' Chips Away at Galfond’s Lead

Day 14 Recap: Galfond Holds Six-Figure Lead After 10,000 Hands

Day 15 Recap: Galfond Strikes for €165,417 Win

Day 19 Recap: Galfond Leads By €237,698 Entering Final Session

Day 20 Recap: Phil Galfond Defeats 'ActionFreak' in Galfond Challenge

Daniel 'Jungleman' Cates vs. Galfond

Start: To Be Determined
Stakes: €100-€200 PLO
Duration: 7,500 hands
Side Action: To Be Determined

Everyone remembers the 'Durrrr Challenge,' right? In 2009, Tom Dwan, known online as 'durrrr,' challenged the poker world and one of those to accept was Daniel 'Jungleman' Cates. Dwan and Cates have yet to finish, with Cates being up more than $1.2 million and Dwan having paid $700,000 in penalties. Now, Cates has a new challenge, and it’s Galfond.

Cates and Galfond need to iron out some more details, including when they’ll play and what the side action will be, but the basics have been locked down. These two will play heads-up €100-€200 PLO across 7,500 hands, which is the shortest duration of the online matches. In an interview with PocketFives, Galfond stated that he felt longer matches would be in his favor.