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• Galfond Poker Challenge

The Galfond Challenge is an ongoing series where high stakes PLO legend Phil Galfond engages in a series of heads up battles. Chip Leader Coaching founder Chance Kornuth is Galfonds third challenger and only poker training site instructor to accept the challenge.

• The latest Galfond Challenge match began rather inauspiciously for challenge Chance Kornuth of Chip Leader Coaching. He was down more than 14 buy-ins, or $280,000, after the first nine days of play.
• In a world of content-hungry poker fans, the Galfond Challenge is a perfect marketing vehicle for online poker. Thanks to everyone who watched the streams, whether you were rooting for me or not! (But especially those of you who were pulling for me) I’m glad I could turn things around and put on a good show for you after that start!

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

Poker Galfond Challenge Game

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

Rio Poker Galfond Challenge

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

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

Poker Galfond Challenge Games

The third Galfond Challenge has become quite the hotly contested match between two supremely talented poker players. Chance Kornuth still holds the lead, as he’s done for over a month now. But the outcome of the high-stakes pot-limit Omaha competition is far from decided.

Galfond, who offered up the challenge, made an impressive comeback last week to get back to within striking distance. He trailed by over $340,000 just over a week ago before bouncing back to dominate three straight sessions. Entering the week, he trailed by just $30,000, not even 10% of his deficit a few days earlier.

This week, however, things haven’t gone as smoothly for the Run it Once poker site owner. But he’s still well within a few coolers of regaining the lead. And, even better for the former online pro famously known back in the day as “OMGClayAiken,” he still has 19,000 hands to catch up.

The Galfond Challenge has lost a bit of its luster due to the Doug Polk vs. Daniel Negreanu match. Many poker fans have been busy following the drama between Polk and Negreanu as opposed to the drama-free competitors, Galfond and Kornuth, both of whom have great respect and admiration for each other.

But make no mistake, Kornuth and Galfond are both highly skilled pros who each play an exciting brand of poker. And this match, which likely won’t end until early next year, is quite an intense battle of wits.

Galfond Challenge up for grabs as play approaches midway point

The third Galfond Challenge began two months ago, and it’s been a long process. But the poker grinders and fans of the challenge can now see some light at the end of the tunnel. They’re (finally) nearing the halfway mark, with 16,000 out of 35,000 hands completed. And victory is well within reach for both players.

Kornuth and Galfond agreed to a pre-match side bet of Galfond’s $1 million to Kornuth’s $250,000. The reason for the 4-1 odds is that Galfond, who already won previous versions of the Galfond Challenge twice this year, was a heavy favorite.

But Kornuth has shown throughout this competition that he is an underrated pot-limit Omaha player. Through 16,000 hands at $100/$200 stakes on WSOP.com, the Chip Leader Coaching founder leads by $92,000. He’s won the past three sessions — all in the past week — but only by small amounts.

In the most recent session on Sunday, he won by just $9,500. That’s pennies for these players especially at these high stakes. To put things in perspective, one buy-in costs $20,000. So, even though Kornuth won all three sessions this week, he only extended his lead by about three total buy-ins ($62,000).

Poker Galfond Challenge 2020

Club Poker Galfond Challenge

If you’re sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for the next session, you’ll be waiting a while. Kornuth and Galfond are going to take a brief break to spend time with their families during the holiday. The Galfond Challenge will resume in early December, although no date has been set.

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In the meantime, you can get your heads-up poker fix by watching the Polk vs. Negreanu high-stakes feud. Negreanu has been surprisingly competitive against his long-time rival.

Galfond Poker Challenge

Featured image source: Twitter