Phil Galfond
Encyclopedia
Phil Galfond is an American
professional poker
player. Galfond won a World Series of Poker bracelet
in the $5,000 buy-in Pot-Limit
Omaha
with Rebuys event at the 2008 World Series of Poker
. Due to his success as a high stakes online player, he appeared on the fourth, sixth, and seventh seasons of GSN's High Stakes Poker
.
and attended Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School
and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
. He currently resides in New York City
where he installed a slide as his access between the two penthouse apartments he purchased in 2011.
Due to the legal actions against online poker
that took place on April 15, 2011 in the United States known as Black Friday, Galfond moved to Vancouver, Canada so he could continue to play poker online.
Galfond won the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys event at the 2008 World Series of Poker, earning $817,781. He defeated Adam Hourani during heads-up play. The final table featured a number of well known professional players including Phil Hellmuth
, Daniel Negreanu
, John Juanda
, Kirill Gerasimov
, Johnny Chan
, David Benyamine
as well as online players Brian 'tsarrast' Rast
and Adam 'houdini' Hourani.
Galfond finished in 70th place in the 2008 $25,000 buy-in World Poker Tour
No Limit Hold'em Championship Event, earning $39,570.
Galfond finished in 18th place at the 2006 World Series of Poker Circuit event in Grand Casino Tunica, earning $22,895.
where he plays high stakes cash games primarily $200/$400 stakes and above in No-limit Texas hold 'em
and pot limit Omaha
tables on Full Tilt Poker
under his nickname "OMGClayAiken
". With a lifetime net profit of over $8M in Internet poker play, he has been one of the most successful online poker players in history (as of May, 2011) . According to Galfond, he chose “OMGClayAiken” as the antithesis of the “macho” screen names that are prevalent in online poker in hopes that other players would be embarrassed to lose to him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player. Galfond won a World Series of Poker bracelet
World Series of Poker bracelet
The World Series of Poker bracelet is considered the most coveted non-monetary prize a poker player can win. Since 1976, a bracelet has been awarded to the winner of every event at the annual WSOP. Even if the victory occurred before 1976, WSOP championships are now counted as "bracelets". ...
in the $5,000 buy-in Pot-Limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
Omaha
Omaha hold 'em
Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards...
with Rebuys event at the 2008 World Series of Poker
2008 World Series of Poker
The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold...
. Due to his success as a high stakes online player, he appeared on the fourth, sixth, and seventh seasons of GSN's High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker
High Stakes Poker is a cash game poker television program broadcast by the cable television network GSN in the United States. The poker variant played on the show is no limit Texas hold 'em. It premiered on January 16, 2006 and ended on December 17, 2007 and it returns back on March 1, 2009 and is...
.
Personal life
Galfond is originally from North Potomac, MarylandNorth Potomac, Maryland
North Potomac is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. In 2009, CNN Money Magazine listed North Potomac as one of the wealthiest best places to live in the U.S., describing it as, "a tony town that sits on the bank of the Potomac River,"...
and attended Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School
Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School
Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School or Wootton High School is a high school in Rockville, Maryland. Its namesake is Thomas Sprigg Wootton, a former member of the Maryland Constitutional Convention and the founder of Montgomery County. The school was founded in 1970 and is part of the Montgomery...
and the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. He currently resides in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he installed a slide as his access between the two penthouse apartments he purchased in 2011.
Due to the legal actions against online poker
Online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
that took place on April 15, 2011 in the United States known as Black Friday, Galfond moved to Vancouver, Canada so he could continue to play poker online.
Tournaments
As of 2010, Galfond's total live tournament winnings exceed $996,000. His 6 cashes at the WSOP account for $925,936 of those winnings.World Series of Poker
Galfond won the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys event at the 2008 World Series of Poker, earning $817,781. He defeated Adam Hourani during heads-up play. The final table featured a number of well known professional players including Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
, Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu is a Canadian professional poker player. He has won four World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour Championship titles. He is currently ranked second in the all-time career earnings list and is the star of poker game show Million Dollar Challenge. He plays a big...
, John Juanda
John Juanda
Johnson "John" Juanda is a Chinese Indonesian professional poker player based in Marina del Rey, California. Juanda lives in Los Angeles.-Personal life:...
, Kirill Gerasimov
Kirill Gerasimov
Kirill Gerasimov is a Russian professional poker player.Gerasimov worked as an insurance salesman in Moscow, and started entering poker tournaments throughout Europe in 2001...
, Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....
, David Benyamine
David Benyamine
David Benyamine is a French professional poker player with a World Poker Tour title. Benyamine was a professional tennis player in his early career but had to retire because of shoulder pain. He was also a successful top ten billiards player in France. He learned poker at the age of 12 and plays...
as well as online players Brian 'tsarrast' Rast
Brian Rast
Brian Rast is a professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who won the 2011 World Series of Poker $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em event and the $50,000 Player's Championship....
and Adam 'houdini' Hourani.
| Year | Event | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 World Series of Poker The 2008 World Series of Poker was the 39th annual World Series of Poker . Held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, the series began on May 30, 2008, and featured 55 poker championships in several variants. All events but the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Texas hold... |
$5,000 Pot-Limit Betting (poker) In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing... Omaha Omaha hold 'em Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards... w/ Rebuys |
$817,781 |
World Poker Tour
Galfond finished in 70th place in the 2008 $25,000 buy-in World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
No Limit Hold'em Championship Event, earning $39,570.
Other notable tournaments
Galfond finished in 18th place at the 2006 World Series of Poker Circuit event in Grand Casino Tunica, earning $22,895.
Online poker
Galfond is well known for online pokerOnline poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a dramatic increase in the number of poker players worldwide...
where he plays high stakes cash games primarily $200/$400 stakes and above in No-limit Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
and pot limit Omaha
Omaha hold 'em
Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards...
tables on Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker
Full Tilt Poker is an online poker card room that opened in June 2004 with the involvement of poker professionals Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Andy Bloch, Mike Matusow, Jennifer Harman and Chris Ferguson...
under his nickname "OMGClayAiken
Clay Aiken
Clayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
". With a lifetime net profit of over $8M in Internet poker play, he has been one of the most successful online poker players in history (as of May, 2011) . According to Galfond, he chose “OMGClayAiken” as the antithesis of the “macho” screen names that are prevalent in online poker in hopes that other players would be embarrassed to lose to him.