Phil Galfond

Phil Galfond

aka "OMGClayAiken"
Nationality
United States
United States
GPI Rank 126,725
WSOP Bracelets 3
Total Live Earnings $2,976,763
The Hendon Mob Data provided by The Hendon Mob

Biography

Phil Galfond is an American professional poker player. In 2008, Galfond won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet by taking down the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event. On his way to the title, Galfond outplayed a field of 152 players including Adam Houran in heads-up play. He would go on to capture two more bracelets to become a three-time WSOP bracelet winner.

Galfond is also known as one of the best players in online poker history where he played under the moniker “OMGClayAiken.”

He’s also prolific in the game of pot-limit Omaha (PLO) and hasn’t shied away from playing the best in the world in his highly-publicized “Galfond Challenges.” That includes victories over Brandon Adams, Chance Kornuth, Bill Perkins, “ActionFreak,” and an epic comeback against “Venividi1993” in 2020.

Galfond, who founded the online poker site Run It Once (RIO) as well as Run It Once Poker Training, is one of the most well-respected players and personalities in the poker industry and is revered for his opinions on business, fairness, and more. Few players carry such weight in the world of poker than Phil Galfond.

Intro

Galfond was born in 1985 in North Potomac, Maryland. He attended Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School and studied philosophy at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He entered the live tournament circuit in 2006 and scored his first money finish in the $10,000 Championship Event at the Jack Binion WSOP Circuit Event in Robinsonville, Mississippi.

Galfond finished the tournament in 22nd place for $22,895. However, the live circuit is not what Galfond's primary focus is on. He is a well-known online shark playing $200/$400 stakes and above at the No-limit Texas Hold 'em and Pot-Limit Omaha tables. Galfond boasts more than $10 million in online winnings.

World Series of Poker

Galfond's first WSOP in-the-money finish came in 2006 when he cashed in two events, the $2,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em and $2,500 Short Handed No-Limit Hold'em for a total of $12,000.

Galfond took down the $5,000 PLO tournament at the 2008 WSOP for more than $800,000 in prize money. Seven years later in 2015, he won Event #29: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship for $224,383 and his second bracelet, and then in 2018 he added a third when he won Event #60: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $567,788.

Phil Galfond's Top 10 WSOP Results

YearEventPlacePrize
2008$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha1st$817,781
2013$25,000 NLH 6-Handed2nd$744,841
2018$10,000 PLO Hi-Lo1st$567,788
2015$10,000 NL 2-7 Lowball Draw1st$224,383
2015$10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw4th$89,939
2010$10,000 Main Event141st$57,102
2022Online $5,300 High Roller6th$52,320
2014$10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw6th$51,538
2014$3,000 NLH Shootout6th$48,043
2019$10,000 HORSE8th$41,625

World Poker Tour

In 2008 Galfond scored a World Poker Tour cash as well. He placed 70th in the $25,000 Championship Event at the Sixth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic WPT World Championship in Las Vegas and collected $39,570. He also took 24th in the 2012 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic for $31,714.

Other Achievements

Due to his reputation as a successful online high-stakes player, Galfond was invited to a number of high-stakes poker TV shows. He won two of those in 2010. He first bested the FullTiltPoker.com Doubles Poker Championship's $50,000 No-Limit Hold'em Qualifying Match 5 and a few weeks later came in first in the Qualifying Match 11. He’s also appeared on High Stakes Poker and several other popular shows and live streams.

As of September 2022, Galfond has just south of $3 million in lifetime live tournament winnings. Interestingly, his top ten career scores are all WSOP events; in fact, more than $2.9 million of his earnings have come from WSOP-related events.

Previous Galfond Challenges

Having mastered a stunning comeback against 'Venividi1993' in April 2020, Galfond went on to defeat 'ActionFreak' just one month later.

In January 2021, Galfond booked another win this time over Chance Kornuth after moving over $700,000 ahead with less than 10,000 hands remaining in their Challenge.

He thenwon the Galfond Challenge against Bill Perkins before taking on and besting Brandon Adams in the summer of 2021. The Galfond Challenge has yet to return, but in August 2022 in an interview with PokerNews, Galfond hinted that Dan “Jungleman” Cates may be his next opponent.

Want to know everything about the Galfond Challenge? Check out the PokerNews Galfond Challenge page for more information!

Did you know?

  • After Black Friday hit the US online poker market, Galfond moved to Vancouver, Canada so that he could continue playing poker online.
  • He chose the online alias “OMGClayAiken” hoping that his opponents would be embarrassed to lose to him.
  • Galfond is married to Farah Galfond, who portrayed Mimi Lockhart on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1999 to 2007. The two have started a family and currently reside in Las Vegas.
  • Galfond once made headlines for having a steel slide installed in his former Manhattan apartment.
  • Galfond has a drinking fountain installed in his home office.
  • Galfond sold his online poker site, Run It Once, to Rush Street.
  • Galfond released a popular PLO training course “Phil Galfond’s PLO Secrets.”

PokerNews Covered Events

Event Place Prize
2023 World Series of Poker
Online Event #2: $500 No-Limit Hold'em Bankroll Builder
34th $2,622
2022 World Series of Poker
[Online] $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Bracelet Championship
161st $1,594
2020 WSOP.com Online Bracelet Events
Event #14: $3,200 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller
40th $7,238
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #29: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
8th $41,625
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #69: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed
23rd $16,991
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #60: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
1st $567,788
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #65: $10,000 Main Event
527th $22,678
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #42: $5,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha
19th $16,888
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #20: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
6th $48,043
2014 World Series of Poker
Event #5: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Championship
6th $51,538
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #52: $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em (Six Handed)
2nd $744,841
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #16: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em
9th $26,237
2011 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship
10th $30,000
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship
141st $57,102
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 28 - $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys
1st $817,781
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 25 - $10,000 Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em World Championship
45th $14,438
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 45 - $5,000 No Limit Holdem 6 Handed
18th $27,031
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 8 - $1,000 No Limit Holdem w/ rebuys
76th $5,826

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