It has been six months since Phil Galfond’s last heads-up challenge, but this week, he is back in the game. And “this week” is the operative term here. From July 26 through July 30, Galfond will take on Brandon Adams in a new “Galfond Challenge” whose length is dictated by the calendar and the clock, rather than hands played. The two men plan on playing 40 hours over the five days, so (click, click, calculator), that’s eight hours a day.
The game is $100/$200 Pot-Limit Omaha with starting stacks of $20,000 each. Also in a departure from Galfond’s other three challenges, this one will be played live at the new Resorts World Las Vegas casino. There is a sidebet involved, also: Galfond’s $150,000 to Adams’ $100,000.
The other challenges made for easy streaming, but as this one is live, that is more of a challenge. Adams plans on streaming it via his Instagram account, presumably setting up his phone to capture the proceedings.
Should Adams win, the two men will engage in a rematch right away, playing “battleship” style. This is a hybrid live/online setup in which both players are sitting across from each other in person, but playing online on their laptops. You know, like the game Battleship!
Heads-up poker challenges are nothing new, but Galfond kickstarted the latest craze last year just before the pandemic hit the United States. Once casinos closed, the challenges were a fun way for people to follow some poker entertainment.
His first challenge was the most…challenging. Squaring off against online pro VeniVidi1993, Galfond not only had massive amounts of money on the table each day, but was also risking a €200,000. He fell behind by €900,240.17 – over a million dollars – and almost quit, which would have given VeniVidi1993 the sidebet. But he gathered himself and pressed on, taking a €12,571.08 overall lead with just 74 of the 25,000 left to play. From there, he was able to fold his way to victory.
Galfond’s second challenge was against Ioannis “ActionFreak” Kontonatsios. They played €150/€300 Pot-Limit Omaha on Run It Once, the poker room which Galfond founded. After 15,000 hands, Galfond claimed victory with a €114,765.66 profit and won a €150,000 sidebet.
In January of this year, Galfond finished up his third challenge, defeating Chance Kornuth in $100/$200 Pot-Limit Omaha. They were to play 35,000 hands, but after 25,400 hands, Kornuth conceded, looking up at a $726,500 deficit. By waving the white flag, Kornuth also gave up a $250,000 sidebet; Galfond had risked $1 million in his end of the sidebet.
Galfond also started a challenge against Bill Perkins, but that hasn’t gone past a couple sessions.
