Bad Boy Luke Schwartz Challenges Good Guy Phil Galfond

January 6th, 2020 | by Jason Reynolds

Fernando Habegger may not be willing to back his convictions but outspoken pro Luke Schwartz is more than ready to take on Phil Galfond.

Luke Schwartz (pictured) is ready to take on Phil Galfond in a high stakes mixed game challenge. (Image: YouTube/Partypoker)

Six weeks after the American pro issued an open challenge to his high stakes peers, Schwartz has chimed in.

Crashing the party in the only way he knows how, the brash Brit not only took aim at Galfond but the so-called “pigeons” that call themselves elite players.

Schwartz Goes into Diaz Mode

For one Twitter observer, Schwartz’ January 5 outburst was similar to one UFC fans will be familiar with. Tired of the media hype Conor McGregor was receiving, self-styled bad boy Nate Diaz went on a foul-mouth tirade in 2015.

The rant earned Diaz not one but two multi-million-dollar fights against the Irish MMA star. Whether he knows it or not, Schwartz has thrown down the gauntlet in a similar fashion.

Solve for why @PhilGalfond trying to promote theese pigeon challenges . Not a single fuker cares wether u can beat some online nobody like venvidi at this pigeon solved online omaha shit . Let's set a challenge any LIMIT or big bet mix game of your choice me v u il give you odds
— luke schwartz (@__fullflush1__) January 5, 2020

With Galfond seen as one of the game’s good guys and Schwartz often antagonistic, the contrast in styles could lead to poker’s answer to McGregor vs. Diaz. To further highlight their differences, Galfond responded with an overly polite offer.

https://twitter.com/PhilGalfond/status/1213921393634471936

Quick to accept, Schwartz told his now opponent to DM him a plan so they could get it on.

Online poker fans are already salivating over the potential match but many will be doing so with a tinge of pessimism. Thanks to Tom Dwan, the reputation of high stakes challenges has taken a knock.

Phil Galfond Hoping Not to Follow Durrrr

When Durrrr proposed a similar showdown in 2009, things started well. Patrik Antonius stepped up to the plate with Phil Ivey and David Benyamine waiting in the wings. However, by the time Daniel Cates entered the mix, the action ground to a halt.

With Dwan suffering heavy losses and the now infamous games in Macau affecting the challenge, interested faded. Weeks of inactivity turned into months and, eventually, years before it whimpered to a complete stop.

Given how the last challenge played out, fans will be skeptical this time around. However, with Schwartz eager to assert his bad boy reputation and Galfond as straight shooter, this could be the match that reignites online poker’s high stakes games.