Phil Galfond Gains Some Momentum Despite Six-Figure Deficit

Greg Shaun

10 months ago

Phil Galfond enjoyed a mini comeback against Chance Kornuth this week, but he still trails his opponent by more than $230,000.

Phil Galfond has made a slight comeback in his high-stakes match against Chance Kornuth. (Image: Paul Phua Poker)

The most recent batch of online battles suggest Galfond is far from a spent force. Indeed, with only 8,500 of 35,000 hands played, the war is far from over.

However, Galfond will need to dig deep if he’s going to win. Fortunately for him, his luck took a turn for the better on Tuesday. Despite being down almost $300,000, he rallied to win more than $100,000.

Phil Galfond Claws Some Back

With the deficit almost below $200,000 at one point, Galfond was on track to end the week on a psychological high. However, Kornuth was able to hit back on Wednesday with a $35,000 victory.

That leaves the $200/$400 Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) match balanced on a knife-edge. Kornuth is currently leading by $234,000.

If it stays that way, he’ll pick up an additional $1 million in side bet money. However, if Galfond can make another comeback, he’ll take $250,000 as a bounty prize.

At this stage, the pair are just over 25% of the way through their match. As we’ve seen in other challenges, namely Galfond’s showdown with Venividi1993, the tables can turn in just a few sessions.

Indeed, with PLO a notoriously swingy game, the result is anything but confirmed. Add to this the fact that Kornuth has three WSOP bracelets and a ton of PLO experience, and the match is still anyone’s for the taking.

Galfond Taking It In His Stride

Whatever his opponent’s credentials, Phil Galfond’s tweets suggest it’s just another day at the office and he’s taking it in his stride.

https://twitter.com/PhilGalfond/status/1321801253513433090

The drama is bound to captivate railbirds around the world but Galfond and Kornuth now face another challenge. With Daniel Negreanu and Doug Polk set to start their own match on November 1, the race is on to see which challenge can draw the biggest crowd.

Although fans can watch both streams at the same time if necessary, the participants will no doubt have one eye on which event is winning the ratings war.

What all of this equates to is a season of action for everyone. Online poker is having one of best spells in recent memory. COVID-19 lockdowns have caused traffic spikes across the industry and, now, a new market for poker entertainment is opening up.

In fact, with a fresh series of High Stakes Poker set to air in December, now is a better time than ever to be a poker player and a poker fan.