It has been a while since we heard about the Galfond Challenge, which means an urgent update is long overdue. Phil Galfond, arguably one of the best poker pros out there, challenged multiple players to compete with him in a game of pot-limit Omaha (PLO).
And while he concluded his matches against players like Chance Kornuth and 'Venividi', other matches were postponed indefinitely. Now we finally have some good news: Galfond is back in action! His long-awaited match against Dan 'Jungleman' Cates finally took place, and it couldn't have been more exciting.
Are you ready to learn more about the spectacular match in our poker news report?
Latest Galfond Challenge News: All You Need to Know
Challenge Day 1
When the challenge first commenced, Phil Galfond agreed to different terms with each and every one of his opponents. At first, Galfond and his latest rival - Dan Cates (also known as Jungleman) – agreed to a $100\$200 stakes game of PLO. However, since the game took place online, the two were met with some technical difficulties which limited them to $10\$20 stakes.
To resolve the issue, the two decided that once they reach the 7,500 hands limit - thus completing the challenge -the loser will simply multiply what he owes by ten.
To make things more interesting, Galfond streamed the event on his YouTube channel, allowing his fans to join in on the action. Straight off the bat, it was clear that both players weren't playing their best, but they still gave the duel their all.
Early in the game, Cates bagged some great wins. For a while, it seemed he might be the first pro to beat Galfond in his own challenge. However, by the end of the night, the challenge initiator managed to win a great hand, landing him in the lead.
But while technically he ended up victorious, Galfond wasn't pleased with his performance. In a tweet, he stated: " Just finished my first rumble with the @junglemandan. I won $10k, but [I] think he got the better of me today. My rust showed."
Challenge Days 2 & 3
On the second day of the challenge, Jungleman got his mojo back, leaving the table $50,000 richer, which shocked the poker community as online poker news spread fast.
And while Galfond certainly prayed he might get a chance to recover on Day 3 of the challenge, things didn't go as planned. Cates won yet again, increasing his lead by an additional $35,000.
Overall, the two poker pros have completed 2,250 hands so far, and currently, Jungleman is $77,500 in the lead.
Finisihing the Challenge
While Cates and Galfond are only a third of the way through the challenge, they are now on a break from the game. According to reports, the two have serious scheduling conflicts that prevent them from facing off against each other for the time being.
And while fans might get disappointed by the wait, Galfond is sure to use his time wisely and regroup before returning to the table.
In Conclusion
So far, Phil Galfond hasn't lost a single challenge. In 2020, he beat major players like 'Venividi1993', 'ActionFreak', and Chance Kornuth. Daily poker news reports covered all those exciting challenges, providing avid fans with a chance to watch the masters in action – and learn from it.
Too much time has passed between Galfond's first challenges and the latest event, and we hope the poker pro will return to the tables sooner rather than later!