Phil Galfond

Who is Phil Galfond?

Phil Galfond (born July 16, 1985, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American professional poker player, widely regarded as one of the best Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) players ever. He goes by online screen names 'OMGClayAiken' and 'MrSweets28.' He is a 3-time WSOP bracelet winner (2008, 2015, 2017), founder of Run It Once Training (2012), and winner of the 2014 Super High Roller Bowl (over $3M). Career live tournament earnings: approximately $18M.

What was the Galfond Challenge?

The Galfond Challenge was a 2020 series of high-stakes heads-up PLO matches Phil organized against four opponents. Vs VeniVidi1993 (Dennis Knot): Phil fell behind $900K early before mounting a famous comeback to win $1.6M. Vs ActionFreak: Phil won approximately $250K. Vs Bill Perkins (charity match): Phil won. Vs Chance Kornuth: Phil won. The challenge cemented Galfond's reputation as the world's top PLO heads-up player and was followed live by tens of thousands of fans.

What is Run It Once?

Run It Once Training is a premium online poker coaching site Phil Galfond founded in 2012. It hosts video content from top professionals across cash games, MTTs, and PLO. Galfond sold Run It Once to GGPoker in 2023. He also launched Run It Once Poker (a real-money poker site emphasizing recreational-player protection), which operated from 2019 until shutting down in 2022 due to insufficient liquidity.

How many WSOP bracelets does Phil Galfond have?

Three WSOP bracelets — won in 2008 ($5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha with rebuys), 2015 ($10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship), and 2017 ($10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship). He is one of the most decorated PLO tournament players in history. He also won the 2014 Super High Roller Bowl for over $3M at Aria, Las Vegas.

What is Phil Galfond's playing style?

Galfond is known for small-ball aggression combined with exceptionally deep theoretical understanding. He emphasizes hand-reading, bet-sizing tells, and exploitative deviations from GTO rather than pure solver-following. His PLO game is celebrated for precise pot control, equity realization, and an ability to navigate multi-street decisions with marginal hands. He is widely cited by other pros as one of the smartest players ever to play the game.