CardsChat Podcast host Robbie Strazynski talked with Phil Galfond, respected high-stakes poker player, coach, multiple World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and owner of the Run It Once poker brand, which was absorbed by Rush Street Gaming this year with plans to legally launch a poker site in the US.
Galfond, 39, has been one of the stars of the poker world since he won the first of three WSOP bracelets in 2008, but his $2.9 million in live tournament winnings tell only one part of Galfond’s story.
Since 2012, Galfond co-owned Run It Once, one of the world’s top poker training sites. In 2019, they launched a real-money online site. In May of this year, the whole kit and caboodle — including Galfond — was sold to Rush Street. They are working on creating a new poker client and bringing it to the US.
Galfond is one of those players who seem to be able to do anything he sets his mind on, so why does he choose the often disappointing field of poker.
“It’s really a bummer how much negativity comes up in the game, yet my passion for the game overpowers any of that. I just love poker too much to consider anything else,” he said from his home in Las Vegas.
Life has shifted drastically in seven years for Galfond, who got married and had a little boy, now three. Before, he’d sleep sometimes until 3 p.m., wake up, play poker, and work on Run It Once content.
Now, it’s up at 6 a.m. for dad time and then into his office as a poker businessman (which, yes, includes playing online poker) for the rest of the day.
“I miss the freedom to play a really long session without having to think about ‘oh, I have a meeting to get too.’ But I generally like the structured life,” he said.
Playing volume poker has been put on the back-burner since 2021 was all about closing the Run It Once real money poker site, paying all its players, and transferring everything over to Rush Street. Also in 2021, he completed a comprehensive course on PLO, of which Galfond is one of the world’s experts.
By the way, he’s always looking to play heads-up for high-stakes against any comers, as long as they have the $10K buy-in.
Check out the podcast for so much more insight on Galfond, including the games he thinks he’s the fish.
As is standard on “the friendliest poker podcast in town,” Galfond answered questions from CardsChat forum members. Visit the thread to find out who will be the next guest and submit questions.
