Phil Galfond wins third WSOP bracelet $10k PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

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Poker pro turned business owner, Phil still enjoys success at the poker table.

Formerly known online as one of the most feared high-stakes cash-game players under the moniker "OMGClayAiken", Phil has successfully transformed into a business operator, running an online training site and his online poker room is yet to kick off.

However, Phil showed once again, he still has what it takes to outsmart his opponents at the green felt, as he outlasted a total of 237 at the prestigious $10k PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better event. "I just ran really hot at the right time. I ran bad all summer, so I was saving it up for now. Now, it's even."

As a PLO/NLHE specialist, Galfond accumulated almost $10 million in online winnings but still claims to have less experience in PLO8. When asked about the comparison, Phil said: "It's just a completely different world than being short-stacked in a tournament. I was figuring out as I went. I think I definitely ended the tournament a better PLO8 tournament player than I started."

Galfond beat Michael McKenna in the heads-up with a strategy he formed based on his lack of experience: "Heads up, I didn't raise any hands until the last one," he said. "I just wanted to see a lot of flops. Since I wanted to see flops with my bad hands, I have to limp my good hands because he'd just attack me in that situation."

In a key hand, Phil managed to extract value with a straight and the nut low, to move into the lead. He only needed 30 minutes to get things done after. With this $567,788 win, Phil now has $2,907,407 in total earnings, while McKenna booked his biggest ever score in form of this $350,922 win.

Final results

Position Player Country Prize
1 Phil Galfond United States $567,788
2 Michael McKenna United States $350,922
3 Ali Abduljabbar United States $240,497
4 Chad Power United States $168,275
5 Chris Lee United States $120,263
6 Marco Johnson United States $87,830
7 David “ODB” Baker United States $65,579
8 Chase Steely United States $50,086

One might think a payday of this caliber would make Phil return to the game, but he has other plans in mind: "It feels like we're almost there and finally I'll be free," Galfond said. "But, I can only imagine there's going to be more work once we launch the poker site. I'd like to find a way to play more poker because I really miss it. But, Run it Once poker is going to be the first priority."