Galfond wins first WSOP bracelet in Event 28
18th June, 2008
Phil Galfon, also known as "OMGClayAiken" in the online poker world, won his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet on Monday - winning Event 28, $5,000 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys.
The stage was set for a great day of poker with a final table full of the biggest names, including Hellmuth, Negreanu, Benyamine, Juanda, Gerasimov and Chan.
“I have to say that, without a doubt, coming into the day I was most worried about David Benyamine and Brian “tsarrast” Rast,” Galfond said. “Both players are excellent, and they both came in with big stacks. As Adam chipped up, I started to get really worried about him, as well.”
The tournament ended with a lengthy heads up session between Galfond and Adam Hourani, another Internet superstar, who kept hanging around and doubling up.
“The truth is, I did kind of freak out when he kept coming back, but I’ve played so many hands of pot-limit Omaha at all different stack sizes that it’s all become second nature to me,” Galfond said. “I was focused, even though I was nervous and stressed out about it. I certainly knew what to do.”
When the tournament ended, Galfond was awarded the gold bracelet. Later he spoke candidly about his online-poker screen name “OMGClayAiken” on Full Tilt.
“Basically, when I created my screen name, most that I saw were just cocky, tough and macho,” Galfond said. “I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted people to be embarrassed to lose to me.”
Galfond is known a force in cash-game poker, playing $200-$400 Pot-Limit Omaha regularly, but with this win he has proven he should be taken seriously at the tournament table as well.
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By Michael
