Galfond wins HU against Kornuth early
While the poker community is watching closely the historic battle between Daniel Negreanu and Douglas Polk, an equally interesting heads-up match from “Galfond Challenge” series just ended. A match between Phil Galfond and Chance Kornuth. The battle began in September last year and lasted for almost five months.
The reason Kornuth decided to withdraw
The most interesting thing is that Kornuth never finished the match, so it ended with a default. Poker pro were to play 35k hands in $100/$200 PLO plus a sidebet of $250,000 if Phil wins and $1,000,000 if Chance wins.
During the battle 50 session were played and in the last one, as in most of them, Phil emerged victorious (+$46,000). The final margin was $726,500 and at this point Kornuth decided to end the challenge, admitting his defeat. Here’s Galfond reaction:
“Another #GalfondChallenge has come to an end. I was surprised by how well Chance plays, perhaps this fight turned out to be the hardest for me. Kornuth has tested my game in a way nobody had done it before in the challenge. He managed to find leaks even I had no idea about! After such a shake-up I will definitely play better!”
It’s not surprising at all Kornuth decided to stop the battle. There were 10k more hands to play between the two and almost all latter sessions went Phil’s way. In the one before last, for example, Phil made $126,000. But he wasn’t ahead right from the start, let’s recall how it went.
How events developed
The battler started one September 16. After first ten sessions, the favorite took the lead, but from session #12 to #35, the tide has turned. At one point Chance was ahead by $289,500 (after session #22), but after Phil only narrowed the gap. Then he began to step forward and eventually skyrocketed ahead. Anyways, let’s take a look at some of the sessions’ results:
#1: +$33 000 Kornuth (750 hands);
#2: +$11 500 Galfond (1 650 hands);
#7: +149 000 Galfond (5 600 hands);
#11: +$117 000 Galfond (5 850 hands);
#12: +$33 000 Kornuth (6 350 hands);
#17: +$267 000 Kornuth (9 100 hands);
#20: +$276 500 Kornuth (10 750 hands);
#22: +$289 500 Kornuth (11 800 hands);
#25: +$221 500 Kornuth (13 500 hands);
#29: +$82 500 Kornuth (15 400 hands);
#31: +64 000 Kornuth (16 500 hands);
#32: +$32 000 Galfond (17 100 hands);
#34: +$36 500 Kornuth (17 700 hands);
#38: +$136 000 Galfond (20 000 hands);
#41: +$352 000 Galfond (21 500 hands);
#45: +$544 500 Galfond (23 500 hands);
#48: +$554 500 Galfond (24 800 hands).
As of now, Phil has won all the matches in “Galfond Challenge”:
€900 240 against “VeniVidi1993” (after 25 000 hands);
€115 000 against “ActionFreak” (after 15 000 hands);
€86 870 against Daniel Cates (after 750 hands);
$90 000 against Bill Perkins (after 1 000 рук).
Next on the list in Brandon Adams and unfinished duels against Cates and Perkins.
