Player Interview: OMGClayAiken

SH: You seem to have had a fine start to 2008, both online and at the World Series. Have you adjusted your game in any way this year or are you just running/playing well?

Phil Galfond: It's mostly the latter. I've definitely improved my game... there are few months where I'm not better than I was the month before. Still, games have gotten tougher, so my edge hasn't changed much. I think I ran poorly last year and very well this year, and that's the difference in my results.

SH: Obviously you are one of the online pros who have taken to PLO in a big way recently. Do you see the future of high stakes cash poker in Pot Limit Omaha and do you have any plans to branch out further to the likes of Omaha Hi/Lo and H.O.R.S.E?

Phil Galfond: I wish I knew. I could see PLO being around for a long time, but it looks like HORSE and o8 are starting to become big. Unfortunately for me, I have zero limit experience in my background. I'm working on my HORSE game, but don't expect me to be crushing 2000/4000 anytime soon.

SH: There has been some curiosity recently as to why the likes of yourself and Tom Dwan are not sponsored professionals of Full Tilt or any other site. Have you ever been approached for sponsorship and what would you see the benefits and drawbacks of such a deal to be?

Phil Galfond: I have been approached for sponsorship. The only drawback to most deals is the inability to make a deal in the future. For me (and Tom), the offers amount to almost nothing when looked at as a % of our yearly earnings. I obviously can't be sure that things will change in the future, but I believe it's possible. One more bracelet, maybe in a TV event, a few more invites to cash games, and I think I can show the public what I can do. Who knows if it'll happen and I'll be able to get a sponsorship that will actually make a difference for me, but I feel like the possibility of that is enough to keep me from taking a deal that wouldn't change anything for me.

SH: I remember reading that you didn’t want to stay in poker your whole life. Ariel Schneller also had similar sentiments in his blog not so long ago. Have you thought any more about when you might want to get out of the game and is there any other career that you would like to give a try? And one a similar note, do you subscribe to the view that the games are becoming increasingly harder to beat?

Phil Galfond: The games are becoming tougher, but as I mentioned, I'm getting better. I think that I can keep up with the pace of the highest stake games for many years to come, assuming I want to. I'm not sure what the future holds for me. I still enjoy poker most of the time. I have many friends who don't, and I'm worried I'll eventually feel the same. Until something better comes along, I don't see a reason to quit. I suppose at a certain point, you don't need more money, but I'm competitive by nature. Once I'm at the point where I don't need to think about money, I'll probably approach poker as more of a sport, taking on the toughest players HU, rather than being careful with my roll. If I retired from poker, I'd want to get involved in teaching or writing, or some combination of both.

SH: A lot of high stakes players (Tom Dwan, the Dang Brothers, David Benefield, yourself etc) seem to be friends with each other and know a lot about each others games. How often do you play short-handed with these guys and does it make it difficult that you are all looking to play in similar games?

Phil Galfond: It is a bit weird. Those guys are all great friends of mine. We end up playing a good bit of 3-6 handed games. If one of them is HU at a 6 handed table, I usually let them have it until someone else sits in. I don't really like playing 3 handed with a friend. It sucks so much to take a big pot from a friend, especially when he's losing already. As far as gameplay, it actually creates a really interesting dynamic. With some of them, I know their game inside and out, maybe as well as they do. I can usually tell what they have when I'm not involved in a hand. But they know that, and they know my game, so when we get involved in HU pots, we have to think so far outside the box.

SH: There seems to have been an explosion of ‘flipping’ in recent months. Do you ‘flip’ yourself? Why do you think this is an increasingly popular hobby?

Phil Galfond: I have flipped a few times. I think it's bad for games, so I try not to. I guess it's popular because it's pure gambling, and so many poker players are gamblers at heart. It's interesting how relaxing flipping is to me, even for large amounts of money. I think after making tough decisions for massive pots year round, it's nice to be involved in a big pot where you know you couldn't have done anything wrong.

SH: Congratulations on your WSOP bracelet. Do you plan to continue to work on your live tournament game and where would you place the win in terms of your poker highlights to date?

Phil Galfond: Thank you, Simon. I actually am very confident in my live tournament game. I was a tournament player for the first 18 months of my career, which most people don't realize. I don't plan on travelling the circuit to play every event out there. I just don't like being away from home and my friends. I definitely will be back next summer to play as many WSOP events as I can. The bracelet win, while not being among the most difficult things I've accomplished, is definitely my number one career highlight. The WSOP, and big tournaments in general, are basically all about glory. A ton of people play, one man wins. If you do consider poker a sport, it's because of tournaments, and the WSOP is the Super Bowl. Or a collection of mini-Super Bowls. Or the World Series I guess, since they are called the same thing. I don't really like baseball though.

SH: And finally, what are your plans poker wise for the rest of 2008?

Phil Galfond: More of the same. Play online. I'll hopefully be able to pick up HORSE, but I doubt I'll be satisfied with my HORSE game anytime in 2008.