Phil Galfond (OMGClayAiken) - Let's Do Another Interview!

Debi

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It has been almost 4 years since we last interviewed Phil Galfond (aka OMGClayAiken).

Phil Galfond - OMGClayAiken Interview

He has agreed to do another interview with us so we can catch up with what he has done for the past 4 years.

Phil has been playing since 2004 and and has over $1.7 million in live tournament cashes and $9 million in online winnings. He finished 2nd last June 28th in the 6-handed $25k event during the wsop for $744,841.

He currently splits his time between Las Vegas and canada and has this training website:

Runitonce.com.

They are offering us some great prizes in this contest:

Show Us Your Hands Contest - Phil will be personally breaking down the winner's hand and give some feedback!

Post your questions here and I will send them to Phil - he will answer them and I will post the interview here.

You can ask him anything reasonable - just keep it respectful please. :)
 
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10058765

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While Phil might be winning and probably has some good stories to tell for players how to become profitable, you might consider to interview me for good stories about what to avoid in becoming a winning player.

My question tough....I got the feeling the line between losing a bit in poker, and being a winner is very small....so evrything counts....

What's the most important thing for you to be winning ?
Is it mathematical, ....is it behaviour of other players ?
What specific is it, what makes you a winner ?
 
honeycrush

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Hi Phil. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us here at Cardschat. :)

I've heard lots of great things about your runitonce training site. What, in your opinion, sets it apart from all the other training sites out there?

Also... loved your blog but can't find any recent updates. Will you be blogging again any time soon?
 
Blobweird123

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I have another RIO question. How involved are you in what is put up on the site? Like do you personally weed through anything or influence what you want to see more or less of from some of the people making them?
 
duggs

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What was your motivation for starting RIO?
 
Debi

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Good questions - keep them coming!

Also will add to OP - but those of you interested in ROI they are giving us some cool prizes in this contest!

Show Us Your Hands Contest

The winner will get some feedback from Phil on their hand!
 
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Arjonius

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Thanks to Phil for agreeing to answer some of our questions. Here are a few.

What are the main things micro- and small stakes players can learn from how poker is played at the nosebleed levels?

Some people believe that multi-tasking improves their ability to focus on poker by alleviating their boredom. Under what circumstances if any would you recommend doing other things while playing poker?

What are the most common areas for improvement among break-even and losing cash game players at NL10 and below?

What differentiates winning players at nosebleed stakes from winners at high and mid-stakes?
 
rdm4k

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Do you have any strategy secrets? I mean something you know/you got of the game that it may give you an edge on the others and so you would never teach??
ty
 
10058765

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If Cardschat allows me to, I'll give away a SundayStorm at PS ticket for the best question asked.
Again, only if it's allowed, and not to put pressure on Phil, it's up to me to decide what's the best question...
I'll decide before sunday 26th who'll get it....
$11 for grabs...
 
XXPXXP

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I just want to ask one question

Hello Phil
you are such a strong player, and I am very impressed about your idea of G bucks.
how did you got the inspiration to put out that concept. Any story about that?

thank you.
 
JohnBoyWWFC

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If Cardschat allows me to, I'll give away a SundayStorm at PS ticket for the best question asked.
Again, only if it's allowed, and not to put pressure on Phil, it's up to me to decide what's the best question...
I'll decide before sunday 26th who'll get it....
$11 for grabs...

This is fine. Just be aware that when you send someone $11 they're not forced to use it for the Sunday Storm and I don't think you really have any way of making them do so, essentially, you are just offering $11 for the best question, although it would be nice if whoever received this generous offer used it how you would have liked. Also, many here can't play on Stars, so you'll have to think about how you want to work that.
 
Akorps

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Here's a strange question: if you had to play only all-in or fold, while multi-tabling tournaments, and had to use the same shoving range, regardless of position, stack size, or what the other players were doing, or what the tournament situation was, what range would you use to go all-in, if you could only use that one range for all situations, all through the tournament, in every tournament?

For example, my guess would be AJ+ and 77+
 
Arjonius

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How long did it take you to work your way up from a beginner to a winning player at the highest stakes? What were the main obstacles you encountered, and how did you get past them?
 
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Here's a strange question: if you had to play only all-in or fold, while multi-tabling tournaments, and had to use the same shoving range, regardless of position, stack size, or what the other players were doing, or what the tournament situation was, what range would you use to go all-in, if you could only use that one range for all situations, all through the tournament, in every tournament?

For example, my guess would be AJ+ and 77+

if this was only options unless it applied to everyone my advice would be to either quit or only play hyper turbos.

and btw thats also a bad strat for hypers to.
 
pocketehs

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Hey Phil,

Im a member at RIO and love the site.

Was wondering what your biggest "ah-ha" moment was in poker?

Do you think NLHE regs should start transitioning to PLO?

Thanks
 
Akorps

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if this was only options unless it applied to everyone my advice would be to either quit or only play hyper turbos.

and btw thats also a bad strat for hypers to.

Yes, but there must be an optimal range even for that bad strategy, shouldn't there? :)
 
JohnBoyWWFC

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Yes, probably but I see no reason why you would ever need it. You've got one of the greatest minds in poker here to answer any question and you ask one that you will surely never need to know an answer to?
 
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Everyone has their great moments and everyone makes seemingly amazing reads/plays at times - absolutely everyone has experienced "the zone" whether it be in poker, videgames, sport or some other endeavour. The difference between good/bad and between good/great is consistency. So how do you stay consistently within "the zone" - Do you think that you should try to restrict your playing time to when you are in that zone, or do you find there are methods you can exercise to try and achieve that state of mind?
 
10058765

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This is fine. Just be aware that when you send someone $11 they're not forced to use it for the Sunday Storm and I don't think you really have any way of making them do so, essentially, you are just offering $11 for the best question, although it would be nice if whoever received this generous offer used it how you would have liked. Also, many here can't play on Stars, so you'll have to think about how you want to work that.

Ok, clear...let's just say I offer $11. If someone feels more comfortable playing a bunch of lower BI's it's fine to me.
Just let the questions come and I'll decide.
Maybe even split the money between more people if I can't decide.
If someone doesn't play at Stars tho, I think I'll need , how do you call that ? an eskrow ? to make things happen.
 
Matt Vaughan

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In studies on "experts" in a variety of fields, researchers have found that experts tend to share common traits. One of these involves a 10,000-hour rule, where those hours were spent in deliberate practice. I think most up-and-coming grinders (myself included) put in a lot of time and energy, but that this time is often not well-spent, because the study and practice is done inefficiently.

What does "deliberate practice" mean for you, and how would you recommend someone go about changing their habits to incorporate more efficient practice?
 
Arjonius

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Overall, what proportion of your poker time do you spend actually playing versus reviewing / studying?

How should a player determine which training site would be best for him or her?
 
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Someone once told me that balance is important, and to be really good at poker you need to have other interests because if poker is your life, and the cards aren't hitting you're going to be miserable and not playing your best.

Do you agree with this, if so, what interests do you have outside of poker? How often do you get the chance to do them?
 
10058765

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Hi everyone....think you read about my offer.....well, if it's for me, it still stands, but I would really like to skip it to next week.
Really hope you don't mind, but although I've seen some good questions (imo), I haven't seen much questions.
Besides, I didn't really put a deadline.
So, to put it short...the $11 offer stands, no doubt, and the question deadline will be next week sunday noon CET.
Hope you don't mind guys....but let those questions come...
 
Debi

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Will give you all the weekend to get in any last minute questions and will send these to him on Monday!
 
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Everyone studies these days, everyone puts in the hours...
From your point of view, what is the honest difference between the best (Yourself, Blom, Antonius, Ivey, Seiver, etc...) and the every day grinder making money in the game?
 
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