Phil Galfond is Back!

Phil Galfond may have been less conspicuous at the poker tables recently but it doesn’t mean the two-time WSOP bracelet winner and online legend has been resting on his laurels – the 32-year old Maryland pro this week helping to launch the RunItOnce Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) site, Draftboard.

Galfond was expected by many to launch his own poker site at some point around now, although these plans have hit a few snags they are still in the pipeline, Galfond telling ‘Chicago’ Joey Ingram on his podcast this week that:

“We did announce it and it’s very delayed”, adding that “it’s not in Beta so it’s probably not coming out in a couple of months”.

Although his RunItOnce Poker team are “working very hard”, it was his rather surprising DFS involvement which appeared this week, Galfond explaining that everyone at RIO is fanatic about DFS...

“I’ve acted more of a consultant,” Galfond wrote in a blog post on the RIO site where he specialises in PLO training and strategy videos, the team “bringing me in for important decisions” on the DFS plans as he later explained to Ingram.

His business partner, Dan Quinn, spoke about the new Draftboard project, saying that:

“We had these two ideas (FairMatch and Live) that are pretty different. But we think they’re kind of game-changers in terms of making a site that is providing a more level playing field, and one that’s way more engaging from the end user’s perspective.”

‘The new platform is aimed at trying to create a more level playing field for the DFS end user, in how they enter contests’, says Legalsportsreport.com, adding that Draftboard.com is ‘a new and different offering in a space that has been whittled down to increasingly fewer operators’, the biggest of which are the well-known DraftKings and FanDuel.

Galfond said of the new site:

“When you’re drafting a team and entering contests, the only opponents you should need to think about are the ones on the field. Fans have been up against some pretty steep odds in this industry. We’re giving them another option.”

He added:

“Perhaps I’m biased, but I think they’ve built something beautiful. I’m very, very proud and I feel lucky that I get to be a part of it,” explaining that: “We focus on what we believe is most important – the fun and excitement of the game, the connection between fans and athletes.” 

For more information about Galfond’s latest plans and ideas, including the progress (or lack of it) surrounding his much-anticipated poker site, as well as some excellent PLO strategy chat, check out Ingram’s podcast interview linked on Twitter…