Phil "OMGClayAiken has rapidly transformed himself into one of the top high stakes poker players in the game today. In addition to this, he also well known for teaching other players texas holdem tips and tricks as an instructor. But interestingly enough, it wasn't too long ago that Galfond was an amateur grinder just like most other people at the University of Wisonsin-Madison - where he first learned to play texas holdem poker.
Galfond found the game during his first year of college while studying as a philosophy major in the mid-2000's. After quickly learning the official rules of texas hold em, Galfond jumped online and started grinding in low stakes sit and go's. His favorite place to play texas holdem poker SNG's was at Party Poker, where he quickly moved up through the ranks. By the time Galfond was playing SNG's with $100 buy-ins or more, it was pretty obvious that he'd learned enough texas holdem tips and tricks. Around this time, Galfond also made his first journey into the live poker world as he cashed in two events in 2006; one of these was a small WSOP tournament where he earned $3,758.
Back to the internet scene, Galfond began to play texas holdem poker online and earn lots of rakeback. Fortunately, he had learned enough skills in the SNG's that he didn't need to re-learn the official rules of texas hold em poker when he switched to cash games. Galfond started at $5/$10 NLHE and gradually worked his way up using all of the different texas holdem tips and tricks he had learned. First it was the $25/$50 stakes, then $50/$100, and even higher from there.
After deciding he had little passion to continue to play texas holdem poker, OMGClayAiken started focusing more heavily on Omaha. Just like when he had learned the official rules for texas hold em, it didn't take Galfond long to adjust to Pot-Limit Omaha. However, things took a downturn in the middle of 2007 when he was playing against the best online PLO players out there, and not all of the rakeback in the world could save him.
Galfond was forced to drop down in stakes and start all over again in $5/$10. Fortunately, it didn't take him long to grind to the top with the aid of some massive rakeback because by the beginning of 2008, Galfond was right back in the biggest games. He would quickly be recognized as one of the fiercest opponents in the high stakes online game after moving back up through the limits. Aside from his impressive online play, Galfond was had a huge accomplishment when he took down a 2008 WSOP $5,000 PLO tournament, which earned him a massive payout of $817,781. In all, Galfond has just over $1 million in live tournament cashes.
But no one would argue that Galfond has made his living in the high stakes internet games, and he used all of these earnings and rakeback to purchase two side-by-side penthouse apartments in New York City. The house comes complete with an incredible poker office, great view of New York City and excellent amenities, which include a slide that goes down from his poker office into the living room. The setup is so impressive that several mainstream websites and magazines starting running features on Galfond's poker office.
Aside from being known for his unique poker office, Galfond is also the lead instructor at BlueFirePoker, where he not only teaches players the official rules of texas hold em and PLO, but also his Omaha and texas holdem tips and tricks.
