Phil Galfond to Follow in Footsteps of Tony G to Launch New Poker Site

• To date only two poker pros have managed to launch successful real money online poker rooms, with Phil Galfond hoping to overcome the long odds
• Galfond is best known for using the moniker OMGClayAiken at now defunct Full Tilt Poker
• An online poker site ““shouldn’t let honest players, professional or recreational, be taken advantage of by others exploiting unenforceable rules”
• The site will not accept players from the USA

Poker pro Phil Galfond this week announced plans to launch a new real money online poker site.  The odds, however, are against him.

To date, only two poker pros have managed to launch successful real money Web card rooms:  Brunson Doyle and his Doyle’s Room online poker site, since rebranded as the highly successful Gambling911.com-endorsed Americas Cardroom, and Antanas Guoga, whose TonyBet has seen explosive growth since launching back in 2009.  Brunson is no longer involved with the former.

Galfond was best known on the now defunct Full Tilt Poker website for using the moniker of OMGClayAiken, inspired by an openly gay American Idol runner up and 2014 Democratic nominee in the North Carolina 2nd congressional district election.  Gambling911.com readers might also be familiar with Galfond’s former New York City penthouse, where he installed a slide as his access between the two penthouse apartments.

Galfond’s online success has translated well onto the real life tournament circuit with a win in the $5,000 pot-limit Omaha with rebuys event at the 2008 World Series of Poker, earning $817,781 and a second place finish at the WSOP $25,000 No Limit Hold'em six handed event for $744,841.  He has two World Series of Poker bracelets.

“A poker site should believe in fairness,” Galfond said. “Not fairness for the sake of public image and profits, but fairness for fairness’s sake.”

“It shouldn’t let honest players, professional or recreational, be taken advantage of by others exploiting unenforceable rules,” he added. “It should seek to put a stop to predatory behavior and to cheating of any kind. It should strive to create as level a playing field as possible.”

“I’m going to give it my best shot.”

While the Doyle Brunson offshoot Americas Cardroom accepts customers from more than 90 percent of US states, Galfond says he will following in the footsteps of TonyBet and exclude US players.

A launch date has yet to be set.