Erick Lindgren Hopes Phil Galfond Wasn't Bluffing

This week’s exclusive Poker After Dark Throwback Hand features two players who, on the face, it at least, would appear to come different ends of a particular spectrum. Erick Lindgren and Phil Galfond may or may not have socialized after this hand, but they certainly got up close and personal in what is a first-man-to-blink-loses clash.

Lindgren’s doubt over whether Galfond has bluffed him or not in this hand is an entertaining one because of the money involved, and the fact that its great drama. But, as is often the case with poker, there’s far more to it than just one pot.

THE STRAIGHT MAN

Lindgren, faced with a huge call against Galfond’s bet, considers that his opponent is so believable that maybe his bet is believable. This is highly prescient thinking for 2010 when the series was filmed.

Fast forward nine years and Phil Galfond’s newly-launched Run It Once has become Galfond’s latest business venture, an effort to bring poker players a site designed specifically for them. It might be a success, or it might not, like Galfond’s all-in bet in this hand. But either way, it might owe a lot to the ‘table image’ of Phil Galfond.

A GOLDEN REPUTATION

Galfond’s career is one of strong poker performance, studious strategy, and business-like invention. From becoming a profitable poker player, Galfond pressed his edge in cash games on the highest stage, such as Poker After Dark.

Following his initial stardom, Galfond’s legendary status among players allowed him to strategize on the game with a captive audience, among the attentive legends as far and wide as Britain’s Sam Trickett, who would learn from Galfond so well that he’d rack up tournament wins of $20m alone.

SPLIT PERSONALITIES

It’s not just in this hand that Erick Lindgren and Phil Galfond look to come from different worlds. Whereas Galfond projects a picture of positivity, Lindgren has admitted to previous struggles with addiction and gambling problems.

Lindgren’s appetite for the game may have at one point proved dangerous to him, but he conquered that, and ironically, at the same time Galfond was generating a buzz about his new project for Run It Once, Lindgren returned to the tournament tables.

MEETING OLD FRIENDS

Whether Phil Galfond and Erick Lindgren play too much together these days is debatable, after all, they circulate in different worlds to an extent. Galfond’s business baby, as well as being part of poker’s most popular power couple alongside female player Farah Galfond takes up a lot of his time.

Lindgren has returned to the grind a new man and will hope to rebuild what was once such a fearsome reputation that none of his opponents can have looked forward to facing him at the Poker After Dark table. Maybe a reunion is due between two of poker’s most popular survivors. One thing is for sure – in this hand, their reputations preceded them.

If they reconnect on the all-new seasons of Poker After Dark, then you can be sure that you’ll see the first by subscribing to PokerGO. For 24/7 access to the best poker content anywhere in the world, it’s the only place to be. Whether your table image is clean-cut or bad boy, you’ll always have the best seat in the house watching content exclusive to PokerGO.