When Phil Galfond launched his Run It Once Poker online site eight years ago, hopes were high for his player-centric vision, but he couldn’t find the traction he needed in a very tough market.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the end of his dream. Run It Once Poker, sold to Rush Street Interactive in 2022, is now live for real-money play in Pennsylvania under the new name BetRivers Poker.
Run It Once Poker was Galfond’s solution to the concern he felt about the direction of online poker. Back in 2022, he said that RSI “shares our values: honesty, integrity, fairness, and transparency - and not only with their players. They stood out to me in the fair and honest way they dealt with us.”
Back then he said, “I’m extremely excited about what we’ll be able to accomplish together!”
Now he’s got the chance to prove it. Galfond stayed on through the sale of Run It Once Poker and is heavily involved in the new BetRivers Poker site, where he also serves as an ambassador.
We reached out to Galfond to get a quick take on how things are going one week in.
Phil Galfond playing at this year's WSOP Main Event.Players will be excited to see you involved in a project with personal significance. Are you excited to see BetRivers Poker (re)launch in the USA?
Absolutely, I'm thrilled about the relaunch. Having a tangible impact on the US online poker market has been a long-standing dream of mine, so this is awesome for me!
Are you going to remain involved in the development of the platform?
Yeah! Despite a significant change in title, I more or less have the same role as I had when we were Run It Once Poker. The same team is leading the design of the platform's features and policies, and we work together on every big decision.
Does the core ethos from Run It Once Poker remain through the new launch?
The core ethos of Run It Once – prioritizing player experience, transparency, and integrity – remains central to our mission. We're committed to maintaining these values as we expand into the US market.
What can players expect from you as an ambassador of the new site?
As an ambassador, I want to continue being the transparent and accessible connection between the poker community and the company. Players deserve to be listened to and they deserve to be spoken to. Players are an integral part of any poker platform, and I want our players to feel (and be) included.
Galfond has already been active on the site, and you can hear more about his views on BetRivers Poker and poker in general, including bots and RTA, in the video below. And yes, the exciting news is that you can expect to see the return of the Galfond Challenge.
Asked about the possibility of running more of them, he said, “Galfond Challenges... we could do a shorter one potentially, but in the past they’ve been two-to-three month ordeals. I don’t think I can do a three-month Galfond Challenge; I think my wife would leave me... We could do a full one. It would just be two weeks of intense play and not 25,000 hands, maybe 8,000 hands."
Feature image courtesy of PokerGO.
