Phil Galfond's Poker Journey: From College Student to Pro Player

Phil Galfond started playing poker online for fun during his first year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Galfond's first poker deposit of $50 was lost, but he made another deposit of $50 and managed to build it up to several thousand dollars by the winter of his second year.

Galfond earned around $30 per hour playing Sit and Go (SNG) poker tournaments and had a temporary job offer as an SAT and ACT tutor. He lived with two roommates, Caroline and Shannon, who he met through an improvisation class. Galfond studied philosophy in college, finding the subject matter interesting despite his poor study habits.

Galfond's poker skills improved significantly, and he began to gain respect among other SNG poker specialists. Galfond was invited to join the improv company 'Atlant Improv' after a successful audition.