WATCH: Phil Galfond Unveils New Poker Life DocuseriesSeries Chronicles Lives Of Poker Power Couple |
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Poker fans now have a closer look at the ins and outs of a high-stakes professional poker-playing couple with the June 28 debut of Galfond. The YouTube docuseries chronicles the daily lives Phil and Farah Galfond.
The show combines documentary-style storytelling with reality TV elements, offering “an unprecedented behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of poker’s power couple and covers several never-before-heard stories. Each episode reveals the raw, unfiltered reality of what it takes to stay at the top of the poker world while navigating family life and personal hardships.”
Details On The Series
Phil is a longtime poker pro and coach with $10 million in tournament cashes and three WSOP bracelets, to go along with millions in cash game earnings. He also founded the Run It Once training and online poker brands.
Farah is a poker player as well with more than $275,000 in live tournament winnings, but she is also an actress and starred on shows like Days of Our Lives (863 episodes) and One Life to Live (580 episodes).
Phil says she was a major driver behind the series.
“I’ve been asked many times to share some behind-the-scenes, day-in-the-life type content, and I’ve always resisted — not because I’m uncomfortable, but because I didn’t think it would be interesting,” Phil says. “This time, it was my wife pushing me, so I said yes! As it turns out, I was wrong. Farah, John Irwin, and Miikka Anttonen (series producers) showed me how much story I had to tell, and I was blown away by the four episodes John put together.
“If you’ve followed my career closely, about half of the show will be an enjoyable inside perspective on things you know about me, while the other half will cover stories I’ve never shared publicly.”
Farah said the idea for the show came after watching season one of Netflix’s Full Swing about PGA golfers. The golf and poker worlds are very comparable, she says.
“More than anything, I was struck by the way Rory McIlroy’s peers spoke about him,” she says. “It reminded me of the way players speak to me about Phil at nearly every live tournament table I sit down at. It was such a relatable viewing experience for me personally, that the wheels started turning in my mind thinking we could tell a compelling story in a docuseries style as well.
“Phil has had many successes in his career and is idolized by many, but there are always going to be darker moments that happen behind closed doors, and I felt like we are at a point in our lives where we can reflect and share some things the public hasn’t heard.”
Watch the first episode below.
Capturing The Community
Director John Irwin said he was struck by the tight-knit and supportive energy of the poker community and tried to bring that out in the show along with the Galfonds’ personal story.
“There’s so much more than the flashy financial stuff,” he says. “There’s a palpable sense of mutual respect, excitement, and an undeniable curiosity for the game itself – something I hadn’t grasped before.
“Telling Phil’s story wasn’t just about poker; that’s what initially drew me to the project. How does this guy, a world-class poker player, navigate a stable relationship and raising a family amidst the insanity of poker life and his ambitions to grow different businesses? I knew that discovering the best and most concise way to tell his journey through the seeming chaos would make for a fun and fulfilling challenge to solve.”
Other players appearing in the show include Jason Koon and Andrew Robl. As part of the premier, Phil hosted an AMA (“ask me anything”) which you can read in the chat replay.
*Photos courtesy of the Galfonds.
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