Phil Galfond has shared his pick for the best poker player in the world, and his answer may not surprise longtime followers of high-stakes online poker.
In a lengthy post on X, Galfond argued that the elusive cash-game specialist known as Berri Sweet stands above the rest of the game’s elite. The post also served as the launch announcement for a new coaching-for-profits program aimed at serious online No-Limit Hold’em cash-game players.
Galfond’s argument was not built on trophies, livestream popularity, or tournament results. Instead, he focused on a simpler idea: the best players reveal their opinions through the games they are willing to play for real money.
“The player who the other best players voted for, with their wallets, is Berri Sweet,” Galfond wrote. “That’s why I believe he’s the best poker player in the world.”
Galfond most recently made news when he challenged the new gambling winnings tax implemented by the Big Beautiful Bill.
Why Phil Galfond Picked Berri Sweet
Ranking the best player in poker is never easy. Different formats demand different skills, and short-term results can be shaped by variance, game selection, and volume.
Galfond acknowledged those complications in his post. A player can be exceptional in tournaments, full-ring cash games, heads-up matches, mixed games, or short-deck poker without being equally dominant in every format.
Still, Galfond believes high-stakes heads-up cash games offer one of the clearest tests of pure poker ability. In those games, there are no weak players at the table, fewer places to hide, and no teammates or soft spots to target. A player must repeatedly make better decisions than another elite opponent.
According to Galfond, Sweet has done exactly that across several demanding formats.
Berri Sweet’s Online Poker Resume
Berri Sweet has long been one of the most respected and private names in online poker. The player became known for nosebleed Pot-Limit Omaha action and has played against many of the strongest cash-game professionals in the world.
Galfond pointed to several reasons behind his selection:
- A major winning record in six-max high-stakes PLO games without relying on table selection.
- Dominance in heads-up PLO games until opponents largely stopped providing action.
- Success in mixed PLO and No-Limit Hold’em formats, including battles against elite opponents such as Linus Loeliger.
- Strong results in heads-up NLHE, limit poker, and 8-Game matches.
- A willingness to challenge top players across formats and continue playing until the available action disappeared.
The core of Galfond’s argument is not merely that Berri Sweet won big. It is that other elite players appeared reluctant to continue playing him over time.
That distinction matters in the high-stakes online poker world. Public results can show profits and losses, but the games that never take place can be just as revealing. If strong players repeatedly avoid a particular opponent, it can signal that they believe the matchup is unfavorable.
A Private Star of High-Stakes Poker
Unlike many of poker’s best-known personalities, Berri Sweet has maintained a low public profile. His real identity has remained private, adding to the mystery around one of online poker’s most feared regulars.
He has been active in the high-stakes scene since roughly 2012 and has been linked with major tracked results. Sweet was reported as one of online poker’s biggest cash-game winners in 2017, with more than $1.7 million in tracked profit during that year.
Over time, he has faced some of the game’s most respected professionals, especially in Pot-Limit Omaha. Galfond has also featured Sweet in previous strategy content, including reviews of high-stakes heads-up PLO matches.
Galfond said his opinion comes partly from working directly with Sweet. He praised the player’s hand reading, emotional control, strategic depth, and confidence under pressure.
In one of the thread’s most notable compliments, Galfond described SWEET’s thought process as similar to his own, but “1.5x as smart and 5x as confident.”
What It Means for Online Poker
Galfond’s post is a strong public endorsement of a player who has spent years away from the spotlight. It also reflects a larger truth about high-stakes online poker: reputation is often built in private games, difficult matchups, and the decisions elite players make about where to put their money.
Sweet may not have the public profile of many tournament champions or poker streamers. But among players who understand the demands of high-stakes cash games, Galfond believes his body of work speaks loudly enough.
For Galfond, the evidence is straightforward. When the world’s best players have the chance to choose their opponents, their decisions can be more meaningful than any public ranking.
And in Galfond’s view, those decisions have already named Berri Sweet as poker’s best.
