WSOP Classic Moments – Noel Furlong wins 1999 Main Event
Hal Fowler was the first amateur in WSOP history to win the Main Event. At the 1999 WSOP Main Event, another amateur made his way up the ladder to win the Main Event. Noel Furlong was a known recreational player that made the 1989 Main Event, but ten years, later Furlong had returned to the final table and luck appeared to be on his side as he navigated his way through a tough final table.
Huck Seed, Chris Bigler, Erik Seidel, Padraig Parkinson, and Alan Goehring all joined Furlong on the final table. Furlong was clearly an amateur with his play, but he was a regular player and was not the luckbox that many considered Fowler to be. Eventually, Furlong made it heads-up with Alan Goehring. Goehring ran card dead during heads-up and Furlong took a massive 3 to 1 chip lead.
The final hand started with Goehring being dealt pocket sixes. Furlong limped into the pot with pocket fives. Goehring decided to check his option instead of raising his pair, and that decision would prove to be costly. The flop fell Qs-Qc-5s and Furlong had flopped a boat. Both players checked and the turn fell the 2s. Goehring checked to Furlong, who bet 150,000. Goehring, thinking his hand was good, raised to 300,000. Furlong then moved all-in and Goehring called and found himself drawing to two outs. The river fell the 8s and Noel Furlong was the World Champion of Poker.
Furlong took home the $1 Million top prize, but the title was what he was playing for. Furlong is the owner of a carpet distributing company in Ireland that makes over $100 Million a year. As a result, it can be assumed the $1 Million meant little to him. Furlong remains a recreational player and is heavily involved in the Irish Open poker tournament.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
