Niall Farrell Wins WSOPE €25K No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for €745,287

(Photo: WSOP.com)

Niall Farrell has a pretty good record at the poker table, $4.4 million after his latest victory in Rozvadov where he took down the WSOP Europe €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Event for a cheeky three-quarter mill. This is an achievement, but perhaps more than many victories this one was really, truly earned.

In the 2013 WSOP $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Event, he took second place, just missing out on a bracelet. At the WSOP in 2016, he made three final tables including another second place finish in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout Event and this year in Vegas he got six tables away from a bracelet in the $5k 6-max event. So as far as he is concerned, it’s been a long time coming; three times he’s made it heads-up for the gold.

Third time was the charm.

The Hat Trick

Three was very much the number of the evening, because as well as being his third one-on-one for the crown, it also filled out a three year triregnum, having won and EPT title in 2015 (the Main Event on the Maltese leg) and a WPT title last year (the Party Poker Caribbean Main Event in the Dominican Republic) last year.

This rather impressive run clearly has yet to go to Farrell’s head though: "Poker players always think they’re the best player in the field, but to be honest I would say I’m in the top third, because it’s quite tough. A lot of it was just good fortune," he said, playing down a two day blitzkrieg that saw him down to 8 big blinds at one point on the final table which included high-stakes pro Ryan Reiss and Stefan Schillhabel.

Still, he clawed his way back, to a tense heads up showdown with Benjamin Pollack which including a buttock clenching eight minute tank on the river after Farrell fired three barrels and missed every street on a soaking wet board.

In the end though it came down to an ace versus ace preflop shove in which Farrell’s jack kicker held against Pollack’s seven.

As Pollack slinked off, Farrell was asked to make a Sophie’s Choice between his three big titles.

"I’m going to be diplomatic,” was his response. “They’re all equal at the moment, but this one is freshest so I’m loving this one."