We look back at the 1999 World Series Of Poker Main Event

Wherever the Irish go, they always make themselves heard. So when the final table of the 1999 World Series of Poker contained two sons from the Emerald Isle, you somehow knew they were never going to lie down without putting up the fight of their lives. We get the whole story from the men who made it Ireland’s main event as JJ ‘Noel’ Furlong and Padraig Parkinson tell the tale of their battle with the Yanks

When the 1999 World Series of Poker main event was down to seven players, a railbird, noting that three of the remaining men were Irish, cried: ‘It’s Ireland against the rest of the world!’ ‘It always has been,’ came the swift reply from Dublin’s joker, Padraig Parkinson. Even though Northern Irishman, George McKeever, failed to make the final table – going out in seventh place – the 1999 final was still dubbed by many as the Irish Poker championship.

Ironically, it was a battle between north and south that sent McKeever packing, after he was knocked out by JJ ‘Noel’ Furlong, a then 61-year old multi-millionaire carpet manufacturer and racehorse owner. Furlong had wanted to see three Irishmen at the final table, saying: ‘I tried to make it clear to George that I had a good hand by betting $1 million, but he was determined and that was it.’

So with two Dubliners taking on the best the World Series could serve up, the question was just who would have the front to stand in their way? Huck Seed (402,000 in chips) – the 1996 main event winner – and four-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel (167,000) were the big-name stars, while Alan Goehring (828,000) and Swiss star Chris Bigler (319,000) made up the rest. But all the attention was on chip leader Furlong, who with a stack of 1.5 million was never going to be intimidated by the home players.

Padraig Parkinson: There were a lot of brand-name Yanks around who were being quite arrogant. But I kept hearing whispers that an Irish guy had a load of chips; then 30 minutes later it becomes Furlong; then half an hour later it’s Noel Furlong; then 30 minutes later, just Noel. That’s how easy it is to go from a nobody to a somebody in Vegas.

What the railbirds didn’t know was that Furlong had been locked in battle with Huck Seed pretty much throughout the tournament and had the American’s game nailed.

Noel Furlong: I kept getting drawn at the same table as Seed and made him my benchmark – always zeroing in on him. PP: Noel had Huck all wound up from the day before and was running all over him. He was on great form. I knew Noel’s game better than anyone else there. He was going after the Yanks and had been causing chaos.

The play was fast and aggressive and Seed was looking for every opportunity to take on the Irishman – but Furlong was lying in wait.

NF: I kept coming down really hard on Seed and he couldn’t stand it. I knew he was at it; he was always at it. PP: Noel called him instantly with A-3. It didn’t look too pretty. Seed says ‘good call’, because he thinks he has run into a monster and turns over J-8, but when he saw the A-3, he started bitching. But Noel’s not really a poker player. That sounds funny for a man who has won three Irish Opens and the main event at the WSOP. But he’s just very instinctive – and backs his instincts.

Furlong then took out big blind Bigler. With a flop of Q♠-9♠-8♥, giving Bigler trip 9s, Furlong went all-in and Bigler instantly called with his last 400,000. Furlong stunned him with 10♥-J♥ for a straight.

PP: Noel was on fire and was targeting the Yanks. Erik or Huck would raise; Noel would re-raise. Goehring kept calling him and at the time we all thought he was being a complete muppet. He’s gone on to prove it wasn’t a fluke, but I thought it was at the time.

By now, there really was an Ireland ‘The Conqueror’ feel to the room.

PP: The Americans just kept expecting the Europeans to lie down – just because of who we were playing. Obviously Noel didn’t give a fuck about them and I sort of caught that buzz too.

Seidel was looking crippled, and now it was Parkinson’s turn to finish him off. With a 60,000 raise and holding A-K, he called the American’s all-in. Seidel turned over A-Q, stood up and pushed his chair back.

PP: He flopped a Queen and the Yanks went nuts, but I hit a King on the river and the Yanks then went really quiet. There was, if I remember rightly, a small drink-fuelled Irish cheer.

By now the blinds were 15,000/30,000 with a 3,000 ante. It was costing too much to not play a hand.

PP: Noel and Goehring were looking for a big clash and I figured it was best to just sit back. But then I put 120k in the pot with Q-10. Noel called. The flop came 6-4-2 with two diamonds. I knew Noel; if he had a pair, he’d have re-raised me. He’s got no overpair, no set – and I’m very sure he’s not got a 5 or 3. So I figured I could win the pot. I stuck it all- in and he called. It was the nightmare scenario: A-8 – and he hit an Ace on the turn. I paired the Queen on the river – but I wasn’t looking by then.

At heads-up, Furlong had more than 3m in chips to Goehring’s 1m. With Furlong in fearsome mood, action was inevitable.

NF: I’d played it [the main event] three or four times before and had made the final table in 1989 – but I just had the most tremendous instincts that year. I knew when people were at it; and every time they were, I went in over the top of them. I wasn’t wrong at any stage throughout the final table.

By now the end was looming…

NF: I had 5-5 [the flop came Q♥-Q♣– 5♠]. Alan is a very nice guy, but I knew he was bluffing a lot; I sensed it. After watching his play, I could see when he was getting frustrated. I slow-played the final hand until he bet 150,000 and then put him all-in.

Goehring, with only four outs, was a 10/1 dog. It didn’t work out.

NF: To be the world champion of poker was the thrill of all thrills. A huge buzz. But it wasn’t a do-or-die effort for me; $1m was wonderful, fabulous, but would not have made a material difference to my life. I had run big businesses for years and was under less pressure playing cards – so my thinking was very clear. I was playing way above any level I’d ever played before; just reading other people’s hands so well. And I actually didn’t take any chances. Two things tended to happen: either I knew they were bluffing – or I had the nuts.

Furlong was happy to leave the table a winner – and has rarely played in tournaments since.

NF: The only times I really played after that was for a trip down memory lane. I never really was a poker player and I’ve packed it up completely now.

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