This Week's Big Winner: Niall Farrell Wins Triple Crown After Taking Down WSOP Europe High Roller

Niall Farrell defeated a field of 113 total entries to win the World Series of Poker Europe €25,000 no-limit hold’em high roller. For the win, Farrell earned the €745,287 first-place prize and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

As a result of the huge win the 30-year-old poker pro became only the eighth player ever in poker history to win major titles in WSOP, World Poker Tour, and European Poker Tour events. Farrell achieved what is known as poker’s Triple Crown by winning the 2015 EPT Malta main event, the 2016 WPT Caribbean Poker Party main event and, of course, this title at the WSOP Europe.

Farrell joins Mohsin Charania and Harrison Gimbel as players who completed the Triple Crown in 2017. The other players who have accomplished the feat are Gavin Griffin, Roland De Wolfe, Jake Cody, Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, and Davidi Kitai.

“Feel fantastic,” Farrell told reporters after coming out on top. “It’s so nice to finally get over the line especially after losing heads-up twice. Especially in a field like this, it’s pretty prestigious.”

The payout is the largest of Farrell’s career and it brings his lifetime live tournament earnings to more than $4.2 million. Farrell now sits atop the Scottish all-time live poker money list, surpassing the former leader David Vamplew.

Here are the five biggest hands that propelled Farrell to the win.

Tournament: WSOP Europe High Roller
Buy-In: €25,000 ($29,148)
No. of Entries: 113
Prize Pool: €2,651,545 ($3,078,976)
1st Place Prize: €745,287 ($871,986)

The Action

Farrell made the final table in the middle of the pack, but by the time the table reached seven-handed play, he had fallen into last place. After Schillhabel busted in seventh, Farrell was looking for a good opportunity to get it in. With a dead small blind, Pollak moved all in from the button and Farrell called off his last 2,900,000 with A 4. Pollak was live with K 10, but the board fell 7 6 3 6 J to put Farrell back into contention.

The Action

In a battle of the blinds, Farrell and Segebrecht manage to get it all in, with Segebrecht’s A 3 holding a slight statistical advantage over Farrell’s Q 10. The flop of J 9 8, however, gave Farrell a straight and left Segebrecht drawing to a miracle. The turn and river were the 7 and 8, and Farrell doubled into third place of the tight four-player race.

The Action

In another battle of the blinds, this time during three-handed play, Farrell open-shoved his last 12,500,000 from the small blind. Segebrecht had him just slightly outchipped and made the call with A 2, which was ahead of Farrell’s Q J. The flop of K J 2, however, gave Farrell the lead. The J on the turn locked up the double, and the inconsequential river was the 8. Segebrecht was left with just a few big blinds, but he was able to double up on the next hand.

The Action

Despite surviving a couple of orbits, Segebrecht was still looking for a double when Farrell shoved from the small blind. Segebrecht called off his last four big blinds with J 7, and this time Farrell had the best of it with K 5. The board offered no help for Segebrecht, and he hit the rail in third place. Farrell went into heads-up play with a slight 4:3 chip advantage over his opponent Pollak.

The Action

After just 12 hands of heads-up play, Farrell raised to 2,200,000 on the button and Pollak jammed over the top. Farrell was willing to gamble and called with A J, which had Pollak’s A 7 dominated. The board fell K Q 5 9 8 and Farell’s ace-jack high was enough to take the pot, the tournament title and the €745,287 first-place prize.

Final Table Results

1. Niall Farrell — €745,287 ($871,986)
2. Benjamin Pollak — €460,622 ($538,928)
3. Claas Segebrecht — €321,863 ($376,580)
4. Ryan Riess — €230,071 ($269,183)
5. Sylvain Loosli — €168,323 ($196,938)
6. Andrew Leathem — €126,113 ($147,552)
7. Stefan Schillhabel — €96,819 ($115,213)
8. Antoine Saout — €76,209 ($88,455) \