Noel Furlong
Encyclopedia
J. J. Furlong is an Irish businessman and recreational poker
player who won the 1999 World Series of Poker main event.
manufacturing
business.
He was given the nickname "Noel" because he was born on Christmas Day.
in 1989, he placed 6th in the main event. That final table was won by Phil Hellmuth
, and also included two time world champion, Johnny Chan
, and business executive and professional poker player, Lyle Berman
.
Ten years later, Furlong's biggest win came in the 1999 WSOP main event, in which he won $1 million. He defeated a final table that included professional poker players, Padraig Parkinson
, Erik Seidel
, Chris Bigler
, 1996 world champion Huck Seed
, and Alan Goehring
, whom Furlong defeated in heads-up play to win the title.
Until Andy Black's 5th place finish at the 2005 World Series of Poker
main event, he was the top money-winning Irish
poker player in the world. He is currently 6th on the Irish poker tournament money-winning list.
Furlong also won the Irish Poker Open
, the longest running tournament in Europe (and now one of the largest), in 1987 and again in 1989. This tournament began in 1980, and has been held nearly every year since that time. Furlong is one of only five players to have won this tournament twice.
In recent years, he has not traveled much to play poker, preferring to concentrate on his business and other interests, while playing occasionally in tournaments in Ireland and the United Kingdom
.
As of 2009, Furlong's total live tournament winnings exceed $1,100,000. His 3 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,070,785 of those winnings.
.
Furlong's other interests include owning horses and working as a horse trainer
.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player who won the 1999 World Series of Poker main event.
Early life
Furlong was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He originally became a millionaire from his carpetCarpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering consisting of an upper layer of "pile" attached to a backing. The pile is generally either made from wool or a manmade fibre such as polypropylene,nylon or polyester and usually consists of twisted tufts which are often heat-treated to maintain their...
manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
business.
He was given the nickname "Noel" because he was born on Christmas Day.
Poker
Furlong began playing poker in 1984, and in his first trip to the World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
in 1989, he placed 6th in the main event. That final table was won by Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
, and also included two time world champion, Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan (poker player)
Johnny Chan rather than his Chinese birth name. born in Guangzhou, China in 1957) is a Chinese American professional poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, including 1987 and 1988 World Series of Poker main events consecutively....
, and business executive and professional poker player, Lyle Berman
Lyle Berman
Lyle Arnold Berman is a professional poker player and business executive.-Business:Berman grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 1964 with a degree in business administration. He then went to work for his father's leather business, Berman Buckskin. ...
.
Ten years later, Furlong's biggest win came in the 1999 WSOP main event, in which he won $1 million. He defeated a final table that included professional poker players, Padraig Parkinson
Padraig Parkinson
Padraig Parkinson is an Irish professional poker player. He is chiefly recognised as the grand final winner of Late Night Poker series 5 and as the third-place finisher of the 1999 World Series of Poker, where he lost to fellow countryman Noel Furlong.Originally, Padraig refused to play in Late...
, Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel
Erik Seidel is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada who has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title.In 2010, he was inducted as a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
, Chris Bigler
Chris Bigler
Chris Bigler is a Swiss retired businessman, now a professional poker player, based in Las Vegas, Nevada....
, 1996 world champion Huck Seed
Huck Seed
Huckleberry Seed is an American professional poker player best known for winning the main event of the 1996 World Series of Poker.-Early Life:...
, and Alan Goehring
Alan Goehring
Alan Goehring is a retired American junk bond analyst and trader from Henderson, Nevada. At the age of 37, he became a professional poker player....
, whom Furlong defeated in heads-up play to win the title.
Until Andy Black's 5th place finish at the 2005 World Series of Poker
2005 World Series of Poker
The 2005 World Series of Poker opened play on June 2, continuing through the Main Event No Limit World Championship starting on July 7. The conclusion of the Main Event on July 15 marked the close of play, and the largest prize in sports and/or television history at the time was awarded to the...
main event, he was the top money-winning Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
poker player in the world. He is currently 6th on the Irish poker tournament money-winning list.
Furlong also won the Irish Poker Open
Irish Poker Open
The paddypowerpoker.com Irish Poker Open is the longest running No Limit Texas hold 'em poker tournament in Europe and second longest in the world after the World Series of Poker....
, the longest running tournament in Europe (and now one of the largest), in 1987 and again in 1989. This tournament began in 1980, and has been held nearly every year since that time. Furlong is one of only five players to have won this tournament twice.
In recent years, he has not traveled much to play poker, preferring to concentrate on his business and other interests, while playing occasionally in tournaments in Ireland and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
As of 2009, Furlong's total live tournament winnings exceed $1,100,000. His 3 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,070,785 of those winnings.
Business and Other Interests
Furlong owns a carpet distribution company that does over $100 million worth of business a year. Because of his involvement with the carpet business he doesn't play poker frequently, usually only the WSOP and tournaments in Ireland and western EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Furlong's other interests include owning horses and working as a horse trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
.