Simon Wilson received the 2025 Irish Poker Open, changing into the primary Irish participant to win it this decade. [Image: Flickr.com / World Poker Tour]
A dream grew to become actuality
An exhilarating ultimate desk on the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) concluded in essentially the most scintillating method potential as native man Simon Wilson was topped the Irish Open champion for 2025. The younger poker phenom is a part of a brand new technology of proficient Irish gamers who take no prisoners on the felt, approaching the sport with a fierce depth and executing with forensic precision.
twelve hours later, that dream would grow to be a actuality
Nineteen gamers returned for Day 4 of what was a record-breaking occasion within the Irish capital and Wilson may so simply have been the primary elimination. Set underneath set versus Umberto Ruggeri ought to have despatched him to the rail, however the Italian let him off the hook. As an alternative of hitting the showers, he was left with ten massive blinds and a dream. Twelve hours later, that dream would grow to be a actuality as he defeated Ruggeri heads-up.
When the ultimate river card fell, Wilson, ever the sportsman, graciously shook arms together with his opponent earlier than turning to his packed rail and Superman-diving headfirst into it as beer was despatched unceremoniously and ceremoniously into the air. There have been 4,562 entries on this yr’s version of Europe’s oldest poker event, however, to echo the phrases of the joyous and songful railbirds in attendance, there’s just one Simon Wilson.
The trail was cleared for Wilson
Going into the ultimate session of Day 3, there have been about 30 gamers left and loads of notables, together with former champion Ian Simpson, WPT champion Soheb Porbandarwala, RunGood Poker Sequence champion TJ Reid, Irish Poker Competition champion Michel Molenaar, and WSOP bracelet winner Carl Shaw. Nonetheless, by the point the ultimate desk was set, all would fall by the wayside, clearing a path for Wilson to maneuver into the ascendancy.
First to bust was Irish veteran Joe O’Donaill, whose free and swashbuckling model had made life troublesome for his opponents. His pocket Nines finally succumbed to the pocket Kings of Georgios Skaparis. Subsequent to exit was the Romanian Robert Fluereci, adopted by the Greek Panteleimon Pontos and Englishman Brandon Harris, all of whom had battled gamefully on a brief stack.
It was at that time that Wilson hit the entrance. He made a terrific learn to 3-bet/5-bet jam pocket Tens versus Ruggeri’s Jack-Ten off. He was gifted one other pot when Skarparis heroed him with King-high. The Swede Michel Karim fell in fifth after which got here the essential hand when Wilson rivered a straight versus Ignotas Kirsis’ two pair. From the field seat, he despatched Skarparis out in 4th, organising the proper three-way affair with each opponents on the ropes.
Three to 1
Wilson appeared unstoppable and the group smelled blood. With each blind steal, a refrain of “pump it up” rang round. He was making a race for second state of affairs, utilizing the ICM stress to place each Ruggeri and Kirsis within the bin. Finally, each gamers made their stands, calling it off good in opposition to the wide selection of Wilson. Each acquired their double-ups, however some extra relentless stress from Wilson saved them caged.
heads-up within the Irish Open with a 3-to-1 chip lead
Kirsis drew his line within the sand as soon as extra, calling with pocket fives versus Wilson’s blind versus blind shove with King-9. The board ran out A♣️J♣️9♦️A♦️4♣️ and it was celebration time as soon as extra on the rail with photographs of gin and tequila being slammed in celebration. The Irishman was heads-up within the Irish Open with a 3-to-1 chip lead over the Italian.
Wilson stretched out that lead straight away earlier than deciding that the 6♦️5♦️was fairly sufficient to 3-bet shove over Rugerri’s min-open. Rugerri made the decision with A♥️T♣️ and the title was on the road. The flop got here 7♠️6♣️3♥️ and the group erupted. Wilson remained stoney-faced, nonetheless, ready for the flip and river. The Okay♥️ left Rugerri with simply six outs. The Irish contingent cheered, however once more, Wilson stayed calm. After a dramatic pause, the river 2♠️ landed safely on the desk and pandemonium ensued.
Generational expertise
Within the lead-up to the occasion, Wilson’s household and associates, outdated schoolmates, and rugby teammates bombarded the Paddy Energy web site, putting max bets on him at 225-1. On a few events, the choice to again him was locked. All advised, a few hundred individuals put fivers and tenners on the Ashbourne native, testomony to the recognition of the person and the real perception within the poker group that he’s a generational expertise.
mentioned that he’s now calmer and extra collected on the desk
Wilson has an intimidating desk presence, a jock and nerd with a Rasputin stare that’s each piercing and icy. He took some devastating strains over the course of the event’s 4 days, placing on a poker tour de power. Studying from his seventeenth place end in final yr’s Irish Open, he mentioned that he’s now calmer and extra collected on the desk, higher in a position to absorb the bodily data than he was once and extra affected person relating to spot-taking.
Wilson additionally acknowledged the rub of the inexperienced that’s all the time wanted in big-field tournaments. “I wanted to get extremely fortunate to be right here,” he mentioned, “and I additionally wanted all that unbelievable help that I acquired”. With household and associates in his nook and his dad and mom watching the livestream from dwelling, he known as this end result “additional particular.”
Pump it up
Eire has produced some distinctive poker gamers, however Simon Wilson is as prodigious as I’ve ever seen. A daily on the Unibet Poker tables on his means up, I had the privilege to observe him enhance and the misfortune to have him take pots off me time and time once more. That’s the reason, at the start of Day 3, with about 84 gamers left, I broke the commentator’s code and predicted a Simon Wilson victory on the livestream.
Talking with him within the bar after his historic victory, Wilson advised me that he had listened to the clip and didn’t need to make a liar of me. Draped within the Irish flag together with his trophy in hand, he was posing for selfies, humbly accepting the congratulations that have been coming at him from all angles. There’s an environment on the Irish Open that can not be matched and this felt like the top of an enormous sporting event.
In the meanwhile of victory, Wilson was engulfed in a scrum, the trophy was lifted, songs have been sung, speeches have been spoken, and champagne was sprayed. The celebration went on till the wee hours, from the bar within the Craic Den to the bar within the money recreation room to the lodge bar to some subsequent morning hair of the canine within the Horseshow Bar reverse the RDS. It’s in all probability nonetheless going proper now. And why not? The Irish Open has simply had its first Irish winner of the last decade and that’s a terrific purpose to pump it up.
