Near-Broke Champ Ready to Quit Poker Hits Life-Changing Tournament Score
Table Of Contents
A rags-to-riches story played out on Sunday when a player with only three digits in his bank account slayed the Grosvenor Goliath for life-changing money.
Paul Worsley from Liverpool, England, was ready to quit poker before entering the £200 buy-in no-limit hold'em event at Grosvenor Casino Coventry in the UK. His odds of winning were slim to none, and not only because his past live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob, barely exceeded $2,000. He was facing a field of 12,961 entrants, the largest-ever live tournament outside Las Vegas.
If he could find his way through all the landmines and win the tournament, he'd take home £316,640 (approximately $421,000 USD). Even just making the final table would pay £17,140, enough to give Worsley some needed financial assistance.
Every Struggling Poker Player's Dream
The Goliath, a tournament that has drawn in more than 10,000 entrants annually since 2022, requires luck and skill to run deep. Worsley would reach the final table against eight others who also lacked any significant live tournament score.
Players would fall quickly, one by one. Worsley found himself three-handed and guaranteed at least £144,800, more than he could have ever imagined.
"I thought if I got to the final nine, I'd be guaranteed fifty grand, and that would be fantastic, and people would chop it," Worsley said during his postgame interview on the Grosvenor livestream.
"To be honest, this was supposed to be my last ever, like, I was gonna quit poker. I thought I'd come to the Goliath and that's it, I'm done," he continued.
Worsley would far surpass his expectations once he reached the final table. But he ran into a major setback during three-handed play.
2025 Goliath Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Worsley | £316,640 |
| 2 | Thomas Clack | £217,500 |
| 3 | Vasilica Luca | £144,800 |
| 4 | Ben Parkin | £100,470 |
| 5 | Velupillai Kalahmohan | £68,950 |
| 6 | William Tagg | £48,270 |
| 7 | Jason Smith | £33,490 |
| 8 | Ryan Johnstone | £23,640 |
| 9 | Keith Tuckley | £17,140 |
The tournament clock was paused after Ben Parkin was eliminated in fourth place (£100,470). Thomas Clack, the most experienced player left, Worsley, and Vasilica Luca took a short break to discuss a potential chop. They didn't come to an agreement because Clack was asking for more than the others were willing to offer.
Play resumed with the blinds at 3,000,000/6,000,000 (6,000,000 big blind ante). Clack would move all in for 114,800,000 on the button with Q♠J♠. Luca, in the small blind with 9♥9♣, called off his final 53,500,000. Worsley then picked up A♦Q♦ in the big blind and made the call with the biggest stack.
The board ran out 6♣7♥K♥6♦J♥, giving Clack a winning hand on the river. Luca was out in third place for £144,800, while Worsley was down to crumbs.
Heads-up play began with Clack feeling great about his decision not to accept the proposed chop deal. He held a 9:1 chip advantage. But the small stack would quickly begin to chip up. And then Worsley took over heads-up play completely.
Worsley went from five big blinds to the chip leader within a half hour, and then he decided to gamble with the best hand. Clack raised all in for 98,750,000 on the button with 9♠7♠, and received a call from the big blind, who had 10♣9♣.
The board came J♥9♥3♥A♠10♠, giving Worsley two pair and a winning hand to finish off the tournament for £316,640. Clack earned £217,500 as a consolation prize.
Worsley, in his Grosvenor postgame interview, shocked the audience when he shared a surprising detail about his financial situation.
"I can't believe I've won, to be honest," Worsley said. "I'm speechless. I was saying I've got 600 pounds in me bank."
Not anymore.
PokerNews encourages players to gamble responsibly at all times.
Please visit the link for further information on PokerNews' commitment to Responsible Gambling.
