Paul Worsley Slays the 2025 Goliath; Turns £200 Into £316,640
Liverpool's Paul Worsley had only $2,098 in live tournament cashes until he decided to enter the 2025 edition of the Grosvenor Goliath. When Worsley's Hendon Mob profile is updated, it will show an incredible £316,640 score thanks to him topping a record-breaking 12,961-strong field and slaying the 2025 Goliath.
The Goliath has drawn in more than 10,000 entrants annually since 2022. Then, Kyle Jeffrey outlasted 10,583 opponents and banked £200,000. The following year, Alex Todd collected £176,800 after leaving 11,492 opponents in his wake. Last year, the Goliath attracted 11,749 players. William Watkins came out on top and scooped £166,058.
Fast-forward to the 2025 edition, and the Goliath set a new attendance record, with 12,961 entrants and a jaw-dropping £1,970,070 prize pool from a £200 (£160+£40) buy-in. Worsley will forever be known as its champion. This huge turnout keeps the Goliath as the largest-ever live tournament outside of Las Vegas and, according to Grosvenor Casinos, the 16th largest live poker tournament of all time!
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 |
By the time the monster-sized field had been whittled to the nine-handed final table, £17,140 was the least any of the players could take home. Amazingly, each of the nine finalists walked away with a career-high prize, including ninth-place finisher Keith Tuckley, who secured a £17,140 payday. Tuckley got his last 13 big blinds into the middle holding pocket sixes and lost a coinflip against the ace-king in Vasilica Luca's hand.
Ryan Johnstone, who cashed in last year's Goliath, fell in eighth for £23,640. Johnstone's last six big blinds went into the middle holding pocket tens only for William Tagg's ace-ten to get there on the river.
A short-stacked Jason Smith more than doubled his lifetime earnings when he got his hands on the £33,490 sixth-place prize. Smith was down to a meagre five big blinds when he jammed with king-eight and found a caller in the shape of the dangerous and experienced Thomas Clack. Clack revealed ace-jack, spiked an ace on the flop, and Smith was cooked.
After entertaining the final table's stream viewers throughout proceedings, Tagg came unstuck in sixth, a finish good for a £48,270 payday. With a 2.5 million big blind, Tagg three-bet jammed for 17.6 million after an opening raise from Ben Parkin. Tagg made his move with queen-nine. Unfortunately for him, Parkin had opened with a pair of black aces in the hole. Parkin snap-called, his aces held, and the 2025 Goliath was down to only five hopefuls.
Those five became four with the untimely demise of Velupillai Kalahmohan, whose Hendon Mob profile suggests he's a Pot-Limit Omaha specialist. Despite his penchant for four hole cards, Kalahmohan showed his No-Limit Hold'em prowess in this event, but came unstuck at the hands of Luca. The latter opened with pocket eights and called when Kalamohan three-bet all-in with pocket fours for around six big blinds. The eights held, and Kalamohan headed to the cashier's desk to collect £68,950, locking in a six-figure score for the surviving four players.
The first of those £100,000+ prizes went to Parkin, who moved all-in from the button for seven big blinds with jack-eight. Luca called with king-ten of clubs in the small blinds, with Worsley coming along for the ride in the big blind with five-deuce of clubs. Luca and Worsley checked down an ace-high board, with Luca taking the sizeable pot after pairing his ten on the river.
The final three players paused the tournament clock and discussed a potential deal. However, negotiations proved fruitless after Clack, the most experienced player of the trio, demanded more money than his two opponents were prepared to give up.
A huge pot went down shortly after play resumed. Clack jammed with queen-jack of spades on the button, Luca called all-in from the small blind with pocket nines, and Worsely also called with ace-queen of diamonds from the big blind! A king-high flop kept Luca's nines ahead, and they remained the best hand on the turn. However, a jack landed on the river, busting Luca in third for £144,800 and propelling Clack into the chip lead and leaving Worsley with only five big blinds.
It is fair to say the deck was not kind to Clack during the heads-up battle with Worsley. The latter started clawing his way back into contention when his queen-trey hit a queen on the river to best Clack's suited jack-trey after it had flopped top pair. Clack found himself card dead and on the wrong side of almost every crucial hand.
The final hand saw Clack jam for 98,750,000 at the 4,000,000/8,000,000/8,000,000a level with nine-seven of spades, and Worsley called with the dominating ten-nine of clubs. A nine on the flop improved both players' hands, but Clack was still behind. An ace on the turn gave Clack 21 outs to a chop or a win, but that was too many because a ten on the river gifted Worsely two pair and the victory. Clack walked away with a runner-up finish worth £217,500, leaving Worsely to be crowned the 2025 Goliath champion, an accolade that came with £316,640.
