Ian Simpson Wins 2013 Irish Open; Proposes to Girlfriend
On Monday, the 2013 Irish Open concluded at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin, Ireland. Englishman Ian Simpson, , who finished fourth in the 2012 Irish Open, won the title, besting Michael Farrelly heads up. Simpson earned €265,000 for the win and then got on one knee to propose to his girlfriend who said yes.
2013 Irish Open Final Table Results
| Finish | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ian Simpson | €265,000 |
| 2nd | Michael Farrelly | €141,500 |
| 3rd | Mark Davis | €99,000 |
| 4th | Namir Mohamed | €67,500 |
| 5th | Calvin Anderson | €49,000 |
| 6th | Declan Connolly | €37,500 |
| 7th | Tom Brady | €28,000 |
| 8th | Adam Fallon | €20,500 |
Adam Fallon was forced to reschedule his flight back to the United States when he reached the final table, and unfortunately for him he was then the first to exit. Fallon found himself all in and at risk preflop holding A♣J♣, and was crushed by Farrelly’s A♠K♣. The board ran out 9♣9♥9♦Q♥6♣ and the American was eliminated.
Tom Brady was the next to go when he shoved his short stack all in preflop only to be called by two opponents. The two checked it down as the flop, turn, and river came A♣5♠K♠10♠7♦, and Namir Mohamed showed an ace. Brady flashed 6♠3♦, then hit the rail.
At this point, there were two “Sole Survivors” remaining at the final table. Declan Connolly and Calvin Anderson both qualified online, and whoever lasted the longest would receive €50,000 in cash, a seat into the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event, and a seat in the 2014 Irish Open. Connolly was about to become one of the chip leaders in an all-in hand against Farrelly, whose A♥J♥ was well behind Connolly's A♦A♣. But the J♦K♥4♦ flop gave Farrelly a pair of jacks and two backdoor draws. The turn was the Q♥, keeping Farrelly’s heart-draw alive, and the 9♥ spiked on the river to give him the flush.
Connolly, who was left with only 500,000 chips, was eliminated on the next hand. He was all-in with 9♥7♣ and dominated by Simpson’s J♦J♣. The 3♣K♦4♣ flop missed Connolly, and it was all over when the A♣ turned. A meaningless Q♦ completed the board, and Anderson was crowned as the survivor.
Anderson then exited in fifth place in a blind-versus-blind battle against Farrelly, who opened to 275,000 from the small blind. Anderson three-bet shoved for two million from the big blind, and Farrelly quickly called with 3♦3♣, racing against Anderson’s Q♣5♠. The flop fell K♥J♣10♣, giving Anderson an open-ended straight draw, and the turn paired the board, giving Anderson extra outs to counterfeit Farrelly’s small pair. The river was the 3♥, however, giving Farrelly a full house and sending Anderson out.
Mohamed busted in fourth place when he lost a race to Simpson. Farrelly opened for a raise preflop, Mohamed three-bet shoved, Simpson re-shoved, and Farrelly folded. Simpson’s 10♠10♣ held against Mohamed’s A♦Q♣ when the board came J♦5♥8♦3♣6♠, and Mohamed was eliminated.
Mark Davis, who started the final table with the second-smallest stack, grinded the entire day and was finally eliminated in third place. Farrelly had the button and opened to 260,000. Davis three-bet to 600,000 in the small blind, and Simpson four-bet jammed in the big blind, having both players covered. Farrelly folded, and Davis tank-called. Davis turned over A♥7♥, which was in bad shape against Simpson’s 7♣7♠, and Simpson's hand held as the board rolled out K♥8♦Q♦5♠9♠.
It took only three hands of heads-up play to determine a winner. Farrelly and Simpson took a flop of Q♦5♠6♣. Farrelly fired a bet, Simpson raised to one million, Farrelly moved all in, and Simpson called.
Farrelly: 7♦4♠
Simpson: 4♦3♦
Both players held open-ended straight draws, but Farrelly’s was bigger. Farrelly made an eight-high straight when the 8♦ turned, but he wasn’t out of the water just yet – any diamond would give Simpson a flush. The 2♦ spiked on the river, giving Simpson the winning hand, and he was crowned the champion of the Irish Open.
Before the cards on the table could even be washed, Simpson dropped to one knee and proposed to his girlfriend Emma. She said yes, and Simpson added a fiancé Simpson’s to his winnings on the day.
Data and photos courtesy of the PaddyPoker Blog.
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