Quick Facts
Biography
J. J. Furlong (born December 25, 1937 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish businessman and recreational 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 carpet manufacturing 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 Poker 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 WSOP Main Event 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 $1,070,785 of those winnings.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $1,000,000 |
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 Europe.
Furlong's other interests include owning horses and working as a horse trainer.