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From Dumfries To Vegas: The Rise Of Scotland’s Poker King Niall Farrell

by Isabella Rossellin
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From Dumfries To Vegas: The Rise Of Scotland's Poker King Niall Farrell

Niall Farrell is a famous poker player from the rugged highlands of Scotland. His journey from playing casually to becoming a star in Las Vegas shows his skill, hard work, and passion for the game.

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He grew up in a quiet town in southern Scotland, far from the bright lights of Las Vegas. Still, Niall enjoys moving between these two very different places as Scotland’s top professional poker player. His story was recently featured in the documentary The Four Rules of the Poker Kings.

How did the 36-year-old go from Dumfries to winning—and losing—big money around the world?

From Dumfries To Vegas: The Rise Of Scotland's Poker King Niall Farrell

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Introduction to Niall Farrell:

Poker takes Niall to tournaments in places like Monte Carlo, Prague, and the United States, but he’s happy to call a small Scottish town his home.

I think it’s nice to know everything about the town that you’re in – its good points and its bad points,” he explained. “It’s my town, you know?”

Niall first got interested in poker, like many people in the UK, from the Channel 4 show Late Night Poker.

I think I stayed up to watch the wrestling when I was 14 or something and this late night poker was on,” he said. “When you’re watching poker, just without any information, it’s quite boring. It was the first show that had the little glass squares in the tables so you could see what people had.”

Early Life in Dumfries – Niall Farrell:

It wasn’t until he studied business law in Stirling that he started playing poker with his housemates and then online.

Over time, he developed his skills. “I don’t know if it’s maybe a little bit of arrogance or just confidence or something,” he says. “But I think if I spend time at something and I enjoy it – which is really crucial for me – that I will get quite good at it.”

However, he wasn’t always this good. He admits that initially, he was “very bad.”

“I thought I was quite good quite quickly – but I was wrong and I was soon humbled when I started,” he said. “But then you kind of get humbled and then you can start building up again. Roughly by the time I graduated, I was at the point where I was like, OK, I’m going to try and do this professionally and give it a go.”

The Turning Point of Niall Farrell’s Career:

He felt lucky that his parents allowed him the freedom to make his own mistakes, but it wasn’t always easy.

I was very close to quitting – I was having a bad spell,” he explained. “I’d borrowed money off my girlfriend at the time as well.”

He gave himself about two more weeks before he would quit when he entered an online tournament about 10 days later.

By “cosmic force” or “sheer blind randomness,” he won, picking up $33,000 in the process.

I could pay my girlfriend back and kind of went from strength to strength,” he said.

That’s an understatement for a man whose career winnings now reach millions and who is one of the few players to have won the game’s “triple crown.”

The Influence of Scottish Values:

The BBC documentary follows his return to poker after taking a break for the birth of his son. It shows both the joy of winning and the pain of losing, even with his skills.

“You are just completely numb,” he admitted. “I try to keep myself away from people for like, 30 minutes because I know you just say and do stupid things at that point.”

So, what does he think makes him good at the game?

I’ve always been quite good with numbers in general,” he said. “A lot of it’s just quite deep maths, which is kind of less glamorous than James Bond makes it look. There’s also an element of psychology too, especially when you’re playing live.”

From Dumfries To Vegas: The Rise Of Scotland's Poker King Niall Farrell

Next, he might be heading to Cyprus in a couple of weeks or participating in a big World Poker Tour event in Las Vegas.

In the meantime, he’s happy to be in Dumfries with his partner Edita and their son Ruairi, without feeling the need to buy a “massive house.”

“We’d lose the wee man in one of the 18 bedrooms,” he joked. “It just wouldn’t feel like a home to me.”

Instead, he enjoys having a nice house with a playground in view of the front door, along with the “peace of mind” that comes from not having to worry about money.

Niall believes his upbringing in Dumfries has influenced his outlook.

It helps keep you down to earth for a start,” he explained. “You don’t get above your station, so to speak. And, I don’t know if it’s a Scottish thing, but you just roll with the punches if bad things are happening.”

This mindset has helped him rise to the top of a game he still loves. Even when he’s in Las Vegas, he sometimes wishes he could be back pushing a swing in his Scottish hometown.

ALSO READ: Master The Roulette Wheel: A Complete Guide To Rules And Strategies

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