UK player Paul Worsley has won the record-breaking 2025 Goliath, topping a field of 12,961 entries — the largest in the event’s history — to take the equally massive first prize of £316,640 from just a £200 buy-in.
Worsley’s career earnings ahead of Goliath were $83,433 with a biggest single score of $14,509. And, for Worsley, the win means a reprieve for poker. After he won, he revealed that he was on the verge of quitting the game. He has now promised to defend his title next year.
How big it could get in 2026 is anyone’s guess. The Goliath has been growing steadily with more than 10,000 players each year since 2022. Last year’s was the previous biggest, with a field size of 11,749. This year’s field of 12,961 makes it the biggest live tournament outside of Las Vegas and the 16th-biggest anywhere.
Worsley rallies after losing huge three-way all-in
1,059 players made it out of the myriad of Day 1 flights and guaranteed themselves £430. Just 40 made it to Day 3, with Worsley bagging the fourth-biggest stack.
Worsley was hoping for a chop on the final table but other players, including Thomas Clack, refused.
Undeterred, Worsley played on and was the chip leader with three left when he had a shot at a double knockout. He got the biggest stack in with 
and found himself up against Clack’s 
and Vasilica Luca’s nines.
The board ran out 
which was looking great for a Luca triple up until the 
dropped on the river. That gave Clack a monster heads-up lead and left Worsley with five big blinds. Worsley fought back, though, to win the big trophy and the even bigger first prize with a very one-sided heads-up encounter.
You can watch that hand play out below.
Talking afterward, Worsley said, “This was supposed to be my last ever tournament. I was going to quit poker. I didn’t expect to get to Day 3, let alone win it.
“My thinking was to make it to the final nine and everyone would definitely chop. And they didn’t, and I went on to win. I can’t believe I’ve won, I’m speechless. I had £600 in my bank account. Not anymore.”
One silver lining for Clack: he started the final table in last place but laddered up to a massive payday. His runner-up finish has also moved him to the top of the Grosvenor National Poker League, which comes with a £40,000 sponsorship package for the winner.
2025 Goliath results
| Place | 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 |
