Commercial content New Customers Only 18+

Daniel was regarded as the best poker player of the decade in 2014 by the independent poker ranking service Global Poker Index (GPI). Apart from 6 WSOP bracelets, he has also won a WSOP circuit ring. WSOP Circuit Ring: Watch Daniel Negreanu win his only World Series Of Poker Circuit Ring in 2006 (published 12 January 2018). Hands Played: 476 Results: Daniel Negreanu +$17,780 Full session video Day 14 Polk swept up most of the sizable pots for the first 40 minutes or so and quickly built a lead of about $80,000.

Daniel Negreanu is no ordinary poker player. Not only has he won the World Series of Poker six times, and two World Poker Tour championship titles, but – according to Global Poker Index – he is also the best poker player of the last decade. The Canadian star is on top of the Poker world, but here are a few things away from his skills at the poker table that you may not already know.

#1 Negreanu is of Romanian decent

Whilst “Kid Poker” was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1974, his parents had actually emigrated from Romania seven years earlier. Per his blog Full Contact Poker, Negreanu says that his father’s favorite place in the world was beside his pool, claiming that he spent so much time in the sun that he “looked Indian.”

But the star poker also says that his parents earned their more relaxed lifestyle in Canada due to the hardships that they endured in Romania.

They grew up in communist Romania, and his father got his first job when he was just 4-years-old – carrying water down a hill for $1 a week – whilst his mother was in hospital, and his father (Daniel’s grandfather) had already passed on. As for the “Kid Poker’s” mother, she was the youngest of ten children, in a family that lived in a house smaller than a typical kitchen. She would have to steal eggs from the neighbours as a source of food.

#2 Negreanu’s father killed a Nazi

In his own blog on FCP Daniel Negreanu told of how rough his parents had it as kids in 1930’s Romania, which included encounters with Nazis. The poker champion tells of how, when his father was just 6-years-old, a drunken Nazi soldier held a gun in his father’s mouth when he was “having some fun” with the youngster.

His father saw the whisky bottle in the Nazi’s hand so, with the gun still in his mouth, the six-year-old smashed the bottle and drove it into the drunken Nazi’s throat. He then bolted, and doesn’t know if the Nazi survived.

#3 Negreanu was chewed up and spat out by Las Vegas

That’s right, the greatest poker player of the last decade actually failed in his first attempt to conquer the Las Vegas strip.

After dropping out of education at the end of high school, due to not earning enough credits to graduate, Daniel Negreanu started as a rounder, playing at his local casinos, whilst looking for illegal games to participate in around Toronto – according to Poker Listings.

Once he had built up his fund, Negreanu, aged 22, hit The Strip, aiming to commence his career as a professional poker player. He played all the casinos but was ultimately sent back to Toronto with his tail between his legs, and with an empty bank account. So he moved back to Toronto to rebuild his bankroll.

#4 Negreanu is a Philanthro-maniac

The star poker player, with all his millions of dollars in winnings, is a well known charity man, with many organizations and events to his name.

Alongside his regular attendance to charity events – such as the Darfur crisis charity Ante Up for Africa – Negreanu is also the founder of his own money raising events.

The Big Swing is an annual charity golf event, founded by “Big Poker”, in which poker players and celebrities team up for a doubles golf tournament. All participants donate $3,000 to the Lili Claire Foundation – a Las Vegas based charity that helps the families of children who are born with special needs, and the children themselves – with the event taking place at the Harrah’s Rio Golf Club.

#5 Negreanu has two protégés

Using his website Full Contact Poker, Daniel Negreanu launched the search for his first protégé, in 2006. The search involved an online poker competition, in which he would select a player whom he would attempt to forge into a world-class live tournament poker player. The prize also included Negreanu footing the bill for four events that required a $10,000 buy-in.

The tournament received hundreds of bidding poker stars, but in the end the winner of the first competition was Brian Fidler. Fidler found success in the same year of winning Negreanu’s protégé search, by coming second in the World Series of Poker circuit event, amongst a set of 110 players. Fidler took home $206,800 from that event.

“Kid Poker” found another protégé at the end of 2006, once again via Full Contact Poker, with Anthony Mak being taken under the world-star’s wing. Card Player records Mak’s most recent, and highest earning, win coming in April, 2012, where he raked in £18,900 in Jacksonville.

#6 Negreanu was Player of the Year without a first place finish

Given the record of the world class poker star, and the fact that he’s rated as the greatest player of the last decade, that fact that he has only been awarded Poker Player of the Year just once is quite peculiar.

The award is given out by ALL IN Magazine, with Daniel Negreanu being deemed worthy of the award in 2013. To earn the award and title of Poker Player of the Year, the Toronto native pulled in $1,837,344 in cash from 16 different events, in which he failed to win any.

His highest finishes came in Event24 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Eight Max in Monte Carlo on May 1st, where he placed second and cashed $791,649; and SCOOP-06-H: $1050 No-Limit Hold’em Draw on May 8th, where he also placed second but pulled in $15,330.

#7 Negreanu loves Warcraft

But not the World of Warcraft computer game that last recorded having about 5.5 million subscribers. No, Daniel Negreanu instead fills his Warcraft cravings on the Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft app. According to Forbes, the poker hero started playing in 2015 and began to stream his play on Twitch, whilst playing poker.

At BlizzCon 2015, in Anaheim – a convention hosted developers Blizzard to showcase their games and host tournaments – Daniel Negreanu played in a show match, for the Hearthstone World Championship, against Bertrand “ElkY” Grospeillier – who’s a fellow World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour champion.

The poker star match-up ended with Negreanu beating Grospeillier on Hearthstone by 3-1.

If you liked this, check out Negreanu’s tips on how to ace every poker hand…

Online poker has seen a meteoritic few months with so many poker players staying home during the pandemic. With the annual World Series of Poker postponed until fall, organizers announced a new agreement for 85 gold bracelet events.

Daniel Negreanu Poker Tips

The events will allow WSOP.com players the opportunity to win a bracelet beginning July 1. GGPoker will also allow international players the chance to win a bracelet beginning July 19.

Daniel Negreanu is one of the biggest names in poker and now serves as a GG brand ambassador. With so much on the line when bracelet events get underway, Negreanu spoke to PlayUSA about how players can improve their poker games and his own plans to add to his own bracelet collection this summer.

Playing for WSOP bracelets online

Negreanu may be as synonymous with poker as anyone including the WSOP. His poker resumé boasts $42 million in live tournament winnings, six WSOP bracelets, and two World Poker Tour titles.

The new online WSOP series has stoked plenty of debate among poker players. Opinions range from pleased to see online poker’s expansion to lamenting so many online events awarding gold.

Negreanu prefers a pragmatic outlook on the subject.

“I believe an online WSOP is better than no WSOP,” he says. “I’m obviously a mixed game aficionado so not seeing that on the schedule is unfortunate, but as I said, I’m just happy to be able to play something.”

The series includes 31 events beginning at WSOP.com. GGPoker will also begin offering a slate of 54 bracelet events as well as other tournaments beginning July 17.

WSOP.com has seen massive fields since the pandemic began with many big name pros jumping in the action. This has been a boon for the US and international online poker industry.

The two platforms already teamed up in May for the WSOP Super OnlineCircuit Series. That series smashed the $100 million guarantee and paid out $134 milion.

The WSOP Online series offers the first time players outside the US have a chance to win a bracelet online. Many are already working on travel plans for both series — including Negreanu.

“My plan is to grind both fully,” he says. “All of July at home on the WSOP.com platform and then immediately flying to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where I’ve rented a house to play all the GGPoker.com portion.”

Online poker advice from Daniel Negreanu

Originally from Toronto, Canada, and now living in Las Vegas, Negreanu is no stranger to online poker. He represented PokerStars for years and then jumped on board at GG in November.

Negreanu has been a big fan of the site and believes it has the best software in the industry. The bracelet events should attract monster fields and he offered some advice on transitioning from live poker to online.

“Online poker is a better way to improve your skills than live poker by a wide margin,” he says. “Online is all about focusing on the fundamentals and it’s easier to analyze hands you may have played using the hand history feature.”

Those new to playing online should start small, he says. This gives a player some time to adjust to a faster pace and the actual online gameplay.

“Get accustomed to the software and all the bells and whistles available before you jump in for big money,” Negreanu notes.

And while obviously players can’t see opponents online, Negreanu says observation is still important. Player tells can even be picked up on at the virtual poker tables.

“There are lots of tells available in terms of timing, but mainly you are going to focus on betting patterns and tendencies that you should log using the notes feature,” he says. “Anytime your opponent does something outside the norm, it would be a good idea to log that so next time you face them you have some insight into what they are capable of.”

Document those online poker sessions and opponents

Negreanu stresses taking notes and tracking opponents. GGPoker and other sites offer this as well as using the color-coded labeling feature.

“These will help you make better reads during crunch time,” he says.

There’s one aspect of the game he won’t offer much advice on — bankroll management and what percentage of it to risk.

“That’s a personal choice depending on the person and how comfortable you are with risk,” Negreanu says. “Whether live or online, how much gamble a person has is individual to their situation.”

WSOP Online offers the opportunity to win a bracelet with buy-ins starting only at $400. No doubt seasoned pros and recreational players alike will be looking for a shot at online glory.

Looking ahead at WSOP

Negreanu has won on every major poker stage imaginable. In 2015, he even came within a whisker of making the final table of the WSOP Main Event. He finished 11th for $526,778 – all playing out live on ESPN.

Daniel Negreanu Best Poker Tips Tricks

Negreanu now has an opportunity to add something new to his poker record — an online bracelet. He thinks those who head outside the country to play will enjoy the GG product and experience.

“The bells and whistles on GGPoker are designed to be the most fun playing experience you will find playing online,” he says. “It is far and away the best software on the market, specifically when it comes to playing on a mobile device.”

A self-confessed poker superfan, Negreanu will be a tough customer at the online tables when bracelet events crank up. He’s hungry for a bracelet – whether online or live at the WSOP’s longtime home — the Rio hotel in Las Vegas.

“A bracelet is a bracelet as far as I’m concerned, and winning an online bracelet is tough due to field size and strength of opponents,” he says. “I’d be proud of any bracelet I won.”