What would our poker legends series be without mentioning the great Daniel Negreanu? It’s not often a 39-year-old can be considered a “legend” in any pursuit, but it’s impossible to ignore the achievements of Negreanu.
The Canadian boasts six World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, the first won back in 1998 and his most recent at WSOP Europe late last year – one of two bracelets he won in 2013. Those two bracelets were enough to see him named WSOP Player of the Year, making him the first player ever to earn the accolade following his first Player of the Year title in 2004.
Negreanu’s statistics alone make for some pretty impressive reading. Also boasting two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles to go with his WSOP successes, his career tournament earnings currently sit just a touch under US$20 million – putting him behind only Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Ivey on the all-time list. It could be argued, though, that Negreanu’s record is the most impressive of all given that Esfandiari won more than US$18 million in one hit when he took out the US$1 million buy-in Big one for ONE DROP at the 2012 WSOP, while Ivey only passed him after winning AU$4 million in the $250,000 Challenge at this year’s Aussie Millions.
Although his record is superb, it is Negreanu’s outgoing demeanor at the poker tables and his incredible card reading ability that has made him a favorite among fans. He has made a habit of successfully telling opponents exactly what hand he believes they hold – often leaving them incredulous as to how he could possibly pick it with such accuracy.
Negreanu is also renowned as an excellent cash game player and is a regular in some of the biggest games in Las Vegas. With age on his side, who knows what his list of achievements will read like in another 20 years time?
