Daniel Negreanu – The Most Famous Poker Ambassador, His Career and WSOP Wins
Over the years, Daniel Negreanu has earned a reputation as one of the best poker players around. His longevity, charm, and skill are the three main reasons why he is one of if not the most recognizable player of all time.
In recent years Negreanu has become one of the most vocal and famous gamblers in the poker community as he has publicly been talking about and discussing some of the topics that have been considered taboo.
Daniel Negreanu net worth, his struggle with the modern approach to the game, and his thought process have been some of the main subjects on his vlog and social networks.
However, these away from the felt activities haven't stopped him from climbing to third place on the poker All Time Money List.
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Net Worth
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BornFrom his beginnings as a hustler in the Toronto area to his becoming one of the most recognizable poker figures in the world, in this article, we cover everything you need to know about Daniel Negreanu.
Daniel Negreanu Highlights
- Dropped out of High School to become a professional poker player
- Won 6 gold WSOP bracelets in his career
- Nicknamed "Kid Poker" for being, at the time, the youngest player to win a WSOP bracelet
- Final tabled 45 WSOP events
- The only player to win the WSOP Player of the Year award two times
- The first player to win a WSOP bracelet in three different locations (USA, Europe, Asia)
- Named poker player of the decade in 2014 by the Global Poker Index
- Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014
- Third on the poker All-Time Money List
- One of the most influential poker players in the world
The Early Life of Daniel Negreanu – From Pool to Poker Tables
Daniel Negreanu was born to Romanian immigrants Annie and Constantin on July 26, 1974, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the second child in the family, and his brother Mike is five years older than him. Both of them speak Romanian fluently.
Daniel had a very tough time in Pineway Public high school as he struggled with the school's rules and often got in trouble. One of the reasons for this was his dream of becoming a professional snooker player, which at the time was not even considered a real profession.
During his last year in school, he discovered an affinity for gambling and spent more time in pool halls and poker rooms than in class, which resulted in him dropping out of high school and pursuing a poker career. After spending a few years playing poker in Toronto, he built enough of a bankroll to pursue every gambler and poker player's dream, Las Vegas. As soon as he turned 21, Negreanu packed his bags and headed out to the world's gambling capital.
“The majority of players are looking for reasons to fold. I am looking for reasons to play.”
Daniel Negreanu's Poker Career – The Birth of Kid Poker
As it turned out, Las Vegas was too much to swallow even for a player crushing the poker scene in Toronto. The City of Lights left a big hole in Daniel Negreanu poker career and pockets, so big that he had to admit defeat and go back home to rebuild his bankroll. The cycle of building a bankroll in Toronto and losing a big portion of it in Vegas repeated a few times until he finally started beating the Las Vegas games.
His first recognition from the poker community came in 1997 when he was named the best player at the Foxwoods' World Poker Final. Only a year later, Daniel Negreanu decided to play in his first ever WSOP, and as it turned out, he would find instant success, winning the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold' em event for $169,460.
He was only 23 years old, making him the youngest player to win the World Series of Poker bracelet. At that moment, "Kid Poker" was officially born.
In 1999, Kid Poker once again proved that he is one of the best live tournament players by winning The United States Poker Championship (USPC) held at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He went home with the trophy and $210,00 after beating John Bonetti heads up.
As he later recalled, Negreanu had a pretty rough stretch in his personal life after this win, which had a big impact on his professional poker career. He had a lot of problems coping with the whole gambling and partying lifestyle, and it took him a couple of years to get back on track.
When 2001 came, Negreanu again looked like his old self cashing in on most of his tournaments and finishing the WSOP Main event in 11th place. At the World Series of Poker in 2003, Kid Poker showed his poker versatility when he won a WSOP bracelet in the event that combines five different poker formats into one game, the so-called S.H.O.E event.
One of the best years in Daniel Negreanu's career came in 2004. During this time, the Poker Hall of Famer won his third WSOP bracelet in the $2,000 Limit Hold' em for $169,100. He also won two WPT events, one at the Borgata and the other at the Bellagio, and made 11 final tables. This brought him a total of $4,465,907 in tournament earnings and three awards from the poker community. He was voted the WSOP Player of the Year, Card Player Magazine Player of the Year, and the WPT Season 3 Player of the Year.
It is safe to say that at this point in his career in poker Daniel Negreanu won more than he could ever imagine and earned the respect of his opponents. The legendary Doyle Brunson acknowledged Negreanu's poker skill by inviting him to write a chapter for his book Super System 2 in 2005.
During this year, Kid Poker also started working on his own poker guides. The first one, "Hold' em Wisdom for all players," was published two years later, and "Power Hold' em Strategy" was released in 2008.
The Collaboration with PokerStars
Daniel Negreanu announced that he was joining the online poker giant PokerStars in 2007. PokerStars was and still is the world's largest online poker room; with this signing, Kid Poker became a member of their Team Pro. He joined a stacked lineup of poker celebrities already on PokerStars Team Pro, including Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer, Barry Greenstein, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, and Humberto Brenes.
He was a member of PokerStars Team pro for 12 years until 2019. And while there is no denying that Daniel Negreanu was not only a good poker player but also a celebrity in the poker world, the collaboration with PokerStars launched his brand into the stratosphere.
Not long into their cooperation, and thanks to the aggressive marketing that the online poker room had in this period, Negreanu was featured in the large majority of their commercial, which resulted in him becoming a global celebrity and arguably the most recognizable poker player on the planet.
However, Kid Poker didn't let the fame impact his poker results. During his time with PokerStars Team Pro, Negreanu won three more WSOP bracelets. The first one came in 2008 as a result of another win in a $2,000 Limit Hold' em Event, this time for $204,874. At the time fourth-time bracelet winner had another amazing run in 2013 when he won the WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event in Australia for A$1,038,825 and the WSOP Europe High Roller Event, where he went home with €725,000.
He was also the runner-up in the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event at the WSOP in Las Vegas and made the final table in the one EPT and one WPT event. As you would expect, the poker community took notice, and Negreanu was named the 2013 WSOP Player of the Year, the 2013 Card Player Magazine Player of the Year, and the 2013 Bluff Player of the Year.
Daniel Negreanu's Net Worth Today
The two-time WPT champion has been on the poker scene for over two decades and has made some serious money.
At the moment, with $46,258,977, he is in third place on the Poker All-Time Money List. However, you should take this with a grain of salt because this list does not include winnings from cash games, money he spent on buy-ins, or eventual selling of the action.
On the other side, Negreanu has been a sponsored poker pro for most of his career, making a significant income promoting poker sites and other poker-related products and services.
Daniel Negreanu net worth in 2022 is estimated to be over 60 million dollars.
What Has Kid Poker Been Up to Lately?
In the last few years, judging by Daniel Negreanu twitter, Kid Poker has been busier than ever. In 2018 the "Daniel Negreanu Masterclass" came out, an online video series in which the sixth-time bracelet winner talks about poker strategy and his approach to the game.
In 2019, just five months after leaving PokerStars Team Pro, Negreanu signed a deal with the poker site GGPoker, which he has been promoting ever since. Negreanu was also a part of one of the most famous poker heads-up matches in recent years. He accepted a challenge from ex-online heads-up crusher Doug Polk to play 25 000 hands. After it was all set and done, Polk won a total of $1,201,807 from the GGPoker Pro.
According to the Daniel Negreanu vlog, the WSOP 2022 had a similar financial impact on his bankroll as the "Grudge match" against Polk. The Daniel Negreanu WSOP 2022 journey ended with Kid Poker being $1.1 million in red.
When he is not busy playing poker, Daniel Negreanu's wife - Amanda Leatherman, and he spend most of their time at their 5,000-square feet Las Vegas home along with their dogs.
FAQ
How Much Is Daniel Negreanu Worth?
Because poker players make a significant income away from the tables and in private poker games, it can be very difficult to estimate Daniel Negreanu's worth. However, according to multiple online sources, in 2022, Daniel Negreanu net worth is over 60 million dollars.
Is Daniel Negreanu Married?
Yes, Daniel Negreanu wife is Amanda Leatherman. He started dating her in 2018 and proposed in January of 2019, and they got married in a ceremony held at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, four months later.
Is Daniel Negreanu Still Playing Poker?
Yes, the sixth-time WSOP bracelet winner is still playing poker, as seen on his Twitter and vlog. His most recent poker ventures came in WSOP 2022, where he finished with $1.1 million in deficit.
Aside from the WSOP, Negreanu is an active participant in the high roller tournament scene and has been traveling all over the world to play in these events.
How Old Is Daniel Negreanu?
Daniel Negreanu was born on July 26, 1974, in Toronto, meaning he will be celebrating his 48th birthday in just a few days.
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