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Born July 26th, 1976 in Toronto, Daniel Negreanu is a study in contrasts;
calculated but aggressive, focused but outspoken, and humble but wildly
successful.
It wasn’t by accident that the friendly Canadian was named 2004 WSOP Player of
The Year- he proved himself time and time again, taking big pots from big
names in big games.
Daniel’s love for Poker was bred at an early age, he learned the game at 15
and was immediately hooked. His talent and ability developed rapidly, and he
moved to Vegas to take the game up full time. Predictably for someone who his
natural ability, he’s commitment was rewarded, as he was victorious in the
first WSOP tournament he entered- a pot limit Hold’em tournament in 1998. This
was the manifestation of the world class poker player Negreanu had become- and
it wasn’t a flash in the pan. As a matter of fact, as an emerging player in
his early 20’s, Daniel won more major tournaments between 1997 and 1999 than
any other player, taking home the big stack on twelve occasions.
Watching Daniel play is both entertaining and educational; his raw talent
combines with a creative and aggressive edge, and the result is very effective
Poker. His strategy is more about extracting hands- he isn’t concerned as much
about the pre-flop action as he is about outplaying his opponent once cards
are shown. This is perhaps Negreanu’s greatest strength; he is extremely
creative in turning mediocre hole cards into chips for his stack, whether he
has the strongest hand at the table or not. His instinct and reads are
excellent, and because of his creative approach to less-than-premium hands, he
can be a very difficult player to get rid of, even when his opponent is
holding a monster.
Beyond his success as a player, Daniel Negreanu also gives a lot back to the
Poker world- he makes regular public appearances and seminars on the game. He
also publishes many articles and tips on a variety of poker sites, as well as
doing Poker commentary on Sportsnet. He has always considered himself to be a
“poker fan first, and a poker player second”, and in this vein he works to
improve the public’s perception and help push Poker in the direction of
mainstream acceptance. Daniel also professes respect and admiration towards
many of his rivals- Jennifer Harman, Phil Ivey, and Ted Forrest are among his
favourites.
Despite his enormous popularity and success, Daniel Negreanu appears to be
just “one of the boys” playing cards. He’s clearly enjoys his life, and
immerses himself in everything Poker. As an admitted Negreanu fan myself, I
always look forward to seeing his creative aggressive play at a final table,
and like millions of other viewers, I always learn something when I watch
Daniel play a hand. Look for many more tournament victories from this
easygoing champion, who is truly one of poker’s elite.
Daniel Negreanu's Official Site
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