Outgoing PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu features in Cardplayer.com's weekly excerpt from Phil Hellmuth's book 'Deal me in', which documents the trials and tribulations of 20 poker players.
Canadian Negreanu is one of the most recognisable faces in the game. With over $9 million in tournament careeer winnings, he's also involved in poker media and marketing, with several blogs across the web.
Despite his tournament success, which include 4 WSOP bracelets and a WPT title (Negreanu was named WPT player of the year in 2005) and a reputation as one of the best 'readers' in the game, he was castigated for his lacklustre performances in Season 5 of GSN's High Stakes Poker. Never shy of sharing his opinions, Negreanu's blogs endear him to the masses.
Negreanu's story of humble beginnings mirrors many poker players. He describes how in 1998, with a bankroll of just $2800, he was fortunate enough to receive a stake from Todd Brunson for a $2000 PL Hold'em WSOP event. He went on to seal victory, defeating Englishman Dominic Bourke, for a $169,460 pay day. Negreanu notes, 'I remembered collapsing to the ground. I couldn't believe it. At the time, I was the youngest bracelet winner ever, at age 23'.
You can check out the full excerpt over at Cardplayer.com here.