Daniel Negreanu – The Man Behind the Poker Face
Daniel Negreanu is one of the most recognizable faces in televised poker. He has almost achieved currency as a household name on account of his many appearances in broadcasted events such as cash games and poker tournaments. It’s fair to say that Daniel’s life revolves around poker. As successful as he’s been, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he also had his fair share of trouble on various fronts. So, fame and fortune are just one side of his story.
We will try and look at Daniel Negreanu’s life from a 360-degree perspective and talk about the things he’s known for as well as those that probably deserve more attention. There is so much going on around this legendary poker player that it’s enough to make your head spin. From a vegan lifestyle to a controversial nickname that got him into trouble. We’ve included all these exciting to the curiosity stories in the lines below.
How Daniel Negreanu and Poker Met
Born 1974 and raised in Toronto, Ontario Canada, Daniel Negreanu was given a good start in life by Romanian immigrant parents Annie and Constantin. His flair for number-crunching and hustling showed through as early as the age of sixteen. Talented, Canadian-born Daniel committed all his time to poker after leaving high school and for a good reason. Despite incurring occasional losses, his bankroll was steadily rising as he kept winning at Ontario’s charity casinos. He gained confidence faster than the protagonists in the best poker movies.
Forging ahead, Negreanu felt ready for a bigger challenge. He celebrated his 21st birthday with the ambition to go to Las Vegas and so he did. The start at the City of Lights was a bit rough for the Canadian youngster, and he had to return home and recoup.
After a period of trial and error, he finally got accustomed to how the game is played in Las Vegas’ casinos. The culmination of all the hard work came in 1997 when Daniel was bestowed the prestigious ‘best all-around player at Foxwoods’ World Poker Final. As they say, ‘the rest is history’.
Vegan Lifestyle and Poker
The impressive net worth of Daniel Negreanu was no deterrent for him to lead a life of environmental responsibility. He got to know veganism purely for health reasons, but what then followed was a conscious choice that the poker pro doesn’t regret. He even claims that his plant-based diet makes him a better poker player.
We are curious about how many aspiring gamblers were converted into veganism because of this claim. Be that as it may, in 2000 Mr Negreanu started his meat-free journey suspicious that eating meat causes him to perform poorly at the poker table.
I became vegan in 2006 when I started taking healthy eating seriously – Daniel Negreanu, Poker Professional
In the beginning, Daniel had little understanding of what a vegetarian diet should look like. As he was merely looking for a substitute for meat, he would just pick random junk foods that lack the ingredient and think he’s doing alright. These days not only has Daniel Negreanu’s appreciation for veganism grown but also his knowledge on the matter has increased tremendously.
Although the start wasn’t great, he is no longer making the poor nutritional choices that he used to. He’s also quite active about spreading awareness of what veganism really stands for. Mr. Negreanu even participated in a documentary with vegan athletes to combat the false belief that vegans lack protein in their nutrition plan. The documentary was meant to spread factual knowledge about the lifestyle and to dismantle the myth that vegan athletes cannot fare as well their meat-eating competition.
WSOP Success
Given the fact the talented Canadian won his first WSOP at just 23 years of age, it was a foregone conclusion that he was going to do well in the series in the future. Daniel Negreanu has six World Series of Poker bracelets and a ring to go with them. Those don’t even do him justice as he has 36 WSOP final table appearances. The man has been at some of the finest casinos in the USA and so attending the annual edition of the WSOP is like a walk in the park for a player of his stature.
He’s big on the European poker tournament scene and oftentimes criticized by the self-proclaimed ‘best poker player’ Phil Hellmuth for not being consistent in tournaments on American soil. Here are Daniel Negreanu’s WSOP achievements in a nutshell.
| WSOP Final Tables | 36 |
| Money Finishes | 103 |
| WSOP Bracelets | 6 |
| First WSOP Title Won in | 2000 |
Negreanu is one of the few players who are so versatile that they can be successful both in tournaments and cash games. His name is feared by players participating in both formats because of the scarily accurate reads he is capable of making. However, when lady Luck turns her back on somebody, there’s little they can do to win in a game that is also about luck.
Daniel’s Unlucky High Stakes Poker Streak
Sometimes playing online, for example, at the Top Pensylvannian casino sites is the better choice. Especially if you don’t want to look bad on national TV. The best High Stakes Poker was an American TV show featuring some of the greatest poker minds. It ran from 2006 to 2011 and gave spectators and amateur poker players a unique perspective on the life of a cash game specialist. Daniel Negreanu became notorious for his bad luck on the show. He lost many coinflips and also lost hands many times from the position of favorite.
His visibly bad fortune didn’t stop friends Mike Matusow, Eli Elezra, and Erick Lindgren from taking a good chunk of Negreanu’s bankroll – all fair and square, of course. The hand that will probably go down in the history of the show as the biggest bad beat of Daniel Negreanu was one he was in with Gus Hansen. This is a hand in which the Canadian turns a full house on the turn, but the same card completed Hansen’s quad fives. The action doesn’t go down well for Negreanu who ends up paying Hansen’s all in and losing a pot of over half a million dollars.
Daniel Negreanu’s Girlfriend
If someone can write a book about the roller coaster of life, that should be Daniel. It seems that a cheeky Cupid hits him with an arrow every so often but doesn’t finish the good work that has been started. The Canadian has gone through quite a few failed romances, and those are just the ones we know of. As it stands, he is married to Amanda Leatherman. In 2019 they decided to give their relationship another chance. Below you can read more about the women the Canadian has been in a relationship with.
| Name | Introduction |
|---|---|
| Evelyn Ng | Just like Daniel, Evelyn Ng started playing pool at an early age. Around that time, she and fellow-countryman Negreanu started dating. With a joint effort, she was able to develop a sophisticated play style that has served her well. |
| Amanda Leatherman | Amanda Leatherman is a well-known name in the poker circles and it’s no wonder her and Daniel’s paths converged. The chemistry between the two became obvious to the spectators of the TV program PokerStars The Big Game. |
| Krisztina Polgár | Among being Miss Earth Hungary 2008, an FHM model, and other things, Krisztina Polgár took part in the WSOP 2001. This is where she and Daniel met. |
| Lori Lin Weber | Lori Lin Weber and Daniel Negreanu were married between the years 2005 and 2007. Her name is yet to come to prominence as she is mostly known for being Daniel’s ex-wife. |
| Marissa Rachelle Rodney | Marissa and Daniel had a four-year long relationship. The information dispensed on the internet is mainly courtesy of Daniel Negreanu himself. From what’s known, the two used to participated in poker events and spent gym time together. |
The Nickname ‘Kid Poker’ and How it Got Daniel in Trouble
As the Canadian poker pro’s autobiography suggests, he earned the nickname ‘Kid Poker’ by winning a World Series of Poker bracelet at the age of 23. The impressive achievement put him in the books as the youngest player to do that, and the natural response was the birth of his nickname. People who are privy to Daniel Negreanu’s personal and professional life, however, insist that his childish behavior justifies that nickname nonetheless.
Negreanu’s professional nickname has been a bone of contention in some sense for the legally savvy users of Twitter. On the one hand, it is his hard-earned nickname, but on the other, it could be misinterpreted by the underage internet users. The school of thought that is against the public use of this nickname thinks that it could give the green light to individuals under the age of majority to play poker.
In 2017 Attorney Michael Levine filed a legal suit with the intention to stop Daniel Negreanu’s Twitter because he deemed the username ‘RealKidPoker’ inappropriate. He achieved his goal at least partially as the judge in the case forbade Mr Negreanu from using his Tweeter account until further notice. Twitter officials stood behind Daniel and his right to use the thus defined by his username Twitter account. The case took a favorable turn for Kid Poker. If you go to his page, you’ll see that his Twitter account is up and operation and his nickname hasn’t changed.
Daniel Negreanu’s Best Friend
Evelyn Ng has no contender in as far as Daniel’s best female friends are concerned. Their friendship goes a long way, even allowing them to become more than friends at one point. Evelyn even shared a heartfelt tweet with a picture of her and Mr Negreanu on display when their friendship hit the 25-year mark. Though Danuel Negreanu’s list of friends is quite long, remember that it’s all business at the poker table.
- Evelyn Ng
- Erick Lindgren
- Phil Kessel
- Scotty Nguyen
- Mike Matusow
- Eli Elezra
- Sam Farha
- Barry Greenstein
Daniel Negreanu’s net worth sets him apart from almost every other poker professional, but it doesn’t hold him back from making friends – that’s for certain. Speaking of besties, the name Erick Lindgren is the one that keeps coming up. They shared one table at one of the High Stakes Poker seasons, but they go way back than this. Proof of this is that Daniel defended him when Erick’s financial problems hit the headlines.
Scotty Nguyen is another poker pro whose life is connected with Daniel’s. The two are close, but what’s more interesting is how accurate an impression of Scotty Nguyen Mr Negreanu can do. Well, not all of his impressions were well received, however, Scotty doesn’t seem to mind Kid Poker making jokes at his expense.
Daniel Negreanu’s Masterclass and Books
Unlike the rules of roulette the rules of poker allow players to play mind tricks on their opponents in order to win the pot. Coming from humble beginnings, Daniel Negreanu had to learn all that and more on his way up to the top. That mentality gave him the inspiration to write two books and prepare a masterclass for everyone who wants to learn from his endless poker knowledge pool. Daniel Negreanu’s masterclass is one of the bestsellers on the popular teaching platform.
His books are aimed at a similar audience. The virtuous poker player teaches poker fundamentals as well as some of his trademark moves. Negreanu also tries his best to explain the thinking process behind his reads while remaining upfront with the pupils that it’s not something that can be mastered overnight.
Vlog
If you try to describe Daniel Negreanu in just a few words, you will likely have a hard time doing so because he has a knack for many things, not just poker. In line with his talent as an entertainer, Mr Negreanu had started a video blog some years ago. He keeps it fresh and fun, free of complicated poker analysis and strategies. From the looks of it, the Canadian’s main purpose is to connect with his fans and to give them the chance to watch him play online tournaments live. So far, so good. Daniel Negreanu’s YouTube channel has almost half a million subscribers (495K to be exact).
Frequently Asked Questions About Daniel Negreanu
Why he started wearing glasses, what happened to his hair, and why vegan of all things? Those are the commonly asked questions about Mr Negreanu, and we will answer most, if not all, of them. Find the answers you are looking for in the following FAQ.
