NBC Sports Chicago recently caught up with six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu to talk about the type of player he's evolved into and a key moment from the beginning of his career.
Negreanu, who was promoting the subscription streaming service PokerGO, has cashed in 112 WSOP events, earning $14,908,224 in them.
"There's two ways of playing. One is called the Game Theory Optimal approach and the other is Exploitative," Negreanu said over the phone. "So the Game Theory Optimal approach is designed so that if you're playing against the perfect robot, there's one specific play or one way of playing a hand that is correct. And now, when you play exploitatively, you might know that but you go, 'I know this would be correct, but this guy here, he always folds. So I'm going to bluff him. More than I should.'
Related: Why Daniel Negreanu thinks betting 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs is 'huge wildcard'
"So what I learned over the last couple of years is how to incorporate both Game Theory Optimal play and Exploitative because I was purely one-hundred percent Exploitative until the last few years that I learned it was important to have some balance of myself because when you do veer from Game Theory Optimal you do become exploitable yourself and some of the top players are doing that against me."
Negreanu, now forced to play online like many others, is trying to eliminate the tendencies he sometimes displayed earlier in his career.
Related: WSOP's Daniel Negreanu says no questionable algorithm in online poker sites
"I wouldn't describe them as risks, I would say that I've had tendencies that if somebody is paying attention... So for example, as simple as this, when I bet all my chips on the river, I'm not bluffing. If my top opponents know that, now they can start making really big folds and their exploiting a weakness in my lack of balance in the situation because what you want to have, on the river you want people to think like, 'Well, alright... he could be bluffing, he could have it.' When they know specific things about what you'll do in a situation, they can take advantage of you," Negreanu said.
Daniel won the first WSOP event he ever played in, the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event in 1998 when he was 23. As he pulled all the chips in, Negreanu became the youngest player to ever win a WSOP bracelet at the time.
Related: Why Daniel Negreanu thinks Phil Ivey is the best poker player in the world
"I was just happy to be in the money, then I was at the final table and I was like, 'Wow, this is cool.' All of a sudden, I found myself heads up in a form called Pot Limit Hold'em, which I never really played before. ... In the final hand, we both had about even chips and I had ace-queen of hearts and he had the jack-10 of clubs and the flop came queen, jack, four with two clubs and one heart. So I had the top pair, he had the second pair, but he had a four card flush, a three card straight... He had a ton of outs.
"The turn card was a blank, the river was a little black card and I couldn't even see it because I was just so emotionally invested, but I did see some people cheering for me, raising their arms. I was like, 'Alright, that means it's not a club.' And it was the six of spades. I won on the very last hand. An absolute what's called a 'coin flip' situation. The odds of me winning the hand right after the flop were around fifty-fifty."
Related: How WSOP's Daniel Negreanu uses someone's appearance as a tell
PokerGO is showing classic moments from the World Series of Poker every night at 7 p.m. ET.
Read the original post:
Why Negreanu thinks Ivey is the best poker player in the world - Comcast SportsNet Chicago
- Online Poker Calculator | Poker Odds Calculator | Poker Odds & Stats Tool - December 14th, 2022 [December 14th, 2022]
- See a Crime-Solving Natasha Lyonne in the Star-Studded First Teaser for Rian Johnson's Poker Face - E! NEWS - October 27th, 2022 [October 27th, 2022]
- Five-Step Guide to Becoming a Sponsored Poker Player - PokerTube - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- The Biggest Bubble in Poker History Bursts in Episode #8 of Triton Million - PokerNews.com - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- Why are poker players obsessed with CryptoPunk NFTs? - Coin Rivet - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- AEX celebrates its 8th anniversary with 'Texas Hold'em Poker' competition - AMBCrypto News - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- By the Numbers: 17 Years of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Rio - PokerNews.com - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- The Time Is (Still) Now For Change In The Poker Hall of Fame - PocketFives - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- October Online Poker Revenue Remains Steady in PA and NJ, Online Gambling Revenues Soar - CardsChat.com - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- Police probe 'strip poker' footage of cops after officers filmed in flat without consent - Scottish Daily Record - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- The EndBoss Takes It All - MIT Grad Ishaan Chugh Reveals What Its Like To Win Pokers Top Spot! - News18 - November 29th, 2021 [November 29th, 2021]
- BetMGM Poker Running Spin the Wheel Promo in Pennsylvania - Pokerfuse - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Atlantic City Poker Rooms Remove COVID-Related Seating Restrictions - CardsChat.com - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Tony Parker qualifies for the World Series of Poker - Pounding The Rock - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Tony Parker earns berth into World Series of Poker Main Event - Larry Brown Sports - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Connecticut Online Poker Bill Passes Senate, Awaits Governor's Signature - CardsChat.com - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- "Paul Pierce and Phil Ivey to participate in crypto-based poker tournament for charity": Celtics legend to... - The Sportsrush - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Connecticut Online Poker Legalized as Governor Signs Gambling Expansion Bill - CardsChat.com - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Connecticut on the Verge of Legalizing Online Poker, Casino Games and Sports Betting - Pokerfuse - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Spurs legend Tony Parker is 'very excited' to be the first qualified player for WSOP Main Event - mySA - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- WSOP and 888 Banks Biggest Share of New Jersey Online Poker Revenue in April - Pokerfuse - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Will The Pandemic Kill Our Love Of Live Poker? - Casino.Org News - May 29th, 2021 [May 29th, 2021]
- Online Poker Launches In Michigan Friday Morning - CardPlayer.com - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- 4th Annual Ace of Hearts Poker Run benefiting the American Heart Association - WKRG News 5 - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Is There A Future for Nationwide Online Gaming and Poker in the US? - Poker News Daily - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Online poker in the cards for North Dakota? - INFORUM - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Fed Needs a Poker Face to Avoid Taper Tell - The Wall Street Journal - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Is online poker in the cards for North Dakota? - The Dickinson Press - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- This Week in Poker Podcasts - Pokerfuse - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- 888 Executive: US Online Poker to Benefit from Latest Wire Act Ruling - Casino.Org News - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Justice Kagan: Poker Shark - Above the Law - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- The FIVES Poker Podcast: WPT in the Headlines, Polk Tilts Negreanu - PocketFives - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Partypoker US Network Posts Big Online Poker Revenue Gains in New Jersey During the Final Quarter of 2020 - Pokerfuse - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Los Angeles Poker Rooms Given Green Light to Reopen this Week - CardsChat.com - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- BetOnline Offering Players A Bitcoin Boost On Their Online Poker Deposits - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - December 16th, 2020 [December 16th, 2020]
- Get the Inside Story on THAT James Bond Poker Hand - PokerNews.com - December 16th, 2020 [December 16th, 2020]
- Ike Haxton Calls for Live Poker to be Boycotted amid COVID-19 Crisis - HighstakesDB - December 14th, 2020 [December 14th, 2020]
- Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza Return As Hosts For New Season of High Stakes Poker TV Show - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - December 14th, 2020 [December 14th, 2020]
- BetMGM CEO: U.S. Online Poker Will Again Have Period In Sunshine - US Bets - December 14th, 2020 [December 14th, 2020]
- PokerStars Blowout Series Offers $60M In Gts | My Blog - Tight Poker - December 14th, 2020 [December 14th, 2020]
- Election Bets: Who are Poker Players Putting Their Money On? - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- Phil Galfond: Run It Once Poker SNGs "Just Around the Corner" - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- I've won more than $4 million playing pokerhere's my No. 1 secret to successful decision-making - CNBC - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- Sudden rush in the Poker Industry in India European Gaming Industry News - European Gaming Industry News - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- MGM Grand To Host Freeroll Tournaments Funded By Unused Jackpot Money From Closed Strip Poker Rooms - CardPlayer.com - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- How to Avoid the Most Common Forms of Cheating in Poker - TimesOfCasino - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- The Pros And Cons Of Playing Poker In An Online Casino - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- We Take a Look at the Polk vs. Negreanu Betting Odds - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- Intertops Poker is hosting a new slots tournament this week - World Casino Directory - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- The Great Thing About Poker? "Anyone Can Learn To Win - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020 [November 3rd, 2020]
- To Play Poker in a Pandemic, Americans Flee the U.S. - The New York Times - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Partypoker is Also Returning To Live Poker Circuit With Stop in Russia this Month - Pokerfuse - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Poker Operators Should Try Themed Poker Rooms | My Blog - Tight Poker - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- How Poker Became the Casino Favorite It Is Today - Pokerfuse - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- The Cross-Platform And Cross-Gen Poker Club Brings Social Play To Switch Later This Year - Nintendo Life - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Why Investing in Tesla Is a Bit Like Texas Hold 'Em Poker - RealMoney - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Poker run is this weekend in Brookings | Neighbors - Watertown Public Opinion - September 5th, 2020 [September 5th, 2020]
- Bayern and Inter involved in "Perisic Poker" - Bulinews.com - September 2nd, 2020 [September 2nd, 2020]
- Ripstone Brings Poker Back to Video Game Consoles - Beat The Fish - September 2nd, 2020 [September 2nd, 2020]
- ARE THERE CASINO OR POKER TOURNAMENTS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT? - Island Echo - September 2nd, 2020 [September 2nd, 2020]
- Benjamin Pollak Latest Player to Join Team partypoker - PokerNews.com - September 2nd, 2020 [September 2nd, 2020]
- Top Ranked Poker Sites to Play in 2020 - Programming Insider - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- The Deck Is Not Rigged: Poker and the Limits of AI - Singularity Hub - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Chrome Dragons Riding Club hosts 2nd Annual Kids and Heroes Poker Run - WBOY.com - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Know the odds before you act when playing poker - GamingTodaySlotsToday - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Variations of Poker That is Worth Knowing About - Programming Insider - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Irish poker player scoops $100k and World Series of Poker gold bracelet 22 years after father won same title - The Irish Sun - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Poker, board games and the core group helped the newest Flyers get comfortable | On the Fly - The Philadelphia Inquirer - August 10th, 2020 [August 10th, 2020]
- Poker in Print: The Godfather of Poker (2012) - CalvinAyre.com - August 9th, 2020 [August 9th, 2020]
- Homeless Sex Offender Charged In Connection With World Poker Tour Star Susie Zhao Death - Deadline - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- Suspect arrested in death of pro poker player found burned at Michigan park - MLive.com - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- 'Going to the Dogs' Poker Run and Silent Auction to benefit CCAPS - Magnolia Banner News - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- Online Charity Poker Tournament Helps Fly Sick Children to Medical Care - Look to the Stars - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- Man, 60, in custody in connection to death of professional poker player Susie Zhao - Detroit Free Press - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- Heads Up Poker Podcast: 234 - Steve and Carlos: WITWICWRN - Pokerfuse - August 8th, 2020 [August 8th, 2020]
- What Site Offers the Best Online Poker Bonus in 2020? - PokerNews.com - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- 60-year-old man arrested in connection with Oakland Co. professional poker player's death - WXYZ - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- An Open Letter To The WSOP: Why Mixed Games Are Good For Poker Player Development - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - August 7th, 2020 [August 7th, 2020]
- From poker pro to slaying victim: Susie Q's unlikely story - The Detroit News - August 3rd, 2020 [August 3rd, 2020]
- Hugh Freyer, Poker Player With Discretion of a Banker, Dies at 86 - The New York Times - August 3rd, 2020 [August 3rd, 2020]