Daniel Negreanu's WSOP 2024 Vlog Blog
For the best part of the last ten years, poker legend Daniel Negreanu has been documenting his annual WSOP grind through a series of daily vlogs. I have watched bits and pieces over the years but never really followed it fully. But this year, one of my friends was buying a piece of Dnegs world series action through the 'Pokerstake' site. A few of our poker grouped chipped in £50 each, having initially been sold the idea (by my friend) that a big win would equate to a five figure return for us. Alas, after a second look at the numbers, the decimal point moved a couple of places and actually it was highly unlikely we could win more the a couple of hundred pounds, realistically.
Unperturbed, I was invested and decided to follow along with Negreanu's world series vlogs for the summer. It's kind of amazing that not only does Daniel churn out these videos giving an real insight into the world of a top poker pro on a daily basis but also that he's been doing it for so long now. I have on occasion tried my hand at producing some poker content and it can be a real drain and distraction from playing poker. I would get caught up in what people would like to see rather than what was good for me. I know Negreanu has an editor putting the videos together but the vlog must be a constant distraction in his mind.
The first few videos of 2024 took me by surprise. I felt uncomfortable watching some very outdated 'humour' surrounding a number of Asian players. I don't get the impression it was mean spirited in any way but I was shocked to see a big name brand ambassador saying things that you just can't say anymore. And speaking of a lack of awareness, the second thing I wasn't expecting, was how badly Dnegs was playing, with seemingly no deeper thoughts on why he wasn't winning. This left me confused, because Negreanu is a world class poker star who has made millions of dollars, consistently, over decades at the highest level, and I'm not, yet I was watching hands play out thinking he's an idiot. I can't be correct can I? He has to know something I'm missing right? But I couldn't figure out what was going on.
I continued to watch from afar as Negreanu's total disregard for my money went on unabated. As I watched him burn through buyins, including two unsuccessful shots at the $250k high roller, I was quite clearly more concerned about my £50 than he was about the millions.
On a positive note, as the series carried on Daniel's standard of play improved dramatically, in line with the increase in buy-in amounts. He pretty much confirmed later in the video series that the smaller events mean nothing to him, he's only interested in winning bracelets or racking up points for the Player of the Year competition. Negreanu is not playing for money, Negreanu is playing for legacy. And as such, he has a very different approach and motivation for many of the 'smaller' tournaments.
Even so, I was thankful for every additional day he spent playing the $50k Poker Players Championship (PPC), not because I expected a big win but because it meant it prevented him from firing off dozens of bullets in other events. And yet, who was I to question the now seven time bracelet winner? As he ultimately took down his favourite tournament for a cool $1,177,703. You could really see how much it meant to Daniel to win the PPC event, and you couldn't help but be happy for him. The money might mean nothing to him but what does shine through is how much he still cares about his poker. But I was most thankful for all that money which took "us" back into profit.
As the PPC progressed, there were a lot of PokerGo clips from the official coverage in the vlog, which really tempted me to sign up for the streaming service, until I saw the monthly pricing that is, sheesh! I'm hoping there are some deals afoot after the World Series hype dies down.
As you would expect from a Daniel Negreanu World Series of poker vlog, a number of big name poker pros make appearances, some more often than others, Mike Matosow got the best zinger in of the summer but also a sad low point too, and Alan Kessler even has his own jingle. But it it was Phil Ivey who effortlessly stole the show for me as he just floats around occasionally during the high stakes games with barely more than a smile to the camera, just crushing games as he goes, also adding to his haul of bracelets this summer. He's a stark contrast to the hyper active Negreanu, who wears his heart on his sleeve. One of the most interesting observations for me was how after a run of bad luck, Dnegs rants just like one of us, when he vents, it reminds me of me and my friends, having suffered the wrath of the poker gods. Maybe it's reassuring, I'm not sure, I expect poker pros at the top level to be beyond that sort of thing, but I like that they're not, we're all just playing the same game.
Unfortunately, after the success of the PPC, it was back to the tommy gun spatter of bullets being fired all over the place, peaking in absurdity during the $1500 Closer rebuy event where Daniel was pretty much going all in with almost any two cards for 100bigs, busting, and repeating in a quest to spin up a big stack.
In the end, Daniel finished down $171,063 for the series, which equated to a £36 return from my initial £50 investment. £14 is still a very reasonable price for 50+ days of poker entertainment, insight and piece of a top player. Although I won't be buying action next sunner I will definitely follow Daniel's exploits. For almost two months, I've seen the good and the bad, the struggles and successes, through the public and private lives of one the biggest names in poker, and I still don't know how he does it.
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