Daniel Negreanu will enter the 2025 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) “with just a little little bit of a unique perspective” in his first yr of Seniors Occasion eligibility, GGPoker’s high ambassador advised PokerNews.
The 50-year-old is coming off three straight dropping summers. However that does not concern him, particularly contemplating he ended an 11-year bracelet drought in 2024 when he took down the celebrated $50,000 Poker Gamers Championship. He is extra targeted on having enjoyable and enjoying sound poker than the outcomes.
“The World Collection for me, it isn’t going to be about outcomes that a lot, as a result of that is luck, proper,” Negreanu defined. “Luck goes to play into the outcomes. For me, I wish to have time.”
Poker Legend’s Thought of a ‘Good Time’
Negreanu’s 2025 WSOP schedule contains 53 occasions and simply two days away from the Horseshoe, just like earlier years. However he’ll be doing a little issues a bit otherwise this summer season.
“This yr, I am moving into with just a little little bit of a unique perspective,” Negreanu stated. “I will have some wine. I do not usually do this, however I have been ejoying that. Some days, I’d golf with the previous guys on the membership at 9:30 after which go play just a little later. I wish to have a well-rounded sequence, as a result of I believe it is summer season camp for all of us poker gamers. I wish to have an amazing enjoyable summer season.”
“However, with that, all the things is much more enjoyable if you win, so I anticipate to have some bracelet wins, some deep runs. However I do not need it to be a case the place I am ever there and I do not wish to be there.”
Negreanu, together with Phil Hellmuth, has been a staple on the WSOP yearly for a number of a long time, grinding a full slate of occasions. It would not seem he is any much less excited for the beginning of the Collection than he was throughout his “Child Poker” days.
“I used to be speaking to Josh Arieh about this, and we each do,” Negreanu stated when requested if he nonetheless will get simply as excited for the WSOP as he did 20 years in the past. “It is loopy, in any case these years, you already know, within the couple weeks earlier than the Collection, you’ve got bought the $25k Fantasy Draft, simply the joy of the summer season and what could possibly be.”
“Everybody that performs the Collection like we do, you are so contemporary and prepared, after which like 3-4 weeks in, someone appears to be like at you the fallacious means, and you are like, ‘what are you , you a*****e?”
Can Negreanu Win 2025 WSOP Participant of the 12 months?
Negreanu at all times seems on nearly each quick listing of gamers prone to contend for WSOP Participant of the 12 months throughout pre-series predictions. He is a seven-time bracelet winner with $23 million in WSOP earnings, and he gained the award in 2004 and 2013 (and for a quick second in 2019). However does he think about himself to be among the many POY favorites in 2025?
“I believe my odds are very, excellent, as a result of the best way that they modified it, it is solely the highest 10 outcomes that rely, so it isn’t about Shaun Deeb enjoying 4 tournaments directly, dropping stacks and losing fairness,” Negreanu stated, referring to the POY scoring system modifications enacted in 2024. “It is actually nearly high quality, you already know.”
Scott Seiver, who’s up for Poker Corridor of Fame this yr, earned the 2024 WSOP Participant of the 12 months award after profitable three bracelets. Negreanu did not crack the highest 10 and hasn’t been an element within the race late in the summertime the previous three years.
The present WSOP Participant of the 12 months scoring system solely takes under consideration a participant’s 10 finest outcomes. So, racking up a bunch of min-cashes, which helped gamers win the award in earlier years, now not issues within the POY race. It is now all about, as Negreanu defined, high quality (i.e. reaching ultimate tables and profitable bracelets).
Negreanu gained a bracelet final summer season, however that was his solely ultimate desk look. To win Participant of the 12 months in 2025, he’ll want a couple of extra deep runs to compete with Seiver, Deeb, and the opposite crushers chasing one among poker’s most prestigious awards.
Contending for POY would do wonders for the staff that drafts Negreanu within the 25k Fantasy Draft, which takes place Might 27. However do not anticipate the GGPoker ambassador to draft himself, though he would not give away any hints as to particular gamers he is desirous about drafting.
“I’ll say, my technique this yr, I will not be going after huge hitters (within the Fantasy Draft),” Negreanu claims.
The “huge hitters” he is referring to contains himself, Deeb, and some others who go for the very best bids yearly within the 25k Fantasy Draft. These gamers are dangerous draft picks as a result of if they do not crush it on the WSOP, it is powerful for the staff that drafted them to have any shot of profitable.
Negreanu is at all times one of many highest bids within the $25,000 buy-in draft. However he hasn’t been drafted by a staff that cashed since 2022. Just a few deep runs this summer season, maybe even one in his first Seniors Occasion, would give the staff that drafts him some worth.
The 2025 World Collection of Poker, which incorporates 100 gold bracelet occasions, kicks off Might 27 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Daniel Negreanu Wins $50K Poker Gamers Championship
