It was a disastrous 12 months on the felt for Daniel Negreanu, however he has began off his 2024 marketing campaign on an important be aware by successful the primary occasion on the schedule.
Negreanu topped a area of 91 entries on the PokerGO studio at Aria Las Vegas to assert the title of the opening match of the PGT Last Chance collection.
The $10,000 buy-in occasion resulted in a prize pool of $910,000, $218,400 of which went to Negreanu.
While the payout is nowhere close to a profession excessive for the Poker Hall of Famer, who at present sits at no. 7 all time with practically $51 million in cashes, it’s bigger than any rating he had in 2023.
Detailing A Rough Year Of Tournaments
Negreanu has a protracted option to go earlier than he erases his losses from 2023. As he has executed yearly for the previous decade, the Canadian poker legend displayed full transparency for his outcomes, revealing that he misplaced a whopping $2,228,174 in 12 months enjoying tournaments.
Although he managed to money in practically 27 % of the tournaments he entered, making the cash 39 instances in 145 occasions, these numbers don’t account for rebuys. And on the subject of excessive rollers, Negreanu struck out, recording just a few six-figure cashes and none greater than $124,000.
He had been headed for the same destiny in 2022 earlier than a late win on the Super High Roller Bowl for $3.3 turned his 12 months round fully. However, Negreanu would later blame that victory for placing him on ’winner’s tilt’ to begin 2023.
The important motive for Negreanu’s downswing, in his eyes, is that he performed too many occasions. The 145 tournaments he entered represented an almost 50 % enhance over his previous few years of quantity, and was practically thrice extra occasions than he entered in 2014 when he profited a private better of $7.1 million. Overall, Negreanu has completed within the black in seven of the final 10 years.
His resolution, or decision for the brand new 12 months, is to play higher by enjoying much less. It’s a transfer that seems to have paid off up to now with Tuesday’s win.
Finding The Winner’s Circle
Negreanu credited his spouse, former poker reporter Amanda Leatherman, for his newest ‘lightbulb moment.’
“She said, ‘You know you never do any good when you don’t feel like playing right?’ And it was like my poker career flashed before my eyes, searching for a time when I wasn’t all there, but won anyway. I didn’t find it. She was right.”
Negreanu went on to say that his grind resiliency was extra of a “leak” than “admirable” and vowed to deal with “quality over quantity” when it got here to his future schedule. If he didn’t really feel like enjoying, he wouldn’t drive it.
There was one other $10,000 occasion on Wednesday, however Negreanu wasn’t keen to leap in and experience the momentum. As he mirrored on his late-night win on social media, he identified that he would solely be again on his phrases.
“I will play again when I NEED to play. When I can’t WAIT to play. And not a moment sooner. I’m proud of myself because before this epiphany, I’d be at the studio right now yawning and just going through the motions.”
Climbing The Leaderboard
Negreanu may need a very good motive to move again to the studio quickly, nevertheless. The PGT Last Chance collection is the ultimate alternative for gamers to place themselves within the season-ending $1 million freeroll that can run later this month.
With the victory, Negreany moved from simply contained in the bubble in thirty fifth place (the highest 40 gamers qualify) to no. 16. While that primarily locks up his seat, the freeroll’s beginning stacks are dependant on ending place, that means extra cashes and factors could be price extra chips.
Plenty of notables turned out to the opening occasion, undoubtedly trying to transfer up the leaderboard themselves. Kristen Foxen simply snuck into the cash, finshing in thirteenth place. She was adopted by Lewis Spencer, Justin Saliba, Ping Liu, and Jonathan Little en path to the ultimate desk.
The remaining desk, which was streamed stay on PokerGO, featured Nick Schulman (eighth), Isaac Haxton (seventh), David Peters (sixth), Jonathan Cohen (fifth), Justin Bonomo (4th), and Masashi Oya (third). You can watch a full replay here.
Negreanu wanted slightly luck for his newest win, beating Daniel Smiljkovic heads-up with a four-outer on the river. Smiljkovic referred to as all in for practically 90 % of the chips in play with journey jacks, needing solely to dodge a gutshot straight draw from Negreanu to take management of the match. Instead, the river gave Negreanu Broadway and the title.
Oya moved from thirty ninth place to thirty fourth, giving himself some respiration room within the standings, whereas Smiljkovic went from thirty fourth to twenty fourth. Bonomo moved as much as forty eighth, and can want a pair extra deep runs to qualify. Haxton continues to guide the rankings.
First occasion of the 12 months and it’s an important begin
As promised in my newest video, I’m going with high quality over amount in 2024 which suggests I’ll take the day without work tomorrow and ONLY play once I’m rested and prepared
Last hand right here is attention-grabbing, very proud of my play at this time https://t.co/lyXieYPyfP
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) January 3, 2024
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY | PGT |
| 1 | Daniel Negreanu | $218,400 | 540 | 218 |
| 2 | Daniel Smiljkovic | $150,150 | 450 | 150 |
| 3 | Masashi Oya | $113,750 | 360 | 114 |
| 4 | Justin Bonomo | $91,000 | 270 | 91 |
| 5 | Jonathan Cohen | $72,800 | 225 | 73 |
| 6 | David Peters | $54,600 | 180 | 55 |
| 7 | Isaac Haxton | $45,500 | 135 | 46 |
| 8 | Nick Schulman | $36,400 | 90 | 36 |
*Photos by PokerGO – Antonio Abrego
