Poker Profile: Daniel Negreanu
One of the more familiar professional poker player faces we see on TV is that of Daniel Negreanu. He has gained fame and fortune most of us can only dream of. Daniel's popularity is certainly well deserved. His poker savvy, mixed with an abundance of charisma and confidence, propelled him to the top spot that he occupies today.
Born in Toronto, Canada on July 26, 1974. Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu's parents migrated from Romania to Canada in 1967. Daniel began his career as a rounder shortly after he dropped out of high school. He started dating Evelyn Ng - who interestingly enough was also destined to become a renowned poker player - while he was still in Toronto.
At the age of 21, Daniel traveled to Vegas to follow his ambition of becoming a professional poker player, however this was not to be - at least for the time being. He suffered losses that sent him back to Toronto to replenish his losses for another go at becoming a professional poker player.
After winning his first two major tournament victories - no doubt a turning point in his career - at the World Poker Finals, Daniel never looked back. This occurred in 1997 at Foxwoods, gained him the title of best all around player in the tournament and snagged him a total of $133,600.
Shortly after his victories at Foxwoods, Daniel again garnered the respect of his peers by winning in the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold 'Em competition during the 1998 World Series of Poker. This triumph made him the youngest ever WSOP bracelet victor in history. Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu became almost unstoppable during the next few years.
Daniel won two World Poker Tour events, an additional two WSOP bracelets and was a finalist at 11 events. Because of these achievements, he was given the title of the 2004 World Series of Poker Player of the Year.
Daniel Negreanu's total live tournament winnings as of January 2007 is estimated to be more than $9,650,000. A staggering sum, next only to Jamie Gold and Joseph Hachem. This nest egg is attributed to Daniel's 26 tournament finishes that exceeds $50,000 and numerous other finishes below that figure.
Aside from being a successful professional poker player, Daniel is also an avid golfer and an accomplished writer. Clearly, Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu is on his way to becoming a true legend of poker.