Daniel Negreanu 

Daniel was born in Toronto on July 26, 1974. He is a Canadian professional poker player who has gained the reputation of being one of today's top professional players. Daniel began learning poker at the remarkably young age of 15 and by the age of 16 he spent a good deal of time hanging out in pool halls where he quickly learned the art of hustling, playing cards and betting.

He soon dropped out of high school and started a very unconventional career in poker, starting in the local charity casinos and any games, legal or illegal he could find in the city. He soon met and began a relationship with Evelyn Ng, who later also became a fellow professional poker player. Once he had saved up a large enough bankroll, he made his way to Las Vegas to take on the ever famous Las Vega Strip. However, his trip was not as successful as he had hoped and eventually he moved back home to Toronto to once again build up another bankroll.

Daniel was married to Lori Weber on Aug 19, 2005 and they later divorced in November of 2007. He has been living in Las Vegas, Nevada since 2003, where he continues to play poker professionally. Aside from poker, Daniel loves to golf and is a big fan of the NHL and is a Toronto Maple Leaf fan who can often be seen sporting their jerseys. He is a really down to earth guy who isn`t shy to discuss his personal life. He freely posts his thoughts and feelings on many different topics on his "Daniel Negreanu Blog" he has at the Full Contact Poker site. He even talks about his poker results and his opinions on politics, from the war in Iran to the U.S presidential elections. He is a known supporter of both Al Gore and Barack Obama.

Daniel is quite skilled at reading his opponents. He prides himself at being able to carefully watch the hands of other players and how they play them. This helps him learn a lot about his opponents and their capabilities. He is a self-made action junkie who is always looking for new and bigger challenges.

Experience:

In addition to winning two World Poker Tour events and three World Series bracelets, Daniel has also been titled the World Series of Poker Player of the Year in both 2004 and 2005. Daniel was recruited by Wynn Las Vegas casino resort as their "Poker Ambassador". He started up his own on-line card room site at Full Contact Poker where he also hosts the "Daniel Negreanu blog". His nickname is "KidPoker". He has created a protégé competition where he personally grooms players into becoming world-class poker players.

In June, 2007, he joined the "Team PokerStars", with other top notch professional poker players. He has written over 100 articles for "CardPlayer" Magazine and contributed to Doyle Brunson`s "Super System II" book, the revised edition. He now tutors on line for "Poker School Online", and gives one on one lessons to even well known professionals. In 2006, Daniel created a team of "Superstar Contributors" to write a book titled, "Daniel Negreanu`s Power Hold'em Strategy". The book will focus on every aspect of Hold'em.

Daniel has been featured on many TV poker shows and has acted as a commentator and host on Ultimate Poker Challenge. He starred in the third season of the Poker Superstars invitational tournament. He then appeared in the Fox Reality series "Rob and Amber, Against the Odds", where he mentored popular reality TV personality Rob Mariano. Daniel was named "Favorite Poker Player" in Card Player Magazine's Player of the Year Gala in February, 2006. He has also been featured in the 2006 poker video game "Stacked with Daniel Negreanu", where he shares tips on poker playing.

Tournament Play:

In 1997, he won two events at the World Poker Finals at Foxwood's and was named the tournament's best player. He later won the 1998 World Series Poker and was the youngest winner of the WSOP bracelets until 2004. He then won two World Poker Tour (WPT) events and three more World Series bracelets and appeared at over 12 final tables. He was also named "Poker Player of the Year" in 2004 and "World Poker Tour Player of the Year" in two World Poker Tour events and three World Series bracelets, Daniel has also been titled the "World Series of Poker Player of the Year" in both 2004 and 2005.

Winnings:

Daniel's total tournament winnings to date are well over $10,100,000. He is currently in second place, after Jamie Gold and Joseph Hachem. He is also the top money earner on the WPT circuit and has earned 4 bracelets winning $169,460.

Here is a breakdown of some of his earnings:

1997, Foxwood’s World Series of Poker - $133,600
1998, $2,000 Pot Limit Hold’em - $169,460
2003, $2,000 S H O E - $100,440
2004, $2,000 Limit Hold’em - $169,100
2008, $2,000 Limit Hold’em - $204,874