Arguably the most popular poker pro right now, Daniel Negreanu earned his stripes in the industry through years and years of hard work and dedication to his craft. A celebrity among the biggest poker stars and general poker fans, Negreanu has built a huge presence not only in tournaments but also on social media, with his official YouTube channel boasting more than 823,000 subscribers. So how rich is Daniel really? Find out below.
Humble Beginnings
The Toronto, Canada native was born in 1974 to parents of Romanian descent. Their family was not rich, so Daniel learned how to hustle at such a young age. According to Champion Bets, he started hanging out at local pool halls at 16. While playing different card games, he learned the rudiments of poker along the way.
At school, Daniel Negreanu naturally excelled at math and statistics. However, his penchant for playing at casinos and gambling spaces eventually pushed him to decide to ditch school for good and become a professional player. The young but gifted Daniel frequented charity casinos and local gambling halls, fighting against more experienced people twice his age.
Rise to Fame and Early Success
Lady Luck seemed to have always stayed by Negreanu’s side because, by the time he was 21, he already found success playing against locals in his home country, significantly expanding his earning prospects and securing a decent bankroll for himself. In no time, he found his way to Las Vegas, only to initially suffer from tough competition against other more established and seasoned poker pros.
After hitting rock bottom in his first attempt to build a career in Vegas, Daniel decided to head back to Canada and start from scratch. He had to rebuild his bankroll and hone his skills. But instead of reading and studying poker and betting books, he paid attention to the hands he had played after every session, thinking of the different probabilities on how to solve what went wrong. He then took a second chance at Vegas, and it proved to be all worth it.
Awards & Accolades
After establishing himself as a Vegas regular, Negreanu went on to bag different awards and recognitions. His first was being named the all-around best poker player at Foxwoods’ World Poker Final in 1997. A year later, he made his debut at the World Series of Poker, joining the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold ‘Em. Daniel showed off his skills at the tournament and bagged the prize, becoming the youngest-ever winner of a WSOP Bracelet. His triumph earned him the title “Kid Poker,” according to his online biography.
In 2003, Negreanu proved once again that he was a poker prodigy by winning another WSOP bracelet after displaying his top-notch poker skills at S.H.O.E. — a rotating game of Seven Card Stud, Hold ‘Em, Omaha Eights or Better and Stud Eights or Better. However, the best was yet to come for the two-time WSOP champ at this point.
Negreanu had the best year in his career as a professional poker player in 2004 when he made 11 final tables and secured two World Poker Tournament wins (Bellagio and Borgata). It was also this year when he earned his third WSOP Bracelet in Limit Hold ‘Em. Not only that, he concluded the year with big accolades and prizes. He was named the World Series of Poker Player of the Year, Card Player Magazine Player of the Year, and WPT Season 3 (2004-2005) Player of the Year. He earned the titles while securing a staggering $4,465,907 in winnings.
Life Beyond Poker
With nothing else to prove in the poker scene, Daniel grabbed other opportunities outside the poker tournaments starting in 2005. He started different business ventures and even worked his way into becoming an author. First, he wrote a chapter for Doyle Brunson’s “Super System 2.” Then, he authored two books: 2007’s “Hold’em Wisdom for All Players” and 2008’s “Power Hold’em Strategy.”
Negreanu also cemented his celebrity status in the industry when he became a member of Team PokerStars in 2007. Dubbed the largest online poker site in the world, PokerStars found the perfect ambassador for the Canadian poker pro. Their collaboration is still active today as Negreanu remains to be one of the company’s prominent faces.
Aside from being one of the most influential poker players in the world, Daniel is sought after for his fun-loving and easy-going personality inside and outside the poker room. His outspoken and friendly attitude earned him so many fans around the world and also made it easy for him to branch out to other industries, including entertainment. He has appeared in films like “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “Detention,” and he also starred in and made cameos on TV shows, even if some of them were non-poker related.
Continued Success in Poker
Despite having a busy life outside of poker, Daniel still kept coming back to the tournaments, establishing his legacy in the professional poker scene. He’s won so many WPT championships and bagged a total of 6 WSOP Bracelets thus far. He has also joined and won other tournament circuits around the world.
The year 2013 reminded everybody why Negreanu is considered one of the best poker players to ever exist. After securing a victory in the WSOP Asia-Pacific Main Event in Australia, he won another bracelet at the WSOP Europe High Roller. In between these two, he aced the Championship Events at the European Poker Tour and WPT. He also finished 2nd in the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball at the WSOP in Vegas.
He concluded 2013 with a bang by being hailed the 2013 WSOP Player of the Year, the 2013 Bluff Player of the Year, and the 2013 Card Player Magazine Player of the Year. He also landed the top spot on the GPI rankings that year.
Social Media Presence
With his stature and large global following, Negreanu decided to eventually build an online presence by joining social media. His X account — which he created in March 2009 —now has more than 554,000 followers. He also has a self-named YouTube channel, which has more than 823,000 subscribers. In addition to vlogging, he likes sharing tips and tricks and explaining different poker-related concepts on his channel.
Net Worth Breakdown
Granting that Negreanu has won so many tournaments in his career as a poker player, it does not come as a surprise that he’s a millionaire. According to The Hendon Mob, Daniel’s total live earnings thus far amount to $52,630,318. His best live cash winnings are $8,288,001. He is ranked 1st on the Canada All-Time Money List and the Popularity Ranking. However, he is 7th on the All-Time Money List.
Based on public records, Negreanu’s first-ever prize was $55,064 at Foxwoods’ World Poker Final. This was followed by a staggering $169,460 reward at the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold ‘Em. He continued to bag six-digit prizes in the succeeding years until he won his WPT titles in 2004, which started his million-dollar streak.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Negreanu’s current net worth is $60 million. The Canada native, who now resides in Vegas, has won around $7 million in total at WPT and a whopping $18.7 million at WSOP. His career winnings reportedly stand at $41 million as of late, per the financial tracking site for celebrities.
Philanthropy and Charity Work
It is worth noting that Negreanu does not forget to pay it forward. The poker player has proudly shown his support to different charity events and fundraisers, including Ante Up for Africa, which raises funds for Sudan’s Darfur region. He also founded his own fundraiser, the annual Big Swing charity golf event, which raises money for children with special needs and their families via the Vegas-based charity Lili Claire Foundation.
