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Daniel Laidlaw is an Adelaide-based Australian poker player, cash game specialist, and two-time major live tournament winner — best known for winning the 2013 Sydney Poker Championships Main Event for $165,256 and the 2018 Aussie Millions $5,000 PLO event for A$128,285. His Day 2 chip lead at the Sydney Champs prompted PokerMedia Australia's headline "Laidlaw lays down the law on Day 2." His self-description of winning that title was characteristically blunt: "Did 3-way ICM deal, I got ~120k, flipped blind for the trophy and I shipped it. Sydney Champs winner."
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
Total live earnings stand at over $1,426,000 across 75 cashes, per The Hendon Mob. Best live cash: $221,825. Latest cash: December 2022. Twitter: @Choparno.
Career Highlights at a Glance
💰 Live Earnings: $1,426,000+ | 🏆 Sydney Poker Championships ME 2013: $165,256 | 🏆 Aussie Millions PLO 2018: A$128,285 | 🎯 75 Cashes | 📍 Adelaide, SA
Notable Results
Date | Event | Result | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
Aug 2013 | Sydney Poker Championships ME $3,000 NLH (227 entries) | 1st (3-way deal, flip for trophy) | $165,256 |
Feb 2018 | Aussie Millions Event #25: A$5,000 PLO (103 entries) | 1st (vs Julian Powell) | A$128,285 |
Jan 2013 | Aussie Millions Main Event | 12th | $100,291 |
Aug 2010 | APT Manila NLH Shootout | 1st | – |
Aug 2019 | WSOPC Cherokee $1,125 NLH (Event #9) | 9th | – |
His estimated poker net worth is over $1 million.
Biography & Poker Background
Laidlaw is from Adelaide, South Australia — a city that has produced Gary Benson, Jonathan Karamalikis and Yongjia Lin as major international names — and describes himself primarily as a cash game player. His live tournament results span over a decade of activity, beginning with a cash at the Australia Day Cup in Adelaide in 2008 and building steadily through appearances at APPT Auckland, APPT Melbourne, the Aussie Millions and the WSOP Circuit.
His 2013 was the breakout year. In January he finished 12th at the Aussie Millions Main Event for $100,291 — at the time his biggest live cash. Six months later, in August, he was at The Star in Sydney for the Sydney Poker Championships Main Event. He chip-led Day 2 with 728,000 — more than any other player returning — after a decisive hand against David Yan that built much of that stack. PokerMedia Australia's Day 2 headline was unambiguous: "Laidlaw lays down the law on Day 2."
The final table at the Sydney Champs included Aaron Benton (the 2009 APPT Sydney champion), Michael Kanaan, Robert Spano and Michael Weiss among its nine players. When three players remained, Laidlaw, Tony Kambouroglou and Michael Kanaan agreed a three-way ICM deal that distributed the money — leaving the trophy to be decided separately. Laidlaw described what happened next on Twitter: "Did 3-way ICM deal, I got ~120k, flipped blind for the trophy and I shipped it. Sydney Champs winner." The matter-of-fact tone captures the personality of a cash game specialist approaching tournament victory with pragmatic clarity.
His second major title came at the 2018 Aussie Millions. The $5,000 PLO event attracted 103 entries — a 58% jump from the previous year's field — with a final table that PokerNews described as "star-studded." Yevgeniy Timoshenko, with $7.7 million in live earnings at the time, was eliminated in third. Richard Ashby, a WSOP bracelet winner, was also in the field. Stanley Wu, a regular Australian domestic circuit performer, finished fourth. Laidlaw defeated Julian Powell heads-up — Powell taking A$87,140 as runner-up — to claim the ANTON bracelet ring and A$128,285. It was, PokerNews noted, "his eighth Aussie Millions cash and his first victory" at the festival.
He also has international circuit experience beyond the Australian domestic scene: an APT Manila NLH Shootout victory in 2010, APPT Auckland and Melbourne appearances, and a WSOPC Cherokee cash in August 2019.
Play Style & Strategy
Laidlaw is a cash game specialist who applies a disciplined, read-heavy approach when he enters tournaments. His PLO strength — evidenced by his Aussie Millions PLO title against a world-class field — is the technical signature of his game. His willingness to structure tournament exits practically, as in the Sydney Champs three-way deal, reflects a cash-game player's instinct for maximising expected value over maximising trophy counts.
Social Media & Online Presence
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About the Editor
The SMP Editor covers international poker and iGaming for SoMuchPoker, providing news, tournament coverage, and industry insights. With a focus on accuracy, clarity, and relevance, the editor helps readers stay informed about developments across the global poker community.