As one of the few players to truly break out of the ‘poker bubble’ and gain recognition in wider mainstream culture, Daniel Negreanu has been one of the most visible spokespeople for the game for more than 20 years.
While primarily a live player, his long professional relationships with the likes of PokerStars and GGPoker have seen him adopt a role as something of an overall ambassador for the game, with all the attention, adulation and criticism that comes along with that.
Following news of GGPoker’s acquisition of the WSOP brand, Negreanu now finds himself uniquely placed to have even greater access to decision-makers in both the live and online poker worlds. And while some may shy away from focusing on the more dramatic personality-led stories in the poker world - such as the latest Phil Hellmuth blowup - Negreanu feels these moments are what makes poker even more relatable.
"Love it or hate it, it's water cooler talk," he tells us, "This is drama, this is good. Some of 'the nerds' might not like it, but if the nerds were in charge, we'd really be in trouble."
It’s never not a good time to talk to ‘Kid Poker’, but now feels like a particularly great occasion to catch up with him. He sat down for an in-depth chat with PokerOrg’s Craig Tapscott in the latest edition of The Interview. Click the video above to watch the full interview.
From starting out to leaving a legacy
In our far-reaching interview, Negreanu discusses everything under the poker sun, including:
- His earliest days in poker, including going bust and quitting for a year
- The recent ‘solvers on the rail’ controversy at the WSOP Main Event
- Getting to know Doyle Brunson during his first years in Las Vegas
- Friendships and rivalries with the likes of Doug Polk, Shaun Deeb, Vanessa Selbst and Phil Hellmuth
- His vision for the future of poker and his own legacy
- That PPC win at the summer’s WSOP
- An inside view on his love life, and how the best poker advice he ever received was from his wives
- What Phil Hellmuth does that Phil Ivey doesn’t - and why that makes Ivey the GOAT in so many people’s eyes
- And much more…
You can watch the full interview above, and check out more in-depth interviews with some of poker’s biggest names below.
