| While dropping out of high school is seldom a good | | | | nickname, "Kid Poker." |
| career choice, it ended up being quite the positive | | | | Over the next few years, Negreanu's success |
| move for Daniel Negreanu. He said goodbye to | | | | continued. He won two World Poker Tour events, |
| formal schooling when he was just a few credits shy | | | | another three World Series bracelets, and appeared |
| of graduation and decided to spend more time | | | | at 12 final tables. His best year was in 2004. He |
| polishing his poker skills. He worked relentlessly at it, | | | | won a gold bracelet in the WSOP - for Limit Hold'em |
| finding illegal games all over Toronto. Twenty years | | | | - and made it to the money in five other events. |
| and four World Series of Poker (WSOP) Bracelets | | | | Negreanu was named Player of the Year by ESPN |
| later, Negreanu is now the second-highest in all-time | | | | for his accomplishments. |
| career earnings. | | | | Negreanu is also notable for his outgoing personality. |
| He was born in Toronto to Romanian parents who | | | | He can regularly be seen talking and laughing at the |
| fled the Communist regime of their homeland in | | | | table during tournaments. He is a featured columnist |
| 1967. At an early age, Negreanu seemed destined | | | | in CardPlayer Magazine, consistently writing |
| for an unconventional life, as he would spend all his | | | | well-thought-out articles filled with key insights from |
| free time playing pool and cards. Negreanu's first | | | | some of his real-life experiences. He is happy to |
| love was pool, but he appreciated the challenge | | | | teach others how to play and has published a book, |
| poker offered and eventually focused on becoming a | | | | Power Hold'em Strategy, in which he and several |
| professional poker player. | | | | other professionals share their winning secrets. He |
| Thinking he had sufficient cash to compete in Las | | | | also maintains a blog which he updates regularly with |
| Vegas, he fled Toronto for Vegas when he was 21 | | | | whatever is on his mind. |
| in an attempt to be a professional poker player. He | | | | His outgoing personality and great reputation have |
| was unsuccessful in his first time around. He had to | | | | helped him to become arguably the most marketable |
| go back to Toronto after a short while to rebuild his | | | | poker player in the sport. When the Wynn Casino |
| bankroll. | | | | opened in 2005, they signed Negreanu to be their |
| The next trip proved much more successful. In | | | | "Poker Ambassador," meaning he would play for any |
| 1997, Negreanu won two events at the World Poker | | | | stakes in their poker room. In 2006, he was named |
| Finals, earning him $55,064. The following year, | | | | "Favorite Poker Player" and was featured in the |
| Negreanu added to his success by winning $169,460 | | | | video game "Stacked with Daniel Negreanu." He is |
| at the $2,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event in the 1998 | | | | currently the star of the poker game show Million |
| World Series of Poker. He became the youngest | | | | Dollar Challenge. |
| player to ever win a WSOP bracelet, earning him the | | | | |