Top 5 Daniel Negreanu Facts That You Need to Know

07:42
29 Nov

Daniel Negreanu is one of the most successful and influential poker players of all time. From being an ambassador of the game to winning millions in tournaments, the Canadian is a staple in the poker world, and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Here are five facts you should know about the Poker Hall of Famer.

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A Romanian Man

Negreanu was born July 26, 1974 in Toronto, Ontario, but don’t let his Canadian citizenship fool you. Kid Poker is 100% Romanian and can speak the language fluently.

His parents, Annie and Constantin, moved from Romania in 1967. The couple was aiming to set up their new life in the United States, but Toronto is where they ended up.

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Negreanu Goes Vegan

Around twenty years ago, Negreanu decided he was going to ditch meat entirely and become vegetarian for health reasons. About five years later, Kid Poker ditched animal products entirely and became vegan and he has been ever since, a decision he says improved his poker game.

“I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m doing much better just eating cheese pizzas,’” Negreanu said on a podcast. “So, I made the full switch over to vegan. I remember making the transition and slowly transitioning over.”

Negreanu goes on to discuss some of the challenges he faced as a vegan poker player on the road in his early years, and how much more accessible vegan food is for people today.

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Love Life

Although his marriage with Amanda Leatherman is well-known, Negreanu was married and divorced more than a decade ago.

In 2005, Negreanu married Lori Lin Weber. Two years later, the couple decided to split up and eventually divorce. An old blog post from Negreanu details the reason for their split.

“Virtually simultaneously we both agreed that we did try our best and that there just seemed to be this one big problem: while we get along great and enjoy each other’s company, we just aren’t right for each other.”

In 2019, Negreanu married Amanda Leatherman, a well-known host on popular poker shows like the PokerStars Big Game. The two dated casually in 2010 before tying the knot almost a decade later.

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Tournament Crusher

Although he has some success on televised cash games, tournaments are Negreanu’s bread and butter. Kid Poker has cashed for over $45 million throughout his tournament career with his biggest cash coming in the $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop in 2014. Negreanu took second for over $8 million.

He also touts an impressive World Series of Poker record. Over $21 million of his total earnings are his 206 cashes in WSOP tournaments. He’s not short on hardware either; Negreanu currently holds six bracelets and one ring.

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The Negreanu Masterclass

Given the level of success Negreanu has maintained throughout his career, the Hall of Famer now has his own MasterClass. Players are able to receive coaching and lessons from one of the most successful poker players of all time.

Negreanu also runs a successful YouTube channel where he posts vlogs, hand reviews, live streams and poker tips.