Worst Poker Loss Ever

Daniel Negreanu has played countless hands of Texas Hold ‘Em poker, but there’s one that haunts him to this day.

When asked for his worst “bad beat” in his legendary career, Negreanu told For The Win while promoting the just-announced PokerStars Players Championship that it wasn’t a tale involving a good hand that lost to a better one, but that it was “impactful and devastating” just the same.

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“It was 2001, and there were 12 left in the World Series of Poker Main Event and I was chip leader. I got involved in a hand with Ace-King against a pair of 6s. The board ran out Jack-10-blank-blank-blank.”

“I lost the pot, a huge coin-flip situation,” he continued. “What really stings is I would be in that situation today and I never would have played the hand the way I did. I would have just folded it. You don’t get many opportunities to get that close to winning the Main Event. That sticks out. That’s one I’ll never forget.”

Negreanu covered other topics in his Q&A with For The Win, which has been edited and condensed.

What’s the big deal with the Players Championship?

It’s got 300-plus platinum pass seats worth $30,000 each that will be contributed to the prize pool, as well as an additional $1 million added to prize. People can buy in for $25,000, but there’s a full year in which players can win a free pass. We’re creating the largest $25,000 buy-in prize pool in poker history.

How is that bigger than the World Series Main Event?

For one, the buy-in is bigger. A $25,000 buy-in qualifies high rollers. We’re going to have some people who never dreamed of playing $10,000 or $5,000 , anything that big. There will be some real low-rollers who may randomly win a seat into one of the most prestigious events in the world. The dynamic will be quite interesting.

What’s your advice for someone just starting out in the poker world?

Do your research, Find out where you can find best value. When you’re first starting out, you want to avoid as much as possible playing against top sharks in the high-roller buy-ins. Also, be mindful of your bankroll, trying not to overextend yourself. Even if you’re a decent player, you could go 10-to-15 tournaments and not pick up any cash. Stick to low limits, look for freerolls.

Do you still chat out loud at tables regularly?

Worst Poker Loss Ever Caught

Oh yeah. I’m always going to be a chatter. My chat depends on the event I’m playing. If I’m playing with all these sharks and geniuses, I try to keep my chatter to a minimum.

Worst Poker Loss Ever Wins

Is a Main Event win your “holy grail”?

Worst Poker Loss Ever Win

Obviously, that’s the one. Charles Barkley didn’t win a title in his career and that didn’t define his career as a whole. If you’re a professional poker player, you’re beating the odds. No longer do you feel like you need a Main Event title to say you’ve done it all. I say maybe when I started in the late 1990s, that was kind of a feather in your cap. Sure, every poker player dreams of cutting through that field of 8,000 players and be the last one.