"WSOP POY was like a money bubble" - interview with Daniel Negreanu Part 1
We catch up with WSOP Player of the Year Daniel Negreanu to talk about what being ranked number #1 means to him.
"It was like a money bubble, even more so"
PokerStrategy.com: Congrats on WSOP Player of the Year and your sixth bracelet. You had to finish at least eighth to clinch POY, did it feel like a money bubble?
Daniel Negreanu: Even more so than a typical money bubble because generally I don't really care about a money bubble. In this case it was a really unique set up because two players were short stacked - there were ten players left on the money bubble and they were fighting for ninth because that's what the event paid.
To me ninth was completely irrelevant, I needed eight or better. I was really frustrated because they were just going to fold out, which forced my hand. The problem was that even though I had more chips, waiting it out it negatively impacted my ability to win the tournament.
PokerStrategy.com: Did you feel like your opponents were exploiting this unique scenario?
Daniel Negreanu: I was just being raped and pillaged. It was a very tough spot and everyone was very aware of the situation. I was well positioned against the two short stacks so I could wait it out, but was I really just not going to win the tournament because I wanted to win Player of the Year? It was a million dollars and a bracelet.
PokerStrategy.com: Did you find yourself playing in ways you would not normally have had it just been a normal tournament?
Daniel Negreanu: Yes, but only very slightly, I didn't take it to the extreme. I was mindful of both goals; my first goal was to get in the top eight, but I also knew that once I got there I wanted to win the tournament. That was my intention the entire time. There were a couple of times [I played differently], like I had A4s or KQ and folded to a raise - marginal spots anyway given my stack size.
Everyone knew I was supposed to play "tight", so I was able to play a few more hands because everyone assumed that they were aces or kings. In that sense there was a little reverse psychology I was able to use.
"Races rank highly in my career in terms of importance"
PokerStrategy.com: You were short stacked when you made Player of the Year, did the relief of getting there give you the momentum you needed to go on and win it?
Daniel Negreanu: In a sense it freed me up. For so long I had been sitting there like a beaten stepchild getting beat up by these guys, now we were in the top eight I had nothing to lose. I just achieved my goal so I had free reign to just go for it. I had a much more relaxed approach.
PokerStrategy.com: How much more motivation do you get from added incentives like bracelet bets or Player of the Year races?
Daniel Negreanu: I'm a big fan of Player of the Year races. That's fun for me; I like races, I think they are exciting, I think they are interesting, it adds more to the meaning of a tournament.
When you have a series of tournaments where you have someone crowned as the best of that series, I feel it has more validity and meaning for that accomplishment. They rank highly in my career life in terms of importance.
"Topping the Global Poker Index was important to me"
PokerStrategy.com: Normally I would assume the end of the WSOP would mean a break for you, but you have just topped the Global Poker Index. Will you be relaxing the rest of the year or fighting to keep your lead in the GPI?
Daniel Negreanu: It's a bit of both. The GPI was really important to me, being number one on that list was extremely important and I was very excited about that accomplishment. Right now I look at every rankings list and I am number one on all of them, which makes me smile.
Having said that I'm not going to overdo it, I'm going to Amsterdam for a few days for a vacation. My last two tournaments of the year will be the Bellagio but I'm not playing the $100,000 event, instead I am going to Prague to play in that instead. That will be the end of my year; I already feel like I've done enough to maintain my spot on the rankings.
Join us later on this week for part 2 of our interview.
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