"The Super High Rollers don't whine" - Daniel Negreanu
We catch up with KidPoker to talk about the $51,000 WCOOP event, bubbling the Main Event and the mindset of the High Rollers.
Now that the dust has settled on your Main Event bubble, do you look back on it positively or does it haunt you?
Daniel Negreanu: It really didn’t haunt me ten minutes after and it doesn’t haunt me now. With 6,420 players, getting down there and giving myself a chance to win is always what I try to do.
I felt really good about how I played throughout; I think the Main Event is really well designed for my game. It’s a mix of playing early against some real rank amateurs and later on against some really tough cookies.
Did you get a sense of how disappointed the poker community was that one of its biggest names didn’t make the November Nine?
Daniel Negreanu: I definitely felt the disappointment. I was more disappointed for other people than myself. I could have squeaked into the November Nine, I could have played a strategy that guaranteed I made the final, but that’s not how I approach the game.
I get it, from poker’s perspective being in the final nine there was a lot more promotion I could have done, maybe some mainstream stuff like talk shows. I certainly felt the loss for others, but I don’t have any regrets.
How would you have prepared during the break? I’ve always wondered what players like yourself, and Phil Ivey when he made the November Nine, would actually do differently during the delay compared to the guys who get coaching.
Daniel Negreanu: It’s actually interesting you mention Phil Ivey because he is one of the two people I would talk to. I’d have him watch the video and tell me if he is picking up anything on my opponents. I’d ask another friend Eddy Sabat, who is also really good at reading body language.
I’d also do some research on what the correct strategy is for how many big blinds I had, but I wouldn’t overdo it. With two hour levels the strategy people deem as correct isn’t the best strategy. You can do something that is Game Theory Optimal, which is a good strategy, but there is often a better one available.
"WCOOP could easily have a 100k event"
Where would you set the line for the number of runners in the upcoming $51,000 Super High Roller WCOOP event?
Daniel Negreanu: I'd look at live Super High Rollers that are about $50k to $100k as a barometer and then increase it. I think it will be bigger because every one of the Super High Rollers already plays online. Buying and selling pieces will be much easier because everyone can transfer back and forth. I don’t know anyone that plays a live High Roller that wouldn’t play in this one.
I would set the line at about 68.
Will this event feel more like a live event than online, given everyone knows each other?
Daniel Negreanu: It will be fun for me because everyone else online knows the screen names, but I don’t know the screen names, even though it will be guys I’ve played a bunch with.
I don’t know necessarily Igor Kurganov or Philipp Gruissem's name, but if they are at my table it’s easy to do a Google search.
Do you think the buy-in could have been higher? As much as $100,000?
Daniel Negreanu: To be honest there is no real distinction between $50k and $100k. I know in real terms it’s double the amount, but typically the people willing to play a $50k are also willing to play a $100k. You don’t lose a big percentage of people for doubling the buy-in for those types of events.
"You won't see HUDs in this tournament"
As one of the few players probably playing for 100% of your own action, does it bother you that most of the field will be selling and swapping action, and some playing for very low percentages of themselves?
Daniel Negreanu: For me it’s not a consideration at all, it doesn’t bother me, I am very aware it’s going on. I just focus on the play. If I ever expect something like these guys have a piece of each other I may speak up, but I‘ve found in general Super High Rollers have a very high level of integrity. I’ve had no concerns whatsoever about breaches of integrity.
Them playing for less? I have no problems with that. They’re trying to make a living, so if they see some value only playing for 10% of themselves, who am I to question that?
Strategically does this favour a live player more, given that much of your decisions will be based on previous live history?
Daniel Negreanu: The percentage of people using a HUD in this tournament will be smaller than any tournament you see online. We are just going to play based on what we know about each other. If I’m sitting with Igor and Phillip, I’m not going to be focussed on whether they have only played 14% of hands. I know what they do! It’s going to be much more like a live tournament.
"There is less whining in the High Rollers"
I’ve always felt that paradoxically the Super High Rollers looked more relaxed and like a home game between the players than the $10k events. Is this because you guys know each other so well?
Daniel Negreanu: That’s not what it comes down to. This is not a coincidence. What you see in those events besides the play is that there is less whining. There is more empowering conversation. There are more thoughts to changing the world, the problems we face in the world and what we can do to make this a better society.
You are dealing with a group of people who have reached the pinnacle of poker and they have done so by not being whiners or complaining about bad luck. These are empowered people who are very emotionally intelligent and present.
The Germans specifically see the world in a very different way. They don’t complain about results, they take responsibility for their own life, and that is a testament to what it takes to be effective and successful at the highest levels.
Thanks Daniel, good luck next month in WCOOP.
How many runners will the $51,000 Super High Roller get? Let us know in the comments.
