Daniel Negreanu: There Was Too Much Damage Done to FTP

In the second part of our interview with PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu things get delicate! As always, Daniel speaks what is on his mind. Annie Duke and the brand FTP belong to his targets.

Didn't read part one of the interview? Find out what Daniel thinks about his battle with Isildur1 and more by clicking here!

PokerStrategy.com: You decided not to participate in the Epic Poker League for both personal reasons and because you thought the series wouldn't be a success- can you explain this a bit more? After the second event's weak attendance, do you think you've been proven right?

Daniel Negreanu: I wouldn't say that I've already been proven correct yet. From what I've heard (I haven't seen it yet), the product doesn't have good commentary. Commentary is so important, and hiring Pat O'Brien was a mistake from what I'm hearing. He doesn't know anything about poker, and if they are going to go that route they would've been better going with someone a lot more knowledgeable.

As far as me being proven correct, I don't think the thing has legs. The fact that they've gotten two shows off the ground proves me wrong if anything. I didn't think they'd get this far as I didn't think anyone was willing to put money into it. They've obviously found someone willing to invest in it, but long-term I still don't think it has any chance of success.

I personally don't trust, whatsoever, Jeffrey Pollack or Annie Duke. I don't trust them to sign a release and use my name and image for anything at all, nothing. There were some issues before with the WPT and signing the release there. That was sorted though as I have some trust for them, but I have no trust in Jeffrey or Annie.
    

"As a community, we are a bunch of spineless cowards"

PokerStrategy.com: After the recent details that have come out in the case the DOJ has brought against FTP, do you think Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson can ever show their faces again if they don't pay back the dividends they received to the players?

Daniel Negreanu: The funny thing about the poker world is that we're a bunch of wimps. On the internet everyone says "they owe us money!" but to their faces they say nothing. Russ Hamilton is still playing in Florida right now and nobody is saying anything to him. I think they might be embarrassed to show up but I honestly think that as a community, we are a bunch of spineless cowards that run.

Everyone is so afraid to rock the boat and say anything publicly. That's why a lot of these guys are allowed to get away with what they're getting away with. Not them specifically but others like the UB guys. We give them a second chance but what the f##k for? WHY? This isn't a 13 year-old boy who made a boo-boo. These guys are adults that made mistakes that should ostracise them from the poker community forever.

I don't think you're going to see them around for a couple of years. If they do repay the players, and I hope they do, I think they'll return and think that they are totally justified in doing so because they think they did every thing right. Lederer is not a bad person but he is absolutely the most arrogant guy I have ever met in my life. I've never met anyone who talks to everyone like they are six years old and stupid. I don't think he's a bad guy (though I do think his sister is a bad person), I just think he's incompetent and arrogant which is a bad combination.

"I think there's been too much damage done"

PokerStrategy.com: How aware do you think the other Team Full Tilt players were of what was happening?

Daniel Negreanu: My opinion is, outside of the board and Ray Bitar, who is a complete buffoon, I don't think anybody had a clue. I can say with almost certainty that a lot of the friends I have there didn’t have a clue, otherwise they would have been mortified at what was happening.

Daniel at the PCA

God forbid anything like that happened at the company I work for, I'd be mortified too, and it wouldn't necessarily be my fault. I put the blame on the people making the decisions, and that's Ray Bitar, Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson. Those three, the unholy trinity, are the ones who have totally screwed a lot of people in the poker world.     

PokerStrategy.com: Do you think the brand can be saved if someone new comes in and takes over or has too much damage been done?

Daniel Negreanu: I think there's been too much damage done. It was so public and the term "Ponzi scheme" was thrown about, and that's such a negative term. I don't think they would get the support of the Team Pros anymore and it would be difficult to keep it intact. I think it's a mistake to even try. If you want to start a site, start something new.

25-Year-Old Daniel Should Stay out of Media And Just Play Poker

PokerStrategy.com: Do you think that online poker worldwide needs to be regulated to ensure its long-term success?

Daniel Negreanu: I think online poker today is successful already. The fact that it's regulated in France and in Italy is trendsetting for the rest of the world to get onboard. You have to ask yourself though- is it really necessary to make it better? For the US obviously anything is better at this point as they have nothing. It remains to be seen how the government influence will affect it. What if they open up in the US and say that the rake is 5% a hand? No one knows what will happen.

PokerStrategy.com: If you could go back to speak to a 25 year-old Daniel Negreanu, what one piece of life advice and one piece of poker advice would you give him?

Daniel Negreanu: The number one thing would be (I hope this doesn't come off bad) not to stay in relationships if you know they are over. Don't stay in them longer than you need to and don't settle for anything that's just okay.

Proud mom: Daniel winning a tournament

Poker wise? If I was 25 again I would give advise myself to stay away from the media, forget about any interviews and just play poker. I would literally just take the Phil Ivey route and just play poker for a living and improve my quality of life. All the other stuff has a negative effect of the quality of my life, at this point.

PokerStrategy.com: And in reverse, what would you like to take from a 25 year-old you that you might have lost or changed over the years?

Daniel Negreanu: To have the freedom to be as honest I wanted to be about anything, topic wise. That's something I feel I need to do nowadays to help me to be who I really am. I don't like to pull punches- I like to tell it how it is. I like to be real and I realise that's controversial. I don't mind though, as I like to be controversial. If that means I make enemies along the way then that's okay as I probably wouldn't have been friends with those people anyway. I'd rather be honest. If I like you, I talk to you. If I don't... well.

I don't like the way the poker world works like that. The motto from the "Old School" was that if someone was cheating, you would just shut up and not say anything. I don't buy that. People should talk more, and if they did then fewer bad things would happen like the UB scandal and of course the one that followed.   

PokerStrategy.com: You seem to keep yourself motivated in poker by setting small challenges for yourself. What's the next challenge on your horizon?

Daniel Negreanu: I think my next challenge is going to be non-poker related to be honest. I'm sick of travelling completely, I'm over it. I need to be able to figure out how I'm going to be able to structure a life that is just healthy and peaceful and comfortable. I don't want stress, I want routine and comfort. I don't want to travel for the rest of my life.

I don't mind the idea of just playing online as it's something I've grown to love over the past year-and-a-half.

A final note from the Marc Convey who conducted this interview:

"Whether you like or loath Negreanu, agree or disagree with what he says; you can't disagree that the man has passion. He comes across as caring a lot for the game that he has been an integral part of growing and does not want to see this trend reversing too much.

He is in fact a one-man PR dream for his sponsors, most of the time. It might be from this seemingly untouchable position that he can speak out on several issues without suffering too much from the feedback. Too much might be said in the heat of the moment or via the wrong channels, but isn't it better that these sort of issues are out in the open? Most of the recent poker world's problems have stemmed from unethical practices taking place by a minority and behind closed doors.

It looks like we won't be seeing as much of him on the live circuit for a while as he addresses his quality of life/travel balance but don't expect radio silence throughout this period."