Daniel Negreanu Finds Unique 'Cheat Code' in Wine During $100k Poker Tournament
Daniel Negreanu might struggle to walk a straight line Saturday night, but he was able to play some solid poker in the $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, perhaps due to the wine he consumed
The GGPoker ambassador showed up a bit late for Day 1 of the SHRB's 10th edition. Negreanu started sipping away on the PokerGO livestream, and he made some brilliant plays, especially for someone in an apparent partially inebriated state.
Poker Legend Shows No Fear
The no-limit hold'em tournament, a staple of the PGT, had 16 entrants at the time of publishing, with registration open for another day. Two players — Brandon Wilson and Nick Petrangelo — had already busted. Jason Koon was off to a red hot start and had turned his 300,000-chip starting stack into around 1,000,000 long before the session was set to conclude.
Negreanu, on the other hand, hovered around his starting stack for a few hours — going from up a small amount to down a bit multiple times. But that wasn't due to passive play. In fact, the Poker Hall of Famer made some strong plays, including the fold of the day.
Negreanu held K♠K♣ on a board of K♦9♠4♠3♥A♠ with 172,000 in the middle. Negreanu led out for 65,000 with a set, but would then fold to an all-in raise to 237,000 from Thomas Boivin and was able to find a fold despite holding the K♠ blocker. It was the correct fold because his opponent had the jack-high flush.
"DNegs" would make another solid play with a much weaker hand shortly after folding a set. Stephen Chidwick began the hand by raising to 7,000 with A♦K♦. Jeremy Ausmus called with 10♥9♥, as did Negreanu on the button with 7♥5♥. Boivin, the big blind, also had two hearts — 4♥3♥ — and called to see a flop of 6♦Q♥J♦.
Boivin checked, and Chidwick, drawing to the nuts two ways, made a continuation bet of 6,500. Ausmus, who flopped an open-ended straight draw, called. Negreanu, who flopped nothing but a backdoor flush draw that wouldn't even win, folded. Just kidding, he called, which confused PokerGO commentators Ali Nejad and Brent Hanks. The big blind, who missed the flop, was the only player to fold.
The Q♠ on the turn didn't improve any hand. Chidwick didn't let up and bet another 13,000, still hoping to hit one of his draws on the river. Ausmus decided to let his draw go, but Negreanu, who clearly had a plan with his in-position call on the flop, called again before the 2♣ on the river missed both players.
Chidwick who is closing in on Bryn Kenney's all-time record for most live tournament earnings, decided to check. Negreanu, who knew he couldn't possibly win with seven-high, bet 60,000, and it forced the British poker superstar to fold the best hand.
"I'll tell you what, boys, wine is a f*****g cheat code," Negreanu informed his opponents as he showed the bluff. "It's not even fair. It's like a PED. How you guys let me play and drink wine is insane."
"It's not even fair, I promise. It's not fair. It's really not," he continued as he scooped the pot.
Kenney, Nick Schulman, and others will enter the Super High Roller Bowl Sunday for the Day 2 session. PokerGO will livestream the nosebleed tournament throughout.
