Nicknamed ‘Kid Poker’, Daniel Negreanu is a professional poker player who holds two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles and six World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets. He is the only individual who has won the WSOP Player of the Year twice, in 2004 and 2013. As of 2023, Daniel Negreanu has a net worth of $60 million.
Early Life
Daniel was born in Toronto, Canada, on July 26, 1974. His parents are Constantin and Annie Negreanu, immigrants who came from Romania and he has an older brother named Mike.
He was a student at Pineway Public School in North York, where the principal made complaints to his mother about his poor manners. He often gambled on card games while in high school, even with players who were older than he was.
Young Negreanu quit school when he was a few credits short of graduating. After this, he started working as a rounder at casinos and played illegal games in his area.
Poker Career
When he turned 22, Daniel went to Las Vegas in hopes of becoming a professional poker player. He initially failed and went back home but the Canadian returned stronger than ever.
In 2004, he was chosen as Player of the Year by WSOP, WPT, and Card Player Magazine. Daniel earned the same title in WPT in 2005. In 2013, he was the WSOP Player of the Year, becoming the only person to get the achievement more than once.
With his accolades, Daniel was honored in the Las Vegas Poker Hall of Fame in 2014. One of his most legendary matches is against long-time rival Doug Polk, where Negreanu lost a $1.2 million challenge game. Their relationship seemed to settle down after this.
Other Ventures
Negreanu became the official ambassador for Poker Mountain, an online poker site, in 2005. This was when he used the moniker ‘Kid Poker’. Later on, he made sponsorship deals with Full Contact Poker and PokerStars.
With his growing reputation, he also got numerous media appearances. Daniel released his debut book, ‘Hold’em Wisdom for all Players’, in 2007. He followed it up with two other books.
In addition to his books, the poker expert has contributed over 100 articles for Card Player Magazine. He also mentors others on Poker School Online and Masterclass.com.
Net Worth and Earnings
2004 is perhaps Daniel Negreanu’s biggest year in poker. Around this time, he won over $2.7 million in WPT alone. He has also earned a considerable amount from his six WSOP bracelets.
He is one of the most successful live tournament poker champions in history, with prize money estimated to be around $46 million in total. Taking into account his accolades and other pursuits, it is not a surprise that his net worth is approximately $60 million.
Personal Life
In Negreanu’s early days, he dated fellow poker superstar Evelyn Ng. He got married to Lori Lin Weber in 2005, but they split up after two years together.
His current wife is actress Amanda Leatherman. They married in 2019. Around this time, Daniel admitted to going bald and having a hair transplant surgery.
