All language subtitles for KidPoker (2015)_en

Downloaded from
YTS.MX

You can
tell if you lose this pot,

you can tell the people
back home you got unlucky,

Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

otherwise you'd have won
this tournament for sure.

- Ah!
- Okay.

Oh, shoot, that's
a bad flop for you.

Oh, boy. Now he needs
a queen, ace or a ten.

Everything but.

He's in.

- Good cash, anyway, right?
- Yeah.

Not everybody cashes in
the EPT Grand Final in Monaco.

- That's right.
- And you just did.

When you think of
poker, most people think
of Daniel Negreanu.

We knew that he was
always going to be a winner.

There was just
something about him.

When I met
Daniel he was already a legend.

Six bracelets, two WPT titles.

His understanding
of the game is peerless.

Daniel is clearly the best

tournament poker player
in the world.

He's seen poker

in all of its different
incarnations

in the past 20 years and

he's still talking up a storm
while doing it.

I can't even imagine
what kind of legacy he'll
have in the game.

He crushes it.

My brother
wrote his own rules.

He went
through a phase where
his ego ran riot.

Daniel made bad decisions. He
ended up having to start over.

Daniel was super-driven,
very outspoken.

Very opinionated. That's
what we love about him.

- ..Universally loved.
- He's usually right.

I can't think of too many
people who've done more for
the game of poker today.

He's never turned anybody
down when they needed him.

I think Daniel Negreanu
is the most notable,

most recognised,
most famous poker player...

..in the world.

This is where I started.

It's been so long
since I've been here.

To be honest with you, when
the whole thing came calling

as I turned 40, it didn't
really sink in. I mean, I
expected it, I'm not gonna lie.

Like, I figured that if
I wasn't inducted, what
exactly do I gotta do

to get in this thing then?

So it wasn't a shock.

It didn't really sink in,
till I was up there

and shared what I wanted
to share.

And went through the journey in
my head of how it all started.

I was born in 1974
in Toronto, Canada.

Both my parents
are from Romania.

They came to Canada in
about 1967 with five dollars
in their pocket

and really just
worked their way up.

They started, like, doing
candy floss at the exhibition.

But my dad was an electrician.
Started to work in
the electrical department.

Then they started to buy
houses and rent them out,

and speculate and
all that kind of stuff.

They did a great job of creating
an upper middle-class life

from essentially nothing.

My dad knew very little English.
He knew, in Romanian,

you say, "I'm gonna do
something," you say,
"Okay, fuck." Right?

So he would have, like,
these moments where he'd
be working for someone,

and the lady would say,
"Okay, I need you to do this."
And he'd say, "Okay, fuck."

And he would keep saying...
Eventually, she's like,
"Why do you keep saying that?"

And he's like... He didn't get
that was a bad word in English.

True story!

He almost got in a big fight,
when the husband came home.

"Why do you want
to fuck my wife?!"

My childhood, I would
describe it as

typical European-style
childhood.

My mother, she cooked,
she cleaned, she was sweet.

She fed everybody. You came
over to the house, you're like,
"I'm not hungry, I'm good."

She'd put a plate of food
in front of you and
make you eat it.

My dad was always filling your
cup, make sure you had a drink.

Very hospitable, very loving.

I would say more on
the liberal side. Open.

You know, they talked about
whatever in front of me.

We just had a perfect,
loving family.

- Get that?
- Yeah.

My parents were selfless.

They both loved me and my
brother more than, you know,

anyone could imagine and
they were great role models.

My mum, just that generous,
selfless heart,

of just giving.

She'd been through a lot
in her life. She had nine
miscarriages.

She had five boys, four girls.

Finally, my brother and me.

It's one of the reasons I think
that she was so smothering
and spoiling.

Cos she just cherished us
so much more,

because of all she suffered
to go through to just have us.

And my dad was like
my best friend.

We'd watch TV late.

I'd pretend to fall asleep
so he'd carry me up to my bed.

Now it starts
to scratch, eh?

He taught me how to be
hospitable and generous.

My dad was just that guy.

If we had a party and there was
somebody who wasn't having fun,

my dad could sense it.
He would make a joke.

Crack a joke with them,
liven up the mood.

And I feel like I got a lot
of those traits from my father.

I think of other people and the
rough childhoods they've had,

and I was really blessed.

Well, at school I was a bit
of a know-it-all and
a bit of a...

When people would fight me,
I didn't care how big they
were, I would fight back.

Maybe some might
consider him a brat.

A troublemaker.
I don't know if it was because

he was always a smaller kid,

so he had to prove
that, er, he was heard.

My brother always knew
that I had his back.

So he'd let his mouth
get him in trouble.

When I was in
the first grade, Mike
was in the sixth grade.

He was six foot tall already.
He was really a big kid.

It's actually part of the reason
I have a big mouth.

He's the big protector guy
and he would absolutely
take a bullet for me.

There were numerous times
when I would have to like

settle his battles for him
or just let people know that
Daniel has a bigger brother.

I was a small guy.
I'd fight for myself but having my brother as back-up

certainly made it easier.

The truth is, I was actually
really cocky.

My teachers actually...
they shouldn't have liked me,

but I think they did like me
and appreciate me.

Often, I would come
to class with a pillow.

My brother
found class so boring.

He stood up from his desk,
walked to the back of the class,

laid on the floor
and went to sleep.

And the teacher says,
"You can't do that."

Well, he goes, "I'm tired.
This is boring."

Structure for my brother wasn't

on his priority list.

He did things when
he wanted to do things.

And...it was always difficult
for him to follow the rules.

I was a tough kid.
There's a letter my mum got me for my birthday

a few years ago from when
I was ten years old.

And it reads... This is,
like, five days into school,
cos it starts on September 6th.

"Dear Mrs Negreanu, I am writing
as a follow up to my telephone
conversation

with you Tuesday,
September 11, 1984.

I want it clearly understood
that I will not tolerate

Daniel's poor manners
or behaviour.

In light of your own position
to always support and
excuse Daniel,

I will have no option but
to remove him from school

should he continue to ignore
the school rules."

Ha! I love that one!

It was so funny,
cos that's what she was.

"It wasn't Daniel's fault,
couldn't be."

School wasn't
easy for him.

We couldn't figure out why.

We later found out that
he looked at things in
a different way.

I think Daniel's
just misunderstood,

because, instead of
thinking in the box,

he was drawing his own lines
and his lines were a lot
bigger than that box.

So they put him
in gifted math class,

to accelerate
his desire to learn.

I was always a numbers
geek and it was just very fun
for me to look at numbers.

When I was a kid and I
used to play video games...

I'd play a baseball game or
something, and I wrote
down the stats.

I kept logs of it,
so I knew like, you know,

three for 11 is 372 -
or 373, pardon me!

I total believe
that my brother was never
challenged enough in school.

He found things to be
boring all the time.

He always wanted to find out,
"What's next?"

Sometimes I'd just sit there
with my mother going, "What
are we going to do with him?"

He doesn't listen.
He does what he wants, but yet,

everything he does
he excels and does well.

How are you supposed to
discipline someone for
always doing well?

By the time I was in
high school, I actually
did really well.

But then I started to, you know,
go down the other path.

I was going to the pool halls
with my friends Regev and Oren.

Oren and Regev are essentially
like my brothers.

We grew up in Toronto, you know,
becoming men and doing all
kinds of bad stuff.

Trouble? Us? Never.
We were really nice.

We got in trouble.

- I asked like that.
- Oh, my God!

In about two seconds,
he did nothing.

What did you do that for?

I thought you wanted everything.

No, his hair,
not his eyebrows!

- Hey, man! Look at my eyebrow!
- It's cool.

Daniel, you trust me so far.

Oren and Regev?

Brothers from another mother.

We were always like
the clowns of the class,
making everybody laugh.

He was the entertainer
of the group, by far.

But tomorrow I'll be better.
Tomorrow, you'll look the same.

You know, it was all
about just having fun.

Not doing bad stuff,
but just doing funny stuff.

We didn't really like school.
Unfortunately, the pool hall
was really close to school.

So it made it really easy for
us, before we could even drive,
to make that trip.

It was a place
to hang out.

After school or on
the weekends, evenings,

they would just go congregate
and play billiards.

And he got really good
at playing snooker.

And he made some money
on that felt as well.

We were gambling
for five bucks and drink

and, you know, the table charge,
so it wasn't like big gambling,

but it was where I was entered
into that world where I met

some people who played poker and
I sort of got introduced to it.

I thought it was all luck,
but then I noticed
the same guys keep winning

and the same guys keep losing.
I was like, "Hm? Interesting."

So I went to the library
to get a book on the game,

and I was like, "You don't
play king-seven off-suit?"

It was such a shock to me,
cos I had no idea.

And then me, Regev and Oren,
we'd play in the basement
just for fun.

When he started, we knew
that he was always gonna be
really good at it.

When he puts a target,
he'll do anything to get it.

Playing poker, you saw
there was a gleam in his eye.

I think that's when
a light went off

and Daniel started hosting
more games at our home
in the basement.

He'd have his friends over and
you'd see people coming in
and out of the house.

And some people would have
smiles and some people
would leave

being really upset because
he would just clean them out.

He made so much money
it was like a clinic.

And, even to this day,
it makes me laugh!

From there,
we escalated to some
of the private clubs.

And they were all older guys.
They were in their 40s, 50s
and beyond.

So I was the young kid.
I was "Kid Poker".

After about two, three months
of playing with this
regular crew,

I started to become
a winner myself.

Something changed.

School didn't become
his priority any more.

He does well when he's there.

But attendance was a problem.

Well, to be honest,
my mother was not supportive

of what I was doing
as a teenager.

My dad was. He was like on
the black market as a kid.

He was kind of a hustler.
He knew I'd be okay.
My mother was more concerned.

She said, "Daniel, forget about
the poker. You go to school!"

We were always taught
to believe you go to school,

you follow the rules,
you get a good job.

And you work and you're
gonna have a good life.

But for Daniel that
wasn't the case.

My brother wrote his own rules.

I really started to take
it seriously when I was
playing in charity casinos,

Monday to Friday, noon to eight.

We'd play $10, $20
limit hold'em,

and I was making
about $44 an hour.

You know, my teacher,
he'd be trying to tell me
what to do and I'm like,

"At 18, 19, I make
more money than you do.

Why would I listen
to you? Pff!"

I felt such a passion for poker
and I felt like this was
my calling

that I didn't even finish
high school, despite the fact
that I loved school.

In the beginning,
my mother was totally against
my brother playing poker,

for the simple reason
that it wasn't a career.

It wasn't received well
by her peers.

My mother was on the phone
with one of her friends.

Her friend said, "I don't want
my son doing what yours does."

And this is a guy
who sold car stereos

out of the back of a truck that
were stolen, as well as cocaine.

And my mother, being
fierce, the way she was,

she let her have it
and she defended my brother.

When my mother saw that
her friend put Daniel down,

that was it.

And we knew. Then, after
that point, my mother
was proud to say,

"My son, he's a poker player
and he's good."

So I remember that moment,
thinking to myself,

"I want to make my mother
proud of what I do."

It was interesting.
After my brother would come home from playing poker,

my mother would always ask,
"Daniel..." Or she'd say,
"Danielle. How d'you do today?"

He's like, "Oh, Mummy,
you know, I did okay. I was up,
I was down, I was even."

But every now and then, he would
just like, he would take money.

He would have like a fat stack
of cash and he would throw it
on the ground.

He'd say, "Mummy, look.
What is that?"

And she would look and
she'd go, "Wooh-hoo!"

And she'd have to pick it all
up and sit there and count it,
one at a time.

I think that made him laugh,
just feel good because

my mother, growing up,
she never had much of anything.

And then my brother
would come home in a car,

a Honda Prelude, that he won
in a poker game.

So my mother said, "Daniel,
where did you get this car?"

"Ah, don't worry about it,
Mummy. I just won it at poker."

So she just looked at him.

So he would come home with
like stacks of cash, cars...

"How do you get all this?"
"Mummy, I play poker."

My brother started touring.

Going to different places,
different events, playing
different poker tournaments.

Okay, let me
put the cake on light.

Our dad was starting to
get a little ill at the time.

But still wanted my brother...

to go live his dream.

- Cheers, Daddy.
- Cheers, Daniel.

My dad was a big, strong guy.
He was a boxer as a teenager.

In good health. You know,
he worked as an electrician
till he was 60-something.

And then, all of a sudden,
everything about his health
just kind of faded.

I was in Windsor playing poker.

I remember getting a call that
my dad was really, really sick

and that he might, you know,
he might go.

We got in the car and we
were going to drive back,
but the roads were so icy.

And I saw cars in the ditches
left and right. And I didn't
have a nice car.

I'm like, "We'll never make it.
It's a three-hour drive."

So we turned back and we said,
"Okay, we'll go in the morning
when it's safer."

On the way back, halfway there,

I got the call that
he'd passed away.

So I wasn't there, you know,
for the last moments.

We lost our icon.

This is my father's big nose.

He was everything to us.

Look who's talking!

We took it all really hard.

My dad was my superman.

I had to separate myself
somewhat from the father that
I knew and this, you know,

shell of who he was
when he died.

My brother
was only 21 years old.

He was still young. Nothing
was concrete in his life yet.

But poker was there

and I think it gave him
that outlet and ability
to express himself

and just...focus on something

other than the pain we
were suffering as a family.

My father always made
the best of things.

He always believed in us kids.

Whatever we did, he goes,
"Mike, Daniel,

do what you have to do,
but be the best."

Smile. Let's see your nice,
beautiful teeth.

- My beautiful teeth?
- Yeah, smile.

- Okay, if you want me to smile.
- Smile.

Cheese!

Daniel was always driven.

And with my father's passing,

I think it gave him
even more focus

on being successful
at what was his passion.

I remember,
as a teenager, watching

the old ESPN footage
of the World Series of Poker

and seeing Phil Hellmuth win
and being like, "Wow!
That's so cool."

Just these old-school gamblers,
they had stories. They
were so interesting.

Guys like Eskimo Clark and
Devilfish and all these guys.

Like Sammy Farha. They came
from different worlds.

I wanted to experience that.

So he made some money
here, a couple of grand,

and figured, "You know what?
I'm going to give it a shot."

My mother said, "Daniel,
where are you going?"

"Mummy, I'm going to Vegas.
I'm going to make it."

I remember when
I first came to Las Vegas,
I was on the Strip

and I thought it was
like a fantasy land.

I remember thinking to myself,
"This is where I belong."

I went down to the Horseshoe,
where all the history happened.

I had, like, maybe
a $3,000 bankroll.

And, about 24 hours later,
I had no bankroll.

I left Vegas feeling distraught.

I went back to Toronto
and after a few days

kind of said, "Okay,
I'm going to rebuild."

Had some friends who
loaned me a bit of money,

so I could play ten,
20 limit hold'em games.

And when I had my
next bankroll of 3,000,

I made another trip to Vegas.

And, er, very similar story.

Five or six trips,
I went to Las Vegas,

I went with a bankroll
and left without one.

There were times my
brother came back from
Vegas broke.

But...he had that desire.
He says, "I'm going back.

They're not going to beat me."

Essentially,
what I would do is,

there would be charter flights
on Thursdays and Sundays
back to Toronto.

On Wednesday night,
if I was short on money,

I would play all night till
Thursday and, if I had enough
money to stay,

I would stay till Sunday
and then again I'd do
the same thing.

By Saturday night, if I was
short of money, I'd play
all night

and if I didn't have
any money, I'd go home
on the Sunday flight.

I basically got a place
at Budget Suites.

It had a TV, it had a bed,
it had a kitchen and a bathroom.

You know, basic needs.

And, after a while, when I would
go back to Toronto, I knew
I was coming back,

so I would just keep it and
I started to keep more
and more stuff there.

In the younger years,
my mum went down to see
my brother in Vegas.

Make sure he was fed, clothed.

Make sure that he had family
around him and good support.

Daniel was alone.
He didn't know anybody.

I felt better because I could
always keep tabs on him,

knowing that my mother
was there.

She just enjoyed
being close to me.

She'd cook for me, do my
laundry and all that stuff
that she wanted to do.

I never made her.
That's what she wanted to do.

My mother supported me
through it all.

I remember a very, very,
very important story
early in my development,

where I was playing
in a seven-hand game.

It was like three
in the morning.

And I went broke. I lost my last
chips. I went to the bathroom.

Washed my face,
washed my hands.

Came out. All of them were gone.

It was the first time in my life
where I realised, like, "Oh,
my God! I was the sucker."

They were playing because of me.

In Toronto, I was a bull.
I just pushed people around.

But in Vegas, they're like,
"We've seen these home-town
heroes come and go.

They're a dime a dozen."
So I needed to learn how
to have a better table image.

How to change the way
that I was playing.
Not just be 100% bull.

I had to tone it down a
little bit. I learned a lot.

From there, things started
to change for me.

I was playing in a satellite,
to play in my first-ever
World Series of Poker event.

Me and Todd Brunson got heads
up. I got lucky and beat him.

Then he said, "Why don't
I take a piece of you in
the tournament tomorrow?"

I wasn't even going to play,
cos that was all my money.

But I was like, "Well, if Todd
Brunson thinks I can win,
maybe I should play."

My goal was just really to enjoy
the experience and maybe cash.

My first table was, you know,
a murderers' row at the time.

There was Eric Seidel,
Humberto Brenes,

Men Nguyen, Johnny Chan,
Dan Harrington.

And I remember bluffing
Johnny Chan and thinking,

"Woah! He didn't catch me."

And then I caught Erik Seidel
trying to bluff me.

So, in that moment, I was like,
"You know what? I can play
with these guys. I can do it."

I was dating Todd Brunson.
Daniel makes it to the final table.

And Todd comes home and he says,

"You know, I took
a piece of this kid,

but I don't really know
his name - Daniel Niagara,
Daniel N, Daniel something.

And you're going to be down
at the Horseshoe playing anyway,

so could you watch him
and keep an eye on him,

and make sure whatever he
cashes out that you get
the money from him?"

And I said, "Sure."

So I was playing cash games
and I'd run over and see
how he's doing.

Then I go play cash again and
run over and see how he's doing.

And then ninth place left,
eighth place left,

seventh place left,
sixth place left, fifth place.

By fourth place, I said,
"Okay, I'm just going to quit
my cash game and watch him,

cos this is ridiculous."
Cos I'm actually excited
for him and nervous for him,

not even knowing
who the man is.

I ended up heads up against
a kid named Dominic Bourke,

who was so much better than
I was at pot limit hold'em.

I got in with like a coin-flip
situation. It was 50-50.

I didn't even see the card.
It was fuzzy.

I looked at the crowd.
I knew most of them
were cheering for me.

I saw them raise their arms,
so I must have won.

And I fell to my knees.

It was just surreal
because it felt like
I didn't deserve it yet,

it was too early in the game.

My first event
and I won already.

I walked right up to him
and said, "Hi, I'm Jennifer.
Nice to meet you.

Congratulations."
I gave him a big hug.

And he was so excited.
We went to the bar.

We went for beers that
night and then every night
for like a week straight,

and we became really,
really close friends.

I never did get
the money from him like
I was supposed to!

But he paid Todd the next day

and that's how it all started.

We were kind of inseparable
after that.

At the time, I was the youngest
player ever to win a bracelet.

And I remember in that moment
feeling like I've sort
of arrived, if you will.

I was definitely emerging right
around that time in my career.

The poker world
wasn't that big back then.

A lot of the big players
I was playing with,
they didn't know Daniel.

A World Series of Poker
bracelet's big,

but in the cash games,
it's more about being good
in the cash games.

She was always playing in super-high limit games.
She would let me watch her play.

I would lick my chops and go,
"I wish I could play in
this game one day."

As far as his skill,

he was probably there to play,
but as far as his bankroll,

he wasn't in the shape
to play in those games.

And Daniel basically
made bad decisions.

I was kinda crazy.

If I had $10,000,
I'd put it on the table.

She's like, "You need some
bankroll management skills."

One night, I think
he had $30,000 to his name.

And he was so drunk,
he couldn't even walk.

And he came up to me and said,
"I'm gonna play in this game."

And I'd take him aside and I
said, "Daniel, you have $30,000.
You cannot play in this game.

It's one buy-in." I said,
"If you lose a couple of hands,
you're done."

And it was like me hitting
my head against the wall,

because he...he wasn't
going to listen to me.

So he sat down and played.

And he ended up going broke
and having to start over again.

There was a lot
of doubt at that point.

Months of really being
introspective and
digging deeper,

and saying like, you know,
"What do I got to do
to make it work?

Can I? Am I capable?
Am I good enough?"

You know, people
when they first are
starting poker

make bad decisions.

He was one of them.

I'm not throwing stones
in a glass house,

because I made bad decisions
when I first started out
playing.

So I tried to give him a little
bit of wisdom from what I knew,

from the experience
that I had in the past.

And he listened.

I learned a lot.
She's a great player.

Really, really smart.
Really intuitive.

And just learned a lot about
life too and sort of balance.

I think he probably

played poker
80, 90 hours a week.

Some crazy amount of hours,
grinding, trying
to build back a bankroll.

Daniel put in enough hard work
to get everybody's respect
and he did work hard.

Mirage is where I sweat
blood and tears, if you will,
really learning.

But I enjoyed it.
I had so much confidence

that those were just
character-building moments
for me.

Cos I'd wake up in the morning
ready to go.

He learned a lot
of lessons, but he did learn.

And the good ones do learn.

My first event that I'd played
on television was in 1999.

It was the US Poker
Championship.

And I got heads up
against John Bonetti,

who was a legend,
you know, at the time.

It's going to
be a very exciting showdown
to see who can take it here.

And a clash of eras.
John Bonetti's 71 years old.

He has a lot of respect
for Danny, one of the
young guns coming up.

Going into it, I wasn't
thinking about the TV table.

The night before, I thought
about what I was going to wear

and it was going to be
my patented tracksuit
which was like, you know,

half white, half black
with the Nike hat.

I was like a mini Andre Agassi
lookalike type thing.

And really green to it all,
but very comfortable, oddly.

Cameras didn't bother me.

I felt very comfortable
under the lights.

- Want to look at 'em?
- Well, I didn't call yet.

Well, I ain't got no tens.

He takes it back!

Oh, the gamesmanship here!

Do I want to flip?

Let's give him a hand!
Attaboy, Danny. Go ahead.

John Bonetti looks like
he's trying to goad him
into the final showdown.

And he's going in!

He's going to play
the low percentage

because he has a feeling
about the card.

And the feeling is correct!

Danny Negreanu
takes the spade!

He will take a stranglehold
on this tournament.

And it's a full boat.

Danny Negreanu gets it done.
Hoses the show with
a full house.

So this 25 year old
has got $210,000

and is on top of
the poker world.

Bonetti's so good a player
that I decided

this is going to be my best
shot at winning the tournament.

Luckily a spade hit and,
you know, it's all over now.

Then people started
to take him seriously.

He knew he was going to be
a staple in the poker world.
He was here to stay.

When I met Daniel,
he was already a legend.

He had already won a bracelet.
It was in Atlantic City.

I think I was 23, 22.

I'm 38 now, so maybe
that was 15 years ago.

I always would be asking him
questions about certain hands.

He always gives
an honest answer.

Right away, we became
pretty friendly.

Phil Ivey,
Allen Cunningham.

Also John Juanda.
The four of us.

We're the only really young guns
that were playing in these
tournaments at the time.

There was not people under 30
and we were in our early 20s.

So we grew together, you know,
we learned together. We'd go
to dinners, we'd talk poker.

Every day we felt like we were learning.
That was a good time.

You don't think about those
times while they're happening.

You look back on your life and
you think that was a good time.
We had a lot of fun back then.

Daniel, obviously,
made a name for himself
right in the beginning.

There was just something
about him. It's unexplainable.

Super-driven and
you just kind of knew

that he was going to be
the guy in poker.

We knew as a family that
Daniel was going to succeed.

It wasn't a question if he
was going to, it was just
a matter of when.

In the Romanian culture, when
a child turns one year old,

there's a little ceremony
we have - the child's
placed in a high chair.

And in that high chair
there's like a little tray.

And on that tray
is various items.

Those items can range from books

to tools, money.

And whatever items your child
picks, that's their future.

The first thing my brother
grabbed was gold and money.

You can't deny your destiny.

By the end of 1999, I had a really good year.
I won the US Poker Championship.

Won a bunch in the cash games
and I had myself about
300,000 in a bag,

covered in dirty laundry,

with a cheque on one side
that said $210,000
Taj Mahal winner,

going through the airport
with that.

Brought it back to Vegas
and said, "Okay.

As of January 1st the year 2000,
this is where I live."

I was basically
a cash game grinder.

I was playing two and 400.
I moved up to three and six,
four and eight,

all the way up till
four and 8,000.

So even before the poker boom,
before the WPT and the World
Series being on TV,

I built up a significant
bankroll, playing in
the biggest games in the world.

Ultimately, I finally
built up enough money

so I could play in the big game
and got to play with Jennifer.

But cash felt more like work.

Going to the office, put in
your hours, get your pay cheque.

Tournaments was the dessert,
the gravy.

Whether I had a lot
of money or not,

that was secondary.
I loved the game so much.

I loved tournaments so much
because there was a beginning,
middle and an end,

and there was a trophy
at the end and it was like
an accomplishment.

After my bracelet in 1998,

I was like, "Well, this is
easy! I'm just gonna win one
every year and whatever."

But then I went year after year,

and there was quite a big gap
in terms of my first
and my second bracelet.

During that period, you know,
I went through some struggles.

I was learning to play
a lot of the games.

I was a mixed game player.
I've always been.

I was playing high limits and
going through the ups and downs
and battles with the confidence.

That's always something you're
going to face, especially
as you move up in levels

and play against better
and better opponents.

You ask yourself,
"Am I better than them,

or is this my limit?
Can I not push any further?"

And so, not wining
a bracelet for years,

makes you feel like, "Wow!
I don't know. Maybe there's
something I'm doing wrong."

And it was just a really nice
relief, if anything, to win
that second bracelet in 2003.

I first came across Daniel

when the WPT first came on TV.

And he was kind of
on the fringes.

And then that summer,
I think, it was 2004,

the World Series of Poker,
it was the first year

where I think they aired
the final table of
every single event.

And, of course, that was an
amazing World Series for Daniel.

Lately, I've been coming second,
third and that gets frustrating.
You start to wonder.

I get John Juanda needling
me all the time.

"You don't know how to finish!
Your short-handed game's
no good!"

Where's he at? Yeah!

It's like a relief. I felt
like I was going to win
a bracelet this year.

- This is not garbage.
- This is nice.
See the bracelet?

I'm here this month
to win bracelets.

I'm here to win that
Best All-round Player award.

That's been my goal and
I feel like I'm halfway there.

Building off the back of that,

I think it was in the very
next season of the WPT,

I think he won like
two events back to back.

Starting out
in third chip position

with 950,000 in chips,

is 30-year-old Daniel Negreanu,

another superstar
in the poker world,

but has yet to claim
a WPT title.

Let's see if he can
do it here tonight.

I got a phone call. It's Daniel.

He says, "Mike,
I made a final table.

Are you gonna come?"
I'm like, "Absolutely."

He was in the zone.

There was nothing you could
do that day to beat him.

- 60 to call.
- That's a very nice lay down.

Oh, look at this!
Daniel shows him a queen.

- Yes, he does.
- But what a little toy play
Daniel made there.

Putting doubt in the mind
of Josh. You can read it
on his face.

He thinks he laid
down the best hand.

300,000.

This is a great value bet
by Daniel Negreanu here.

- The flop master, everybody.
- The flop master!

Me and my mother,

we were just ecstatic
to watch him in his element.

He was playing so good and just
to watch people cheer for him,

that was like, "Wow, people are
cheering for my little brother."

It was just an amazing day.

- You're all in?
- Yeah.

- What is he waiting on?
- I call.

- Well, he does call.
- He was being dramatic.

Of course he's gonna call it!

- You got aces versus kings.
- Two aces.

- They're very close in chips.
- Nice slow roll.

- Yeah! That's a good one.
- Well, a jack comes off.

Right now, David Williams
must catch a king.

This thing could be over.

- It is over!
- It is.

Daniel Negreanu
is our champion.

He has done it!

- Aah! Yeah!
- Wow!

Finally! Yes!

- Yeah!
- Well, you see
the jubilation in Daniel.

A few months later,
a week before the final
event of 2004,

a gentleman by the name of
David Pham had passed me in the
Card Player of the Year race.

So I needed out of 400 players
to come in the top nine in the
World Poker Tour event there.

Not only did I make
the top nine,

I did so with the biggest
chip lead in history.

Nearly $7 million in chips!

- Oh, boy!
- He's the man in poker right
now. Daniel Negreanu.

He's the Tournament Player
of the Year

and he's got a commanding
chip lead here.

He'll be the man to beat
for sure tonight.

- I'm all in.
- Ah! I knew you'd do that.

- She's going all in.
- There's no friends on the
green felt, that's for sure.

Right back into the chip
leader's face.

Okay, he's going lay it down.

A nice re-raise there
by Jennifer.

You keep trying that,
little girl.

Just a tremendous over-raise
by Kid Poker, Daniel Negreanu.

$4 million and I can tell
you, folks,

when you get hit with
a re-raise like that,

your two fives shrivel up
like a spider on a hot stove.

- And it's gonna work.
- You're not gonna like it.

Daniel shows him
the three, folks!

Now that is like a kidney
blow if you're Humberto
Brenes right now.

That is the needle
extraordinaire.

Oh, no!

3.4 million.

I've never been able
to say that before.

- That's so fun.
- Okay, you can have it!

Can you make any suggestions?
How about...4.2 million?

That's gonna set both
his opponents all in.

This power poker being
demonstrated by Daniel
Negreanu right now.

Daniel knows he'll get
paid off on the turn.

He's assuming Humberto
puts him on a draw.

He's gonna bet the four
of a kind. 550,000.
Humberto quickly calls him,

thinking ace high might
be the best hand.

- Oh, my gosh!
- Look at Humberto.

You can just feel the air going
out of his balloons there.

Going for the big... That's
a million he's setting
out there, folks.

Humberto's going
all in with him.

A major mistake here
by Humberto.

So here we go.

- Nearly $6 million
in this pot.
- Daniel clenches the fist.

He can taste his second World
Poker Tour title here
right now.

- Here's the turn.
- Well, a six comes off.

Daniel doesn't like that card.

He knows a five will win
the pot right now for Humberto,

as well as an eight.

Here comes the river.

- Yes!
- Daniel Negreanu has done it!

He is due in the elite company
of Gus Hanson, Howard
Lederer and Eric Lindgren,

to capture his second
World Poker Tour title.

Mummy!

Look at this, Kid Poker
going into the stands!

That's two, baby! That's two!

The leading money winner
on the World Poker Tour

gets a big hug from
Mrs Negreanu, his mom.

Gotta be so proud.

It's like just the perfect way
to go out

and end like an amazing year
in 2004.

He won his WPT titles
and he won Player of the Year

and clearly established himself
as one of, if not the best,

tournament poker players
in the world.

My mother was
just amazed at how well

Daniel's career progressed.

She was my brother's biggest
supporter. His biggest fan.

It's funny that my mother
chooses, like when I get
heads up, to go to the buffet.

My mother she prepares me every
day. She brings me a lunch.
She's really supportive.

She's out here for the month
to make my life easier.

And all that other stuff
that seems insignificant,

is so much more important
than people give it credit for.

Eventually, she was coming
so often that I bought
my mum a house,

like five minutes down the road.

She was there for him.

Every morning,
she had to make his lunch.

My brother was probably
the only guy...

..playing who brought
a brown bag of lunch

to the poker table.

It's amazing because...

he was doing well and
there was an instance where

Mummy gave Phil Ivey a lunch.

And, after that,
he was doing well, too.

So it became a little joke,
where like...

"Mummy's got to make
everybody lunch,

cos if she does it,
then we're all gonna do well."

- What did your mum
make us for dinner?
- A little of everything.

I remember being
31 years old and she made
me some soup,

and I got the spoon and
I'm putting it to my mouth,

and she blows on it.
I'm like, "Mum, I'm 31!

You gotta stop." She's like,
"You're always gonna
be my baby."

Daniel adored his mother.

The relationship
was like that.

There was so much respect there.

And she was always
rooting for him.

It was just an amazing thing
to watch.

There was one time,
she's driving on the freeway

and she looks up and she
sees my brother's face
on a big billboard.

And she called me. She says,
"Mike, Daniel's face
is all over.

It's on the highway."
I said, "I know, Mummy."

We always knew it was going
to be okay.

He made it happen.

I have six World Series Poker
bracelets.

Two World Poker Tour titles.
Number one on the all-time
money list.

I won the World Series Poker
Player of the Year twice.

There's so many moments
that I treasure,

but the ones that I love the
most are like when it's
bottom of the ninth

and you've just gotta do it.

In 2013,

it looked like Matthew Ashton
had the World Series Poker
Player of the Year locked up.

In the Main Event, I came 25th
and it wasn't quite enough
to pass him.

I had one more shot.

So I jumped in late
into the High Roller.

And I was in an interesting
situation because I needed
to come in eighth

to win Player of the Year.

There was a money bubble
at nine, so two guys
were just folding.

I'm like, "Ah!"
You know? I just want to
move up a couple of spots

and win the Player of the Year,
but, at the same time,
there's a bracelet on the line.

Those two guys
eventually went broke,

so it just worked out
like a Hollywood script.

We're down to eight.

Daniel, the extreme
short stack.

Negreanu at risk.
Another eight!

- Yeah!
- They'll chop it.

Oh, yes!

- Woo!
- Daniel survives.

Staying alive! Staying alive!

And they're racing for
Daniel's tournament life.

Ace or a king
for all the cheese!

I feel it coming.

I feel the mojo. Ace or a king.

- Negreanu at risk.
- Ace in the flop! Mojo found!

Daniel in party mode.

- There may be no one worse to
lose to than Daniel Negreanu.
- You're pretty bad.

It's not a ten and not what
the rest of the table
wanted to see.

Five-time bracelet winner
Daniel Negreanu with more than
a million chips!

What a run he's enjoying.

He was all in like five minutes
ago for seven big blinds!

Not resting on his newly won
Player of the Year laurels,

Negreanu out for
bracelet number six.

Negreanu spikes it.
Seiver pays the price.

Negreanu's charmed
tournament run continues,

as he knocks out Timothy Adams.

Gruissem comes up empty and
will fall in third place.

See you at the bar in a bit.

Bracelet number six
is coming into focus.

All in, snap call,
just like that.

Negreanu a strong favourite
to win this hand

and bracelet number six.

Queen, nine, deuce.
No help to Villa-Lobos.

Turn card, king of diamonds,

brings Daniel one card
closer to victory.

Trey of clubs and
Daniel Negreanu

completes a remarkable comeback
to win bracelet number six!

Well, I said I was
going to do it.

So I was the little itty-bitty
short stack at the final table.

But I won it anyway.

I think if you had to identify
Daniel's unique talent

or what he is best at,
it's clearly

reading situations,
reading people and eliciting
information from them.

We know that Daniel's a
chatterbox and loves to talk,

and I believe he does that
because he wants the table
to be lively

and he wants a good atmosphere
at the table, but
the by-product of that

is he's able to gain
information from people.

Okay, friendly game.

Lots of fun stuff
happening on that board.

I learned many years ago
I hate to fold,
so I don't fold any more.

Feeling comfortable right now.
See?

You can tell by my energy.
Relaxed. What does that
usually mean? Huh? What?

Hey! Soon as I start yapping
he goes in.

Oh, man! Woo! Scare card.

- Show one card.
- I'll show you one
after you fold.

How about if I gave you $1,000
out of my pocket?

- Even if you gave me a million,
I wouldn't show you.
- A million?!

I love that bet.
That's beautiful!

I don't know what you have
but I just think that was
a really good move.

Whatever next?

You know, I tell myself
jokes sometimes.

They're appropriate for TV.
That make me laugh.

I told you I have three threes
and you just don't care?

Well, if I talk too much, I
might let you know what I have.

Don't ever talk to Daniel!

He's always fishing for
information. Do not
give it to him.

He's looking very GQ. He's got
the sweater, he's got the shirt.

The pants are pressed. Have you
got bronzer on, the whole deal?

Oh! It's really hard
to be bluffing.

- You're special though.
- That's what I've been told.

- You live in Hollywood now?
- Huh?

- You live in Hollywood now?
- Why?

You've learned a lot from
those guys in Hollywood.

- Yeah?
- Yeah, it was very good.

I was reading the whole thing,
the whole move.

It was very good. I was going
to give you a standing ovation.

I think you had
a good hand, Eugene.

- I think you had a good hand.
- That's a good reading.

Sick, right?

Obviously, he's very smart with
math, but he's a people person

and he knows how to figure out
what somebody has.

It's a tough, tough, tough
decision. I'm gonna
need a minute.

Why would you raise me now?
I guess you would, yeah.

Do you have fives?

Ah! Whatever!

- Seven is my card today.
- You don't have seven.
Don't believe it.

I fold, but did
you have ace, king?

You had like jacks or queens
or something like that?

Is that what you have?
With a spade?

Is that what you have? Jacks
or queens with spade?
Oh, I got it!

He smiled! That's what he's got!

I'm smiling because
you are talking.

Oh, I love to talk.
I don't shut up.

Just keep bluh, bluh, bluh.
Diarrhoea of the mouth.
Can't help myself.

Call, because you're Negreanu.

This is fun. I love
having fun playing poker.

He basically takes
his emotion out of it

and plays almost robotic.

Obviously, he's talkative,

but I'm sure while
he's talking

50,000 questions are going off
in his brain,

as he's trying to figure
stuff out.

And he's very, very
good at that.

And he does not stereotype.

He always gives people
the benefit of the doubt,

until they prove him wrong.

What Daniel does
is pretty simple.

He says you get
into someone's head,

understand how they
approach the game

and you play their tendencies.
It's just hard to master.

Traudt check raises all in!

I had you on the flop
and you got me on the turn.

He's right again.

I had you, but then that card
changed your leader.
I'm pretty sure, right?

You had like some kind of a nine
in your hand, right? King, nine?

King, nine.

- Take it.
- Daniel folds!

- You're a sick human.
- King, nine?

King, nine.

I did it again! Yes!

I think the most valuable aspect
of being a great poker player

is self-awareness, understanding
how people perceive you.

Cos once you know how
they perceive you,

you'll know how they're
going to react to it.

When you're playing poker,
you have an idea of how
this person thinks,

what kinds of cards they play,
are they tight or loose,
so you can pinpoint them more.

But at the core, how do you
figure out those things?
What kind of person is this?

And that comes from
understanding how they think
and now they view the world.

And that's shaped
by their upbringing.

Where they're from, what
they've done for a living,

how long they've been in poker.

My brother,
when he was younger,

wanted to become an actor.

And he was able to sing and act,

and portray the character
perfectly.

And acting was his first love
and I think that's where
he gets it now,

where he can change himself
and become that person
or that character.

I love nothing more
than being under the lights

on centre stage playing
the final tables.

Because, innately, I already
feel like, "Okay, this
is my comfort zone."

Daniel Negreanu!

He's able to like
take different situations
and make the best of it

and become that person or
think how that person thinks.

And then he uses it
against them.

Even if I was a little
nervous, they're way more
nervous than I am.

Because this is something I've
been doing for so many years.
Been there, done that.

So I use that to my advantage,
if anything.

I try to make them even more
uncomfortable, put them
under even more pressure.

Tough one, huh? Close.

Talked him into it.

He could sell ice to an Eskimo.

I can sense when people
are afraid, when they're happy.

I can sense when people are
intimidated or when they're
trying to push me around.

There's no tangible way
to explain it,

other than, you know,
I feel it.

Raise.

Daniel's worked out he
doesn't have the best hand

but he does think he can
get Shlomi to fold,

hence the bluff raise.

I figure you've got aces
or kings.

Can I say that or
is that illegal?

I can say what he has
but not what I have? Okay.

- I'm thinking aces or kings.
- You think right.

Daniel really pulled the
trigger correctly on that one.

And Shlomi's now thinking,
"If you've read me for aces
or kings,

surely you can beat aces
or kings. I have to fold."

If I show one,
do I have to show all?

- No.
- Okay. I can show one?

I can show one if I want to? I
don't feel like it. Never mind.

I don't have a good one
to show.

Great start for Daniel.

Almost a double float there
and then a bluff on the river,
which got the job done.

Negreanu wasted no time
pulling out the tricks
from his play book.

- Ace or kings looked good?
- Of course.

I'm just saying that's what
I thought he had, but not
that I could beat it.

If his understanding
of the game is peerless,

you don't get to be the World
Series Player of the Year

and so high up on
the Global Poker Index

without being
astonishingly talented.

I've got about eight years
when I've won a million plus,

so I'm proud of the fact
that I've been able to put
up winning years

every year, despite the game
evolving and changing.

I'm always able to
stay one step ahead.

That's the great thing
about poker is that

every time you sit down
you can get better.

You can always play a hand
a little bit better
or a bit differently

and make a situation better
and you just have to work at it.

Online poker's
changed the game immensely.

All of a sudden, a lot of
players got really, really good.

When I first came into the game,
if you didn't know somebody,

you could assume
they were not right,

because if you didn't know them,
that means they hadn't been
playing.

Now, you'll sit with a kid
who looks like he's barely
old enough to be there

and, meanwhile, he's got
20 million hands of experience
in the last six months.

You know? And he's really,
really good.

So the anonymity factors
in and it's a different
playing field now,

where the average player
is just much better.

They're playing a lot more
close to what's optimum.

I think the reason
why Daniel maintained that
level of success

and actually even gotten better
is because he's willing to

adapt to all of these
young guns coming in

and all of these different,
new theories in poker.
He appreciates that,

you know, just because
you're good five years ago,

doesn't mean you're
gonna be good now,

and you really have to keep
up to date with everything.

Part of what I like to do when
I play is use my people skills.

That's not really an option
online, but what I found fun

was just sort of like focusing
on the fundamentals
and the math and the stats,

and the numbers, cos I've
always been a numbers geek.

So definitely
took some adjusting,
understanding a little better.

Like, "I can't get away with
doing all my sloppy stuff,

because I can't get a read
later in the hand where
I can, you know,

use that to my advantage."

I decided to relearn a lot
of the stuff that these kids
are learning and adjust.

And also just realising, "What
areas do I need to improve on?"
And being honest with myself.

There was a time when I went
back to playing on Poker Stars

for quite a while, where I was
grinding in the big cash
games - 100, 200.

People were like, "Oh, he'll
never succeed!" Whatever.

It wasn't about them.
It was about me testing
myself and pushing myself.

I've been playing this game
a long time and I do feel
like I've reached my peak.

Cos I've combined
all the sort of moves

with some wisdom and patience
and discipline.

I see some kids doing things
and I'm like...

"I might have done that 15 years
ago, but I know better now."

He grew up
and now he's...more wise.

He's confident. Although
he does have his faults.

He's a little arrogant.
He always has to be right.

I remember one time,

we were playing
in the same game.

And I got beat
by a straight flush.

Daniel said I should
have bet on the turn. And
I said, "I did bet on the turn."

And he said, "No, you didn't."
I said, "Yes, I did. I played
the hand. I bet on the turn."

I know what was going through
my mind during the hand.

He says, "I'll bet you $20,000
that you didn't bet
on the turn."

I said, "Alright, Daniel,
we'll bet this."

And Phil Ivey was also in
the game, so we called Phil

and asked him about this hand,
and Phil said, "Yes,
she bet on the turn."

So it was like sweet!

Finally, you know,
I won an argument.

I don't think we ever settled
on that bet, by the way.

I might have to call him up.

He went through a phase
where his kind of ego ran riot.

I do like Floyd. This move.
Check, check, check.

He's comparing himself
to Floyd Mayweather now.

He was always a presence
cos he's always very loud.

Spade, spade! I win! Sweet!
There's no way you can win now.

He's a huge personality.
You will know if you're
at a table with him.

You'll probably know if
you're in the same room as him.

- Cards good, flop good.
- Jesus!

He's very one for the rules.
I remember, we were playing
in a limit hold'em event.

It must have been about 2000,
I think.

There were about 17 of us left.

The WSOP had just introduced
this new rule which meant
that your bum

had to be in your seat
when the last card was dealt.

And I remember, I was playing
at the same table as Daniel,

and my legs were tired,
so I stood up at my seat,

and I was stretching. Literally,
all I was doing was stretching.

I hadn't gone anywhere.
I was stretching.

And the dealer dealt the last
card and I saw Daniel
nod to the dealer.

Like going, you know, because
my bum wasn't in my seat right.

And suddenly the dealer mucked
my hand in the big blind
and I just freaked out.

I said, "What are you doing?
This is just stupid.

You've got to use some
common sense here. It's mad."

At the time, I thought,
"What a tosser!"

I thought, "God, you snake!"
But then I realised,
actually, he was right.

He was just playing by the
rules and it was a stupid rule.

Well, my big mouth gets
me in trouble on a regular
basis and I'm okay with that.

He's kind of
controversial in some
ways, Daniel.

He often gets himself into
situations. He's not
universally liked.

I stay away from
controversy, but Daniel
was so vocal

about how he felt about certain
players and their behaviours,

myself included.

In a way, I kind of respected
him for that,

except when it was aimed at me.

So there was definitely
a couple of incidences where

you know, we didn't see
eye to eye.

One was where he was judgmental
of my personal behaviour

that had absolutely nothing
to do with him.

And, you know, I didn't believe,
and I still don't believe,

that he had any right
to voice his opinion

in front of other people
about something that was
personal in my life.

Sometimes I say things
where I do cross the line.
I'm like, "Okay. Yeah, oops."

But you'll do that when you
ride the line as often as I do.

Sometimes you're gonna fall over
on the one side or the other.

In terms of like, even
the way I word certain things.

After I send a Tweet, I'm like,
"Oh, yeah, I guess I shouldn't
have said that like that."

Daniel obviously
feels that he wants to put
everything out there.

And I disagree with him
about a lot of things.

But he obviously, genuinely,
holds those opinions.

And he has solid reasoning
for holding those opinions.

He's willing to discuss.
He's willing to engage.

He's willing to debate.

If you have a belief, I don't
mind hearing it. I can have
a civil discussion about it.

It doesn't mean I hate you.
I can respect others
with differing views.

I've just always been somebody
that's believed wholehearted

that integrity is the most
important aspect of being a man.

And part of that, for me,
is being honest about
my true feelings about things.

If you buy into a tournament
like, whatever,

in a re-buy tournament
two hours late, for example,

according to this rule,
you should only lose
three rounds of blinds.

I've showed up two hours late
in the last re-buy tournament

and I only had 1,125
of my 2,000.

So how can you selectively
enforce a rule, not only
from tournament to tournament,

but in this specific tournament?
Because I should have started
with more chips too.

I'm not complaining. I'm
fine with what I started with.

But if you're gonna start
everyone else with more
chips, bro, come on!

How can you selectively enforce
this rule? It makes no sense.

He did used to be this tribune
of the people type of character,

which I think some people
found quite irritating,

cos, if you're a tribune of
the people, you have to be an
elected tribune of the people.

But I think he was all for
fairness and he's usually
right. That's the thing.

Justifiably, he was
furious about, you know,

the Full Tilt scandal.

He might have gone a little
bit too far in some cases

with the righteous
indignation card.

I think there was one instance
where he was suggesting
somebody's legs got broken.

I think that might have been
going a little bit too far.

Er, I think he would probably
admit that himself maybe.

I've come to realise that those
comments are pretty harsh.

And I've had some time
to think about what I'd said.

Yeah, I think they're
absolutely appropriate.

I do, Howard. If you're
listening and watching us, I do.

I don't think I would have
any problem with somebody

who had $15,000 of their
hard-earned money on your site

come up to you and bash you
in the nuts with a baseball bat.

Howard, Ray and Chris, you
asked the poker world to...

you know, accept your brand
and come play at your site.

Come play and chat with the
pros. Come chat with the pros.

There's a lot of people
that would like to chat
with you right now.

But all of a sudden...zip.

I waited a long time. I really
didn't say anything for months,

hoping that you guys could
rectify the situation,
but you are scumbags!

Absolute, flat-out scumbags
for ignoring the poker world
that you fleeced

for as much money as you did
and now you have nothing to say?

Nothing to say?!
Are you freaking serious?

There's not a lawyer in the
world that can force you
to keep as quiet as you have.

And it's shameful, disgusting
and you deserve a smack in
the face for what you've done.

You have no respect
for our community.

You should be shunned and
ostracised from our
community forever

for the lack of respect you've
shown us by not giving us
a single statement.

Something to the effect of,
"Wow, I'm so sorry about
what happened.

I'll do everything in my power
to rectify the situation."
Nothing.

Instead, you hide out like
a shameful little weasel.

Shameful little weasel that
you are. All three of you
disgust me. Bluuh!

If everybody spoke up
the same way that he does,

then it would be different.

You know, at the time, he was
right about what he was saying
about certain people.

Erm, but maybe stretched it
a little bit, I don't know.

I have to be true to myself
and part of that means

I have an opinion and
I'm gonna share it.

I realise, wholeheartedly,

that when I take stand
on something,

it's gonna piss some people off
and other people may
applaud me for it.

That's just gonna happen when
you're as outspoken as I am.

But I'd rather be that kind of
person than someone who has
no opinion at all.

I didn't want to be
involved in the politics
of poker.

Daniel is much different.

He voices his opinion.
He knows everything that's
going on in poker.

I've been at odds
with the Tournament
Directors Association,

in terms of the way that they're
implementing new rule changes

and giving themselves
some self-appointed power,
if you will.

And really kind of blurring
the lines of their role.

A rule that makes
your job easier

doesn't, necessarily,
make it a better rule.

A rule the players appreciate,
that the players want,

the players prefer, is
the rule that should trump

the idea that it might make
your job just a little
bit easier.

I see that the role
of the tournament director...

as customer service
because it's the players

that are paying the entry fees
to play in the tournaments
that pay your salary.

So it's not a prison guard,
prisoner mentality.

And I saw a shift,
where a lot of rules
that were being implemented

that were not recreational
player friendly.

So I spoke out, you know,
and a lot of the time
they don't like that.

And I appreciate what they do.
But if I don't agree with
something, I'm gonna say it,

regardless of the backlash
that it may create, even if
I'm the only one saying it.

Dan's very opinionated.
That's what we love about him.

I mean, he's gonna give you
his opinion Whether you
like it or not.

And I wish more people
were like that.

At least with Daniel, you
always know where you stand.

If he doesn't like you, he'll
tell you he doesn't like you.

There's nothing phoney
about him.

And, er...that's just
the way it is.

Sometimes he gets
people's backs up.

But he always presents
a strong argument.

And he's also not petty.

And I have, occasionally, seen
him even change his position

when listening to
the opinions of others.

But, yes, it does sometimes
make him a target for people,

who sometimes feel
that it's not his place.

But he's an individual
and that's who he is.

It's very much part
of his personality

and, actually, I don't think
he would be who he is now

had he played it safe.

Had he stayed mute on
so many things over the years.

I often stick my nose
where it doesn't belong.

I often have an opinion
that is strong

and righteous, if you will,
and I'm wrong...

You know. I don't know.
I can't remember.

But I'm sure I have
been wrong once or twice.

And I just hope that
you all understand that

I appreciate this award
so much

because it's a validation of

me sticking for what I believe
is truly best for this
poker community.

Recently, I've seen
a different side to him.

He's listening and thinking
about others.

My brother changed
after my mother's passing.

It made him...

look at...

the world a little different.

Where, you know what?

That support has gone.

You know, Daniel's mother
was fine.

And then, she wasn't.
It was like that.

My mother suffered
from heart issues.

One day, she had a minor stroke.

She had to be
hospitalised for it.

I had to bring my mother
back home to Toronto.

And she recovered,
but the doctors explained
to us that...

they need to go back in cos,
if they don't, she may
have a bigger stroke.

He warned us it would be
a high-risk surgery

and I didn't really hear that.

I'm like, "Okay,
I'm sure it will be fine.

Surgery, doctors, they
know what they're doing."

Well, it wasn't good because

that was the last I ever
spoke to my mother,

or the last she could ever speak
to me because during the, erm,

surgery, when they were trying
to get the blood clots out,

she had a massive stroke,
where she was fully paralysed
on her left side.

Never spoke another word.
Was in a coma for quite a while.

And, er...
So for seven, eight months,

she led a "life" where
she was bed-ridden

and couldn't speak, couldn't
drink water, couldn't eat food.

Just absolutely miserable, like.

My brother was at the hospital
every day.

I was living in Vegas
and I would go visit.

There was
one day I remember.

I told her, "I have
a surprise for you."

But she couldn't speak, but...

through eye contact we knew
what was going on.

We could always communicate
just by the way
we looked at each other.

"I have a surprise for you."

She looked at me
and she's like...

I said, "Daniel's here."
And Daniel walked in.

And she's like this.
Her eyes lit up.

So even at that point in time,

having Daniel there just
brightened up her world.
It was amazing.

It was hard for him to see
his mother in that condition.

It took a lot out of my brother,

because the demands put on him.

At that time,
his career was rising.

He always had to keep up
with appearances.

It took a big toll, even with
his performance at the table.

Like, you could see
things weren't right.

And...

I don't think...
he was able to deal with it.

I let him know that it's okay.

I got your back.
We'll deal with this together.

And my mum hung in there
for a long time.

And, ultimately,
the doctors said,

"She's getting better.
It looks like she might
get out next week,

and we'll put her
in some rehab."

And then my brother, he has
an annual football game
that he goes to.

So, that weekend, he went
to the football game.

Cos he'd been to the hospital
every single day.

I flew in to Toronto.
I was going to see my mother
the next morning.

That's the night she died.
It's amazing.

Like, as soon as my brother
was gone and I wasn't there,

I felt like she finally felt
the peace where she's like, "I
don't have to hang on any more."

After the funeral, er...

I drove my brother
to the airport.

And, er, he went back to Vegas.

Back home.

While he's walking away,

I looked at him and
I said to myself...

"He's on his own."

But I knew Vegas was his home.

He'd established himself
there and...

he had a lot of friends
and a lot of support.

I knew he was gonna be okay.

Vegas is his home.

It wasn't till,
you know, a few weeks later,

when something funny happened
and I wanted to tell my mum,

and realised that I couldn't,
cos she's not there any more.

That's when it all
kind of hit me.

It did change him
a little bit.

He became a little bit more

focused on the things he wanted

and went after them
a little bit more.

Became a little bit more
ambitious and...

a little bit more
caring and loving,

because he did realise that,

you know, you do die
and life is short.

The way we are,
the way we behave and act,
the way we treat others.

You know, the legacy lives on.

Seeing my brother,
I see my father,

as he's a spitting image
of him, so...

just getting down or whatever,

I would call him, he'd always
have a funny story

or act out and make me laugh
and remember the good times.

The only regret I have

or sadness, outside
of a perfect childhood,

is the fact that my parents
weren't around longer.

In my household,
growing up, it was always

boisterous, it was always fun,

fun-loving, always
music being played.

Dancing and singing.

Food and drink.

And I think maybe we've become
like our parents a little bit.

I'd already started
down a path of self-discovery
and introspection

when my agent, Brian, did this
course on emotional
intelligence,

here in Vegas, called
ChoiceCenter, and he said,
"Dude, you gotta try it."

I went there. The first couple
of days I'm like, "Huh?
This seems silly," you know?

It's not really for me, but,
ultimately, I learned a lot

about what's held me back
from being the best version
of myself.

I had sort of an experience
with a girl who I was
absolutely in love with.

The signs were there, right? I
knew there were things going on.

And I knew all this stuff,
but I chose to stay in that.

And I hadn't realised how
much that affected me,

that failed relationship with
the girl, in all areas
of my life.

It didn't just hurt
my confidence there,

but it hurt my confidence
at the poker table.

So when I read on the internet
people saying,

"He's over the hill.
All these young kids are
better than him,"

I started to believe it.
"Yeah, maybe they're right.
Maybe I can't compete any more."

So, through the course, I tapped
into that confidence again.

Like, "Wait a minute,
I've done it before.
I can totally do it again."

I told my story
of a broken heart, right?

So I told it,
as me being the victim.

And then I retold the story
again, where I'm 100%
responsible.

It was one of the most freeing
experiences I've ever had.

Cos I realised,
I chose all that.

So it gave me the power back.

I had a coach and I had a plan
of how I was going to do it.

Part of it was watching video.

I would watch
the high roller events.

I would talk poker with friends.
I would practise poker.

I was re-studying the game.

The biggest thing
I've been able to shift

is when I'm in a bad place,
cos I'm still there.

I still get pissed off,
I still get angry and annoyed.

I still get arrogant, I still
get condescending to people.

What I'm able to do is recognise
it much quicker and then
I can shift out of it.

So, instead of being in that
place for a week or two weeks,

and being like, "Poor me,
look at me." No, no, no.

"How am I responsible for
creating this situation?

How am I being in this moment?
How do I want to be?

How am I going to shift
into that?" I do that much
quicker than in the past.

If I make a mistake or I
do something wrong, I'll
acknowledge it, right?

And then commit to what I'm
going to do differently
about it.

I look back on all the things
I've created in my life

and I believe that I'm 100%
responsible for all of it,

in the sense of, like,
the good and the bad.

Cos I'm responsible for
all the decisions I make.

Sure, you could use the fact
I was born into good parents

and I didn't choose that.
I was lucky, absolutely,

and I don't take that for
granted, but from that point,

erm, I believe that people
are right where they are at

based on decisions that
they've made in their life,
both good and bad.

He's a much more relaxed
and much calmer person.

So he's moving slowly
towards humility,

like we all try to do.

Daniel and I, we were always
cordial but it was never
a friendship.

And I can say that in the last
couple of years that has
completely shifted.

I think that we've
both grown up a lot and,

you know, now I consider
Daniel a true friend.

He's a really solid human.
He has a big heart.

I think he's able
to talk to people.

And listen.

As opposed to always
wanting to be heard.

He's able to listen now.

And...

I find our relationship
strengthened.

Cos now he's attentive.

I see him focused and driven.

Wanting to succeed again.

I'm a big believer
in the idea that

everything starts
with a thought, right?

A belief that you can or
can't do something. Call it
clear intention, if you will.

So I'm very, very clear
on, "What is it that
I want to achieve?"

And if I believe that I can,
I'm going to put in the work.

So this is my vision board
or vision wall, if you will.

Essentially, the idea behind
this is you put things out
there that you want to achieve.

And it's a constant
reminder daily.

I have a personality type
that's very goal driven.

I'm self-motivated. I put more
pressure on myself than
anyone else can.

In fact, sometimes when people
doubt me, it fuels me.

When I hear people saying I'm
done, I can't do this or that,

I'm like, "Oh, really? Oh, man,
do I want to shove this
in your face!"

That's what drives me.

In poker, each year I try to
come up with new ways
to motivate myself.

Right now, the one area I feel
like I'm falling behind
or I need to address

is the number of bracelets
I've got. I've got six.

And I feel like I should have
nine or ten right now.

So the next few years, I'm
going to push really hard

towards, you know, getting
back into the race for the
all-time lead in bracelets.

Also I've been close to winning
an EPT title twice.

The Grand Final,

which is, you know,
the crown jewel, is one
where I came fourth in.

And I had a fourth before that.

EPTs are considered
very prestigious.

There's a lot
of tough competition.

So having that on my resume
is something that
does matter to me.

I think my brother

just wants to succeed
at what he loves to do,

whether it be soccer,
playing sports...

..and poker.

It's not about the money.
It's about that bracelet.

That Holy Grail,
getting to the next level.

And...

my brother's determined.

No matter what,
he will get what he wants.

I've got a broader scope of what
I want to create in my life.

I am focusing on what ways I can
do the more mainstream stuff
and things outside of poker.

I'm always going to be a poker
player and care about that,

but I have a lot of goals
that are in different verticals.

I'm very, very excited
about hockey

possibly coming to Las Vegas

and being a part of
the ownership group.

I'm hoping to be
a minority owner as well.

I mean, as a kid, growing up
in Toronto, the idea of owning
a piece of an NHL team.

Even if it's not gonna
make me a bunch of money,

it's more of a dream come true.

It's really about expanding.
Using the platform that
I've been given

to make a difference
in the world, in various ways.

One of the events that I'm
working on now is one with
St Jude's Children's Hospital.

And I'm really inspired by
what the Germans are doing,
raising for effective giving,

which is, essentially, asking
the poker world to make
a difference.

A lot of people are conflicted.
If you play poker for a living,

what do you contribute to
society? You take money
from other people.

What are you gonna do to live
a balanced life and make
sure you're contributing?

And one of the ways you can do
that is by giving effectively.

Growing up,
he always wanted
to hustle, hustle, hustle

and get to the next level.

Now, I think he's
able to reflect,

look back,

and start to give
to his community.

And now, I know just recently,
he went to California,

to talk to people in government

and help get poker
back in the United States.

So I think he's become
a poker ambassador.

He's the voice of poker.

When you think
of poker, most people think
of Daniel Negreanu.

Somebody that I look up to.

Basically, if he says something,
you know, that's what
he believes.

That's something that,
you know, I try to

do in my own life.

I don't think
you can actually measure

the contribution that
Daniel's made to the game.

He's had a massive influence.
I'm sure he would have been
responsible for a lot of people

learning the game.

He's written columns.
He's done interviews.

He teaches strategy. He's
always there to help people.

I see a lot of people
go to him for advice

and he's never turned anybody
down when they needed him.

It's actually amazing to see
how many people who actually
don't even play poker

or necessarily like poker,
but Daniel's transcended that.

He's fun to watch.
When he's on TV, you want to watch him,

cos he takes you through
the process of the hand,

he calls it out right,
most of the time,

and that's what people
want to watch.

Most people look up to
Daniel in one way or another,

for his ability as a poker
player but also his ability
to market the game.

At the American Poker Wars,
the first-ever ceremony,
he was named poker ambassador,

and he had no competition
because, throughout the years,

he has completely understood
his role, understood the need
to bring people into poker,

to make it appealing and really
publicise what great fun it is

and what a great experience
it is for everyone.

And he's excellent at it.

Being an ambassador
is a role I fell into

that I feel very comfortable
in for the game.

And, er...

It's just I'm
compelled to do it.

I don't feel as though
it's an obligation at all.

It just feels like
I love this game.

I want to see it grow and
I want to see people enjoy it

and have fun with it,
like they always have.

And if I can contribute
to that, I'm going to.

I can't think of too
many people who've done more
for the game of poker today.

No one deserved it more than
Daniel getting in the
Poker Hall of Fame.

Period.

Well, to be inducted
at 40 years old,

first-time balloter,
alongside Chip Reese,

who I admired as a player
and as a person,

is certainly an honour.

Hey, my man.

It's recognition
from your peers.

From the living members
of the Hall of Fame,

who are saying that, you know,
you're part of the club now.

Most of the youngsters,
they don't meet the criteria.

But Daniel, he crushes it.

Daniel deserves to be
in the Hall of Fame.

He's earned a spot. He's
been an amazing ambassador.

But he's made it because
of the player that he is.

I'd like to welcome Daniel
into the 2014 Poker
Hall of Fame.

I just wanted to start
by saying, this is
an absolute honour

and thanks for being here.

Did anyone buy that, right,
that that's all I had to say?

No, I've got a lot to say.

When I started playing poker
as a teenager,

I remember watching the World
Series of Poker on ESPN

and seeing guys like Phil
Hellmuth and Johnny Chan
battling it out

and thought, you know, "I just
want to be a part of that."

I decided I wanted to make
my mother proud of what I do,

because, when I started
in the late '90s,

being a professional poker
player wasn't something
to be proud of.

After all, what do we
contribute to society?
What do we give back?

I've been in the game for over,
I don't know, about
20 years now,

and I plan to be in this game
another 40 years.

I want to be part
of the conversation,
a big part of the conversation,

changing the definition
of what a poker player is
and what we do.

Thinking of my parents, who,
if they were here today,

I know would be proud.
My mother would have
cooked all the food.

Cos that's what she does,
and my dad would make sure
all your glasses were full,

cos that's just the kind
of people they were.

I had parents who just
loved me unconditionally.

And I'm super thankful
and grateful for that.

For me, it was never
about the money.

My first trip to Las Vegas
was here, actually in Binion's
Horseshoe, downstairs.

I brought a $3,000 bankroll.

And about 24 hours later,

I had a lot of free time
on my hands.

I was like watching
the room going, "Oh, okay."

So I learned my lesson.
But really the reason
I got into poker

was cos it was a passion for me.

I believe that whatever it is
you choose to do in your life,

being passionate
is a prerequisite.

Wanting it for fame and fortune
will not get you there.

Unless you have a passion
for it and it's something
you truly love, the craft,

then you're very unlikely
to be successful.

Integrity is a word that
really means a lot to me.

I know probably in the last
15, 20 years, I've pissed off
a lot of people.

Some of you are in this room,
right?

But I'm going
to have an opinion.

If I stand alone...
I have stood alone

many times on
controversial issues.

But I'm always telling you
exactly what I feel

and like what I really
truly believe.

It reminds me of an Aristotle
quote, actually.

I've never really been afraid
of controversy and this
one quote sums it up.

It says "to avoid criticism
say nothing,

do nothing and be nothing".

And that's not the way
I live my life.

In this 20-year journey,

one of my goals was
to make my mother proud.

And I hope that in doing so...

..I've inspired others
to dream bigger,

live a bigger life

and also show the world
that just because we play
poker for a living

doesn't mean that we can't
contribute to society.

So I want to thank everyone
here, all the living members
who voted me in.

I'm honoured,
I'm thankful and, erm...

That's all I got.

We always knew that the
potential was just no ceiling,

up to the sky.

The field that he's in has a lot
to do with your character
and who you are.

It's not only about reading
cards and math and stats,
which he's also really good at,

but it's your personality.

If your tombstone says
"great poker player",

that seems like
an unfulfilled life.

I'd rather be seen as someone
who was inspiring to others.

Someone who gave back,
a good friend, a good brother.

A good son.

I think both my parents
are looking down on us

and saying, "You know what?

He did what he said
he was going to do."

Having my parents support him,

his endeavours, I think,
means the world to my brother.

Everything about the way that
I see the world I owe them,

because they taught me
that anything is possible.

They taught me that, you know,
that giving is important.

You know, they taught me that
motivation and drive and
having fun,

and being hospitable,
like that's really the core,

the things that I still,
to this day, view as important.

And it comes from them.