Kid Poker After WSOP Paradise Super ME: “Nothing Was Fun”

Summary:

• The WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event drew 1,978 players plus 90 online qualifiers. 
• Daniel Negreanu entered Day 3 ranked 39th with a 5,795,000-chip stack.
• Despite a smooth Day 2, Negreanu faced early losses and finished the tournament in 170th place for a $67,300 payout.

The 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event saw a massive turnout. 

The 1,978 players who entered the fray were joined by an additional 90 online qualifiers. By the time Day 3 was ready to start, 297 hopefuls eyeing poker glory remained. 

Among those making a strong return was GGPoker Ambassador Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu, who came in with a healthy 5,795,000-chip stack. This positioned him on the 39th ranking on the leaderboard.

Smooth Day 2, Setback on Day 3

The 50-year-old’s optimism was well-grounded after a smooth performance on Day 2, which he made sure to highlight in his latest vlog. 

Unfortunately, his Day 3 journey began with a swift setback. In Level 17, with blinds at 40,000/80,000/80,000, the Canadian faced an all-in shove from Weiran Pu in the small blind for 935,000 chips. 

Sitting in the big blind, Negreanu took a moment to verify the count before making the call.

Pu revealed A♥J♠, while Negreanu tabled Q♠9♠.

“Alright, I have two live cards”, Negreanu noted optimistically. The board ran out 10♥7♥3♠, giving him hope with a flush and straight draw on the 6♠ turn.

“Five, eight, queen, nine, or spade”, he called for, but the river was a harmless 2♦.

“Or a deuce. Womp, womp”, he said, paying off Pu’s double-up. This early loss dented his momentum, and things continued to unravel.

Not long after, another confrontation against Russia’s Anatoly Zlotnikov further depleted Negreanu’s stack to just 2 million. 

“Come On, Baby, Let Me Win a Flip One Time.” 

Desperation set in as he found himself in another crucial spot at the feature table. After a raise to 240,000 from a player holding K♦Q♥, Justin Carey called on the button with K♥J♥. 

Negreanu, seizing the moment, shoved his remaining 1.03 million from the big blind. The initial raiser folded, but Carey took his time, weighing the 2:1 odds before deciding to call.

“If you have two overs, you’re in good shape”, Negreanu commented. He turned over 10♠10♣, while Carey showed K♥J♥.

“Come on, baby, let me win a flip one time”, Negreanu pleaded. The flop came 9♠J♦4♦, pairing Carey’s jack and leaving Negreanu in trouble. The Q♣ turn added drama, giving him an open-ended straight draw, but the river 6♣ was no help.

Negreanu’s poker tournament run ended in frustration.

I had no fun today at any point from the start. Once we sat down, nothing about this was fun for me. So tilt

His efforts earned him a 170th-place finish and a $67,300 payday, a rather bittersweet end to what had begun as a promising day.