ShareAfter a challenging summer last year, Daniel Negreanu is making a determined comeback and inching closer to contention in the Player of the Year race, albeit he still needs to be quite there. His path to success lies in his impressive performance in significant field events at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
During the 2022 WSOP, the renowned Poker Hall of Famer faced a significant setback, losing $1.1 million and failing to make a mark in the Player of the Year standings. While he isn't currently at the forefront of the race this year either, he is steadily progressing toward that goal.
Negreanu is deeply involved in Event #34: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, boasting one of the top chip stacks. This tournament began with 1,355 entrants, and he has already secured his sixth summer cash. Notably, his recent four cashes have all come from events with over 1,000 players, including a 99th-place finish in the $300 Gladiators of Poker, which witnessed an astonishing 23,088 entrants, the second highest in live tournament history.
To have a shot at contending for Player of the Year in the ongoing PLO event, Negreanu would need to finish in the top five. Even with such an achievement, he still needs to catch up to the leading performers, Jason Simon and Chad Eveslage. However, a series of deep runs in the coming weeks could alter that scenario, particularly if he reaches the final table in the PLO event.
Negreanu claimed the Player of the Year title in 2004 and 2013, the latter being the same year he last won a bracelet. He briefly held the title in 2019 before a scoring error was discovered, ultimately awarding it to Robert Campbell.
While Negreanu's summer thus far has been lackluster, he has quietly been making headway in smaller field events. This could pave the way for success and profitability at the 2023 WSOP, as well as reigniting his chances in the Player of the Year race.
As we enter Day 17 of the series, Negreanu is down slightly over $400,000 overall. However, a victory in the $1,500 PLO tournament would erase about 75% of that deficit, with the first-place prize amounting to $298,192.
Additionally, cashing in the upcoming $250,000 Super High Roller event, commencing on Friday, would push him into positive territory.
The summer poker extravaganza is still in its early stages, and we have yet to reach the midpoint of the 2023 WSOP, which will occur in the coming week. As for Negreanu's participation in the WSOP $25k Fantasy Draft as part of Team Noori's performance has yet to match the high bid he received, only overshadowed by Shaun Deeb. However, if he manages to secure a spot at Friday's final table, it could signify the beginning of a remarkable summer for the GGPoker ambassador.
