Dollars & Cents: Daniel Negreanu Details Financial Swings of a Poker Pro With Latest WSOP Report
When it comes to wins and losses, Daniel Negreanu remains one of the most open players in the game. Discussing finances isn’t always the easiest topic, but Negreanu has regularly offered a personal assessment of his own poker wins and losses through the years.
The latest came last week when he Tweeted a link to a complete look at his World Series of Poker results. The Google Sheets document he shared offers a frank disclosure with some real insight into the life of an elite poker pro.
Along with his own profit, the six-time bracelet winner also details how those who backed him via online staking also fared. In all, the series brought a nice six-figure profit and also rewarded those who bought a piece of the action.
A complete poker accounting analysis
Despite not winning a bracelet this year, Negreanu had a nice run in the WSOP this fall. Always one of the more active players in the series, Kid Poker finished third in the Player of the Year standings.
His WSOP record included seven top 10 finishes including two third-place spots as well as two each in eighth and ninth. In total, Negreanu produced 18 cashes in 55 live and online bracelet events.
A complete breakdown of every event I played with any reentry totals as well as a breakdown of what those that bought a piece of the overall package will receive:https://t.co/QYjifZe5ys
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) November 25, 2021
Negreanu’s package tracking document offers players an exhaustive view of his overall WSOP experience. His buy-ins totaled just under $1.1 million for almost a $1.5 million return. Here’s a look at his complete financial picture from the series.
- Buy-ins – $1,052,773
- Total winnings – $1,451,797.68
- Profits – $399,024.68
- Return on investment – 37.9%
Of course, those profits don’t take into account other expenses associated with playing so many tournaments each day. However, this does offer a look how the GGPoker-sponsored pro fared overall.
For his third-place POY finish, Negreanu also pocketed an extra $2,500 – not included in the assessment.
If not for two big scores late in the series, the latest ledger might not look so rosy. His biggest scores of the fall were his last two, placing third in back-to-back $50,000 high rollers. Those two finishes brought a combined total of $1.2 million – helping Negreanu finish in the black.
Paying off for backers
For the last few years, Negreanu has also been selling his action to poker fans looking for a bit of a sweat in Las Vegas. Players could buy a piece of Negreanu for as little as $20.
Beyond his own profit in the series, his skills at the tables also paid off for those with a stake. His financial document shows that he paid off to the tune of 124.5% for those making an investment in Kid Poker Inc.
Here’s a look at the potential payouts for those who staked in the following amounts:
Original stake Amount owed
$20 $24.90
$100 $124.52
$200 $249.04
$300 $373.55
$500 $622.59
$1,000 $1,245.18
A history of financial transparency
In a series career dating back to 1998, Negreanu now has $21.1 million in live tournament winnings. Through the years, he’s not been shy about sharing how things turned out financially.
“As a teenager I was meticulous with my record keeping,” he tells USPoker. “I could tell you how my ROI differs on Tuesday afternoons versus Wednesday evening, by location! I got away from it living the Vegas life but around 2013, I got back to keeping detailed results I release to the public.
“Why? In part, because it feels pretty good sticking it in the haters’ faces who think I can’t win anymore! Also, for the sake of transparency. I don’t see any good reason to hide my results.
Regular disclosures on his Full Contact Poker website have been a part of doing business for Negreanu. The numbers also show that big winnings may not always mean big profits considering regular five- and six-figure buy-ins.
His last report on his poker winnings came at the end of 2017. That year saw Negreanu win almost $2.8 million. However, almost $2.9 million in buy-ins meant he was in the red by $86,140 for the year.
The new poker dynamics of high rollers mean even high returns are not always enough to score a profit, depending on how one does at these nosebleed stakes. Negreanu’s annual assessments are rare among high stakes poker players.
“In the old days, before super high rollers, you could all but guarantee that cashing for $2 million would mean the player had a winning year,” he noted in the report. “Well, the truth is, if a player plays the full high roller schedule and cashes for $2 million, they are all but certain to have had a losing year, and that’s before expenses.”
In 2016, Negreanu posted a loss of about $1.2 million as well. In 2015 however, his profit reached $952,920 and a gargantuan $7.1 million in 2014. The year before that also brought a nice year also, with a profit of almost $2 million.
Negreanu has yet to make his goals for 2022, but regularly posts those as well. With the WSOP only about six months aways however, he’s already considering his options.
“I haven’t really thought about 2022 too much outside of worrying about the WSOP and how the new location will create potential issues for me,” he says. “The Rio was the perfect location for me personally.”
* photos courtesy PokerGO