Daniel, How Many Times Did You Go Broke?

[TrulyRaNd0m 0]

I was just wondering... how many times did you go broke before getting to where you are now? And have you ever been broke between your first WSOP bracelet win and today?

[DanielNegreanu 141]

I was just wondering... how many times did you go broke before getting to where you are now? And have you ever been broke between your first WSOP bracelet win and today?

20+ times, and yes.

[getarealjob 0]

Write more about when you started really playing on your own. Probably sometime in '04 between January and March, then by the end of that year, you were putting yourself into tournaments 100%. I've heard stories that before your now legendary '04 run, you were contemplating, (probably jokingly) quitting poker--which is a testament to how well you play when you hit rock bottom. I'ts interesting to note that while you were a very accomplished cardplayer before '04, you probably weren't fully independent yet, meaning you were probably getting backed or selling pieces of yourself.Elaborate for your new fans, who know little about your rise to the top; it's Rocky Balboa-like story actually if you consider how incredible '04 was, what kind of pressure was on your career at that point, and your unstable financial situation.

[MR_BIZKITZ 0]

I would like to hear more about DN's rise to the top. Alot of high stakes players made thier money outside of poker and had a big br to start.DN seems to have grinded his way to where he is today and I'm sure there is alot good stories from that time.I wonder if his book will have anything like that or if its going to be mostly strategy.

[IveyFearsMe 0]

maybe this would be an interesting topic for a book.. or a movie....

[TrulyRaNd0m 0]

One of my favorite poker books is Barry Greinstein's "Ace on the River"... and he goes into detail about how he grinded his way up. That would be very interesting to hear Daniel's full story, including what caused him to fail repeatedly... and what drove him to keep striving to succeed.And 20+ times? Wow. How did you handle that emotionally? I guess I'm asking because I've gone broke a few times myself... and built it back a few times. In the past couple months I took shots at bigger tournaments (Stars Sunday Million, UB's 200k) and was not able to succeed regularly at that level... so I'm working on building it back. One of the things that makes me lucky is I have loved ones who have been there for me through the ups and downs... cautiously happy when I make a "big" 4 digit cash, and accepting when I go through downswings. Nevertheless, failure is something that I struggle to deal with... It'd be interesting to hear more from you.

[showstopper24 0]

i like that doyle brunson says that Todd can't be one of the great players because he has never been broke before.With the exception of todd, it seems all of the top pros have been broke

[gimeabrak 0]

maybe this would be an interesting topic for a book.. or a movie....

I thought i read somewhere where DN has a book coming out, but i have no idea if it is how to sort of book or whatI am very interested in this topic and would love him to respondgreat questions

[getarealjob 0]

One of my favorite poker books is Barry Greinstein's "Ace on the River"... and he goes into detail about how he grinded his way up. That would be very interesting to hear Daniel's full story, including what caused him to fail repeatedly... and what drove him to keep striving to succeed.And 20+ times? Wow. How did you handle that emotionally? I guess I'm asking because I've gone broke a few times myself... and built it back a few times. In the past couple months I took shots at bigger tournaments (Stars Sunday Million, UB's 200k) and was not able to succeed regularly at that level... so I'm working on building it back. One of the things that makes me lucky is I have loved ones who have been there for me through the ups and downs... cautiously happy when I make a "big" 4 digit cash, and accepting when I go through downswings. Nevertheless, failure is something that I struggle to deal with... It'd be interesting to hear more from you.

It's not necessarily failure per se when you are in downswings or when you go broke in poker; it's part of the game and the lifestyle. Something you guys can learn from Negreanu is how he managed to stay in action during his broke periods, before the era of sponsorship and all that; after all he probably never worked more than three days in his entire life. Obviously, he wasn't winning all the time.I think in addition to strategy; it would help young players who have decided to go the degenerate route in life to get some pointers from someone who has been relatively broke almost 80 percent of his career, you know an old school exposition. I say this in light of the fact that many of his newer fans probably don't realize the business side of poker; the hustling part of poker, before it came to written contracts, although most of the deals made in poker are still done with handshakes.There's one area that Greenstein addressed well in his book, and I agree with the guy that posted about Greenstein's book.

[MR_BIZKITZ 0]

i like that doyle brunson says that Todd can't be one of the great players because he has never been broke before.With the exception of todd, it seems all of the top pros have been broke

Where does doyle say that? I'd love to read that

[trader1499 0]

20+ times, and yes.

I have gone broke everytime in internet poker. My only good poker run was when I went to vegas and played my first live table action. won 307 dollars in 2/4 limit after about 10 hours of play in mgm. I'm trying to give up internet poker.. or at least putting more money in. I go back to vegas in march to stay at mandalay. I will be trying the 1/2 no limit next time. I feel better at a live table than at internet cause for some reason i'm skeptical of internet dealing.

[showstopper24 0]

Where does doyle say that? I'd love to read that

not in a book-i think i heard him say it last year after todd won his bracelet and doyle was asked if he will ever be one of the best

[Virtuoso80 0]

I just went 'broke' (needing to rebuy chips, not litterally broke) on Full Tilt this week. Same pattern as usual: I start off like "Okay, this time it's for real, I'm going to be super careful with my money....no going for crazy longshots!" and eventually degenerates to "yeah, I'll play the $200 tournament with 3000 people in it while playing 3 others and watching TV at the same time, what the hell!" Eventually I'd probably get a big payday in one of those tournaments, but my bankroll isn't big enough to last that long.Also I fild Full Tilt one of the harder places to make money. My goldmine used to be Paradise Poker, but they abandoned the US so so much for that.

[Raul_2012 0]

i go broke almost everytime i play...i manage to make some money...to double my money or even triple it and then i move on to higher stakes...and there it's all gone ..this is only one of the problem's..the other problem it's that i'm from romania ...and it's a little harder with the deposits

[slappywhite 0]

I rarely post obviously from my count but wanted to on this subject. I also would be curious to get a better glimpse into the whole professional scene when you were an upcoming player and going broke and bouncing back. I am also curious if you think going broke would still be a possibility if you didn't have so many income streams outside poker. Give us a look at poker behind the scenes from a financial angle without mentioning names of course. Tell us how most pros go about getting in the game through staking,selling pieces,or other means. This would be a great service to balance out all the unrealistic expectations that people get from watching you live well golfing and travelling every day. I think you almost owe a cautionary warning to the younger players who idolize you and your lifestyle and read about all the celebrity golf trips,hanging with famous athletes,buying nice things. I am by no means being critical of you or your blog. I know it is a blog about your every day life and that is what is going on. The only thing is that no one was around to see the struggles and hardships on the way up. You should talk more in depth on that to balance things out. I have read your old rgp posts when you would argue passionately about the behind the scene machinations taking place. That was great stuff. I know you still stand up when you believe in something strongly but you need to start talking about some edgier topics again. We need to hear about the underbelly of the poker scene. Not gossip.Just raw truth. Don't start going soft on us with all your success.Someone in the scene needs to tell the truth because it is sorely lacking. Most of the top pros are just selling the lifestyle now because it makes them more money if they can foster unrealistic expectations. We want to hear the cool stuff going on with your life but show us some of the struggle in the poker world.I really hope you take this task on because I find myself here a little less each month because it has turned into more or less a travel blog.Your a deep guy.Start putting a little more thought into what your fans need to hear. We know your busy so it doesn't have to be a lot at once.You have an incredible oppurtunity to have a forum this widely read. Hockey pools and fantasy football is great half the time but let's get back to the late night(probably a few too many drinks)telling it like it is daniel from a few years back. Try to remember what it was like when you were hungry for success and tell us about it.

[GWCGWC 83]

I rarely post obviously from my count but wanted to on this subject. I also would be curious to get a better glimpse into the whole professional scene when you were an upcoming player and going broke and bouncing back.I am also curious if you think going broke would still be a possibility if you didn't have so many income streams outside poker. Give us a look at poker behind the scenes from a financial angle without mentioning names of course. Tell us how most pros go about getting in the game through staking,selling pieces,or other means. This would be a great service to balance out all the unrealistic expectations that people get from watching you live well golfing and travelling every day. I think you almost owe a cautionary warning to the younger players who idolize you and your lifestyle and read about all the celebrity golf trips,hanging with famous athletes,buying nice things. I am by no means being critical of you or your blog. I know it is a blog about your every day life and that is what is going on. The only thing is that no one was around to see the struggles and hardships on the way up. You should talk more in depth on that to balance things out. I have read your old rgp posts when you would argue passionately about the behind the scene machinations taking place. That was great stuff. I know you still stand up when you believe in something strongly but you need to start talking about some edgier topics again. We need to hear about the underbelly of the poker scene. Not gossip.Just raw truth. Don't start going soft on us with all your success. Someone in the scene needs to tell the truth because it is sorely lacking. Most of the top pros are just selling the lifestyle now because it makes them more money if they can foster unrealistic expectations. We want to hear the cool stuff going on with your life but show us some of the struggle in the poker world.I really hope you take this task on because I find myself here a little less each month because it has turned into more or less a travel blog.Your a deep guy.Start putting a little more thought into what your fans need to hear. We know your busy so it doesn't have to be a lot at once.You have an incredible oppurtunity to have a forum this widely read. Hockey pools and fantasy football is great half the time but let's get back to the late night(probably a few too many drinks)telling it like it is daniel from a few years back. Try to remember what it was like when you were hungry for success and tell us about it.

I agree with almost everything you said.

[getarealjob 0]

For every professional T.V. player that made it big, there's that guy who has been playing his a$$ off either online or in brick and mortar with more heart than any of the so-called name players--but without the same borrowing power that the bigger names have had throughout their careers. There are still players--pre-internet--who have put time into this game before poker hit the bubble, that are still no-names, but have still made a living at this game without the kind of niche backing required to level out the variance.It would be a breath of fresh air if Daniel went back and retold some of the old stories, removing the names besides his own, so that the younger degenerates can get a sense of what it was like when money exchanged hands fluidly the way a hockey puck slides across the ice.

[myenemy 0]

For every professional T.V. player that made it big, there's 100 guys who have been playing their a$$ off either online or in brick and mortar with more heart than any of the so-called name players--but without the same borrowing power that the bigger names have had throughout their careers.

FYP

[rgold79 0]

i like that doyle brunson says that Todd can't be one of the great players because he has never been broke before.With the exception of todd, it seems all of the top pros have been broke

I can't possibly see being/going broke as something to aspire to. Most people who go broke stay that way, and their kids go hungry. My guess is Todd Brunson is more than okay with the fact that he's never been broke, regardless of whether that qualifies him as "great" or not.

[Spence 0]

I think what Doyle was saying was simply that he had never had to play when his back was against the wall.He's always played poker for fun, and hasn't taken it as seriously as alot of the players out there.Until the time when the money means something to him, he probably doesn't believe he will play to his potential.

[cu in 4years Dan 1]

i like that doyle brunson says that Todd can't be one of the great players because he has never been broke before.With the exception of todd, it seems all of the top pros have been broke

im sorry but didnt doyle say on HSP that if todd focused enough he could become the greatest ever?

I thought i read somewhere where DN has a book coming out, but i have no idea if it is how to sort of book or whatI am very interested in this topic and would love him to respondgreat questions

so glad we have your ok on this subject???

I have gone broke everytime in internet poker. My only good poker run was when I went to vegas and played my first live table action. won 307 dollars in 2/4 limit after about 10 hours of play in mgm. I'm trying to give up internet poker.. or at least putting more money in. I go back to vegas in march to stay at mandalay. I will be trying the 1/2 no limit next time. I feel better at a live table than at internet cause for some reason i'm skeptical of internet dealing.

pwahahaha, dude thats funny, you are an absolute donky.why would it be rigged? what VALUE do the online card rooms have on rigging it?you'd be safer online than with a person who deals cards ALL day and knows how to handle them.also your best run was 307 bucks after 10 hours? how funny

[Incubus77546 0]

Just read DNs Cardplayer articles before his huge year in '04.You'll definately read stories of him playing poker at the start.