Daniel Negreanu Falls to the Ground as His November Nine Dream Shatters
A dream shared by the entire poker community brutally ended with an 11th-place finish in the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event, as Daniel Negreanu just missed out on making the November Nine.
The hopes and dreams from poker players and fans alike were kept alive for seven straight days, as it looked as though the game's biggest ambassador would make the biggest final table there is.
But, it wasn’t meant to be.
On poker's biggest stage, the ESPN feature table, it was Joe McKeehen who hit a queen on the river to crack Negreanu's pair of aces with a straight. Negreanu's knees buckled, and the 40-year-old Canadian poker pro hit the ground, just like the queen of hearts hit the felt on the river to send him to the rail.
The air was sucked out of the Amazon Room at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, players and railbirds gasped, but the deafening silence quickly turned into a roar of applause as a sign of respect for Negreanu's heroic performance.
"My head hurts, because I legitimately lost my knees and hit my head on the ground," Negreanu said. "So I'm actually a bit dizzy, but it's nothing a little vodka can't heal (laughing)."
The remaining 10 players smiled, hugged their friends and families on the rail, while everyone without a piece or personal connection hung their head in defeat. Negreanu exited the room, but returned after sorting his payout worth $526,776.
The experience in the "thunder dome," or "mothership," as the main stage is called, was truly special, and Negreanu was very much aware of that himself as well.
"It was electric," he said. 'The thunderdome was rocking, and I had a lot of people in there that were very excited for me. I felt the energy, I felt like it was bigger than me. There were a lot of people identifying with me, wanting me to win for them, so it really felt like I was playing for them as well."
The buzz of Negreanu possibly making the November Nine grew with every elimination, but it was never his focus to make it there.
"The nine never crossed my mind, I was focused on 'how am I going to fight back?'" Negreanu said about the tough battle he faced against chip leader Joe McKeehen. "I fought back with my style — by seeing some flops when I can, push back when I can, and the last hand was a good opportunity. I'm not folding, and if I can flop good and get it in, and if I can win that pot, all of a sudden, 'Hello, guess who's got 15 million chips and then we'll see you in November!'"
The river that could've sent him to November and up to 13.7 million, sent him to the ground, and out of the tournament.
"I was shocked," Negreanu said about what he felt like when the river hit, but with a bit of a laugh. "Because I heard Mike [Matusow] and a couple of people cheer and then I was like, 'They don’t realize that a queen makes a straight.'
"Then I was confused — 'Did I not see a queen? Because I'm pretty sure I did.' That's what was going through my head."
Social media blew up after Negreanu's elimination, and he was aware that a lot of people were dying to see him make the final table. He even went as far as to say that his own personal defeat was easier to take than the opportunities it took away by him not being there.
"You know what I think the bigger disappointment is?" he said. "Because if I don't come first it doesn't matter, all the extracurricular things I could've done by being a part of the November Nine to promote the event, up the ratings, and get people really involved. From that aspect part of my mind is like, 'It would've been great if I made the November Nine, but I'm not going to alter my play in such a way that I just squeak into the November Nine.' I was going for the win. I believe that I could help by being there, because there are a lot of things a lot of people aren't willing to do. Like this stuff, doing an interview right after getting knocked out."
And he's right, a lot of players wouldn't stick around to give post-bustout interviews. Many assume the interviews in the aftermath of it all are just to be done by the winners. For Negreanu, though, it comes from the heart where his love for the game is paramount.
"I'm fine with that, and I love the game and I owe it a lot; the beautiful life I have, the life I've always dreamed off when I was a teenager," he said. "I live my dream life day-to-day, and without poker that wouldn't have been the case. Once the hand was over, I was able to center myself. Obviously I would've liked to win, but one of the things I've learned in [Choice Center], is that I don't attach my results to my self worth. Whether I win in poker or lose in poker, I know who I am deep down."
Finally, before heading off into the Vegas night, Negreanu reacted to the outpour of support he felt during the entire run he made.
"I didn't think it was going to be as big as it was," he admitted. "I couldn't keep up with all the tweets. I appreciate all the support, and it seemed like I was getting genuine support from the entire poker world. I think they all were thinking how cool it would be to have me at the November Nine because it is the most special final table of the year."
*Photo Credit: JOE GIRON/WSOP.
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