“The danger of paired flops is directly related to how high the pair is: there’s less risk in a flop like 2-2-7 than Q-Q-8. Why? Because most players will fold a hand that contains a deuce but will play hands that contain a queen like A-Q, K-Q, Q-J, or Q-10.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I dropped out of school to play poker, and at 21, I moved from Toronto to try my luck as a pro in Vegas. I ate the typical meat-heavy diet of most poker players in the ’90s: burgers and steak, along with French fries, mash, and a bucket-load of wine, beer, and vodka. There was nothing fresh in my diet, and I felt terrible.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“When it came to healthy eating, my parents did their best to set me on the right path. At school, my friends ate McDonalds at lunchtime, but I had a packed lunch that my mother made for me. I hated it at the time, but looking back, I’m glad.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“High flops like K-Q-9, K-J-10 or Q-J-8 are dangerous to pocket aces. That’s because these flops will more likely to connect with the range of hands that your opponents will typically play, like 10-J, K-Q, 10-10, or 9-10.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“A common mistake made by amateurs is that they fail to take advantage of players who bluff excessively. Instead of playing possum and letting their aggressive opponents continue to bet, beginners raise too early with monster hands, allowing their opponents to fold.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Bluffing is most effective when done sporadically; bluff too often, and you’ll blow your credibility.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I became vegan in 2006 when I started taking healthy eating seriously.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“When you play No Limit Hold’em, the ideal strategy is to take minimal risk, do little bluffing, and hope that weaker players call you when you have a strong hand. But that’s the perfect world. Sometimes you’ll face opponents that play very conservatively and will rarely pay you off when you have the goods.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I try not to push veganism specifically. If I’m asked for my advice, I say just eat healthy.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Rarely is it correct to play a hyper-aggressive style of poker. But there are certain situations where a seemingly reckless approach will actually be the most profitable strategy to employ, like at the Main Event at the World Series of Poker.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Hyper-aggressive poker works best in deep-stack tournaments.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The goal of hyper-aggressive poker is to create a wild and crazy image that will return dividends when you’re eventually dealt a monster hand.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Hyper-aggressive poker is most effective in games where players are happy to just call rather than reraise.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The biggest differences between Omaha and Hold’em is that you get four hole cards in Omaha as opposed to two in Hold’em, and in Omaha, you can only use two of your hole cards and must play three cards from the board.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“One pair rarely wins an Omaha pot, even if that pair is aces. In Hold’em, on the other hand, a pair of aces is right around the average winning hand.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“High-stakes gamblers love heart-racing Omaha-type action; normal poker players don’t!”
― Daniel Negreanu
“It’s rare to find these true coin flip situations in Hold’em but surprisingly common in Omaha. That’s one of the reasons why Omaha is the perfect game for action junkies who relish the notion of flipping coins for large sums of money.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The World Series of Poker has always attracted a competitive international field.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Chess is a great training ground for poker players because it’s a math-based game, much like backgammon is.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Playing chess can make you a better poker player because it forces you to think several moves ahead. That kind of intense mental exercise develops a deeper level of thinking than is typically encountered when playing poker.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Experienced no-limit Texas Hold’em players understand the importance of reading flop texture.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The most obvious difference between a cash game and a tournament is that in tournament play, once your chips are gone, so are you. In a cash game, you can always dig into your pocket for more money.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Tournament play demands patience to survive and win. Winning at cash games demands a whole other level of thought and deception. You need to reach into your bag of tricks and run the occasional big bluff to be a consistent cash game winner.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I am most challenged by playing cash games against the world’s top players. These games force me to think several moves in advance, like in a game of chess. And though I also find tournaments fun to play, they just don’t provide the constant brain buzz that cash game players crave.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Playing deep-stack, no-limit hold’em is a very complex game where the most critical and difficult decisions come after the flop.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Deep-stack games like High Stakes Poker are the favorites among both poker pros and avid fans of televised poker. In these games, the most talented players shine and the most exciting action takes place.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The value of small pocket pairs comes from the possibility of flopping three of kind and winning a sizable pot. To that extent, playing this type of hand is a low risk/high reward proposition.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Moving all-in with a small pair from early position only makes sense when you are severely short-stacked and desperately need to pick up the blinds.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“It’s never a good thing when an opponent has a solid read on you pre-flop.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The most important reason why it’s dangerous to risk all your chips pre-flop is that you simply can’t be certain that you are even in a coin flip situation at that time.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In No Limit hold’em tournaments, size your bets based on your opponent’s skill level. You can cut corners by betting wisely – save a little here and make a little extra there.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“It’s one of my basic premises for tournament play: Choose to bet the lesser amount when a smaller-sized bet will accomplish the same objective as a bigger one.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Beginning players are predictable and rarely bluff. They tend to focus only on their own hand and simply hope to catch the one card they need to improve.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I like to peruse the Full Contact Poker online forums to read and comment on posts about interesting poker hands and whether they were played properly. I find that many of the contributors consistently suffer from the same problem: they are far too preoccupied with statistically insignificant aspects of a poker hand.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Obsessing about statistics won’t make you a better poker player. In fact, you’ll end up wasting too much valuable time on that stuff when you should be concentrating on crucial issues, like getting a read on your opponents and studying the psychological aspects of the game.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Any call that jeopardizes a big chunk of your chip stack just because you think your opponent might be on a bluff is flat-out wrong.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Protect your hand when you’re confident you’re in the lead. Don’t be greedy and try to milk your opponent for a few more chips when the pot is already large.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“It’s imperative to save a few chips whenever possible when playing small-ball poker. You never want to risk a high percentage of your chips unless you’re dealt a monster hand.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In tournament play, it’s generally advisable to avoid risking large sums of chips in coin flip situations, like pocket sixes versus A-K. After all, the pocket pair is only a very slight heads-up favorite.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The ability to perform basic math calculations is certainly an integral part of playing fundamental poker. But in tournament poker, it’s equally important to understand that survival often trumps mathematics in coin flip situations.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Many players in the big blind get in trouble by calling pre-flop raises; they try to do too much. They don’t want to get bullied, so they attempt a tricky check-raise bluff or overplay their hands in an ill-advised effort to push back.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“You have to play more hands than usual to be successful in tournament poker. While a conservative approach can help you squeak into the money, the only way to win is to mix it up and get involved with a wider range of starting hands.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“No matter what poker book you read or poker show you watch, the topic of position will invariably be discussed and its importance stressed.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“There’s no doubt that position is a very important aspect of the game. But some players take this concept to the extreme and consequently miss opportunities when they refuse to play hands out of position.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Blind stealing is not exclusive to late position play. You can steal blinds from any position, and you should!”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Playing tricky poker doesn’t have to mean making bizarre moves or playing way out of character. Rather, it’s simply about taking advantage of what you know about your opponents and how they perceive your style of play.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“If you are in a poker game for money and are taking it easy on one of your buddies, you are cheating yourself, your friend, and every other player in the game.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Soft playing destroys the integrity of the game of poker, and it’s wrong – flat out wrong.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Poker is not a team sport. It’s every man for himself. It’s perfectly okay to root for your buddies and hope they do well, but when it’s time to play the game, you have to give it your all. All by yourself, that is.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The world’s most successful tournament competitors – like me, Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren, Phil Hellmuth, and countless others – like to play small ball poker. It’s a style that we use to steadily increase our stacks in no limit hold’em tournaments without having to assume significant risk.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be difficult but only if you overvalue them and mistakenly play them as you would premium hands.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Tournaments are won by aggressively going after smaller pots with a range of starting hands. The trick is learning how to do that without becoming reckless.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Premium hands are simply few and far between when large pots are at stake.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In small ball poker, you’ll need to widen your starting hand requirements beyond pocket pairs and A-K.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The secret behind playing small ball poker isn’t so much in the hands you choose to play. It’s more about the amount you choose to bet with the hands you end up playing.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I seldom reraise before the flop no matter what my hand is. By so doing, I’m able to disguise the strength of my hand and can trap unsuspecting opponents who interpret my smooth call as a sign of weakness.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Always keep in mind that poker is about limiting your losses and maximizing your gains on every hand you play.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Check-raising with a drawing hand on the turn is simply a kamikaze gamble. It might work once in a while, but if you consistently attempt it, too often you’ll find yourself watching the rest of the tournament from behind the rail.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“As a general rule, the more precious the chips you’d consider betting, the more you should lean toward playing it safe. Check it down; cautious play is usually the recipe for long-term success in poker.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Beating a tight game requires focus. You’ll need to seek out every opportunity where you can steal a big pot. One way is by representing a hand that your opponents probably can’t beat.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Playing Limit Hold’em will certainly improve your No Limit game. There are subtleties to the Limit game that will enhance your technique at the No Limit tables. Mastering these uniquely aggressive Limit tactics will enable you to steal more pots when you sit down to play No Limit Hold’em.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Whatever game suits you best, learn to play both Limit and No Limit Texas Hold’em. Your overall game will definitely improve.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Less control can be exerted in Limit games because it’s more difficult to force players out of pots with structured betting. In No Limit, though, hands can be protected from being outdrawn by making large bets that force opponents to fold weak draws.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Limit Hold’em is the game for you if you bore easily and crave fast action. Conversely, in No Limit, the game will often slow to a halt when someone is faced with a big decision. That’s uncommon in Limit games because all-in bets are rare.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Common wisdom in Texas Hold’em suggests that you should raise before the flop if you’re planning to play a hand. The saying goes, ‘Raise or fold,’ but is that correct? Well, it’s not the worst advice, but limiting yourself to one of these two options would be a mistake.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Limping in – entering a pot by calling rather than raising – is more complicated than raise-or-fold poker because you’ll end up playing more hands. Also, it’s difficult to put players on a hand when they’re in the pot without making a pre-flop raise.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In No Limit Hold’em, much like video games and karate lessons, you need to master one level before you can move on to the next.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In karate, as your skill level increases, your instructor presents you with the next belt. But in poker, only you can decide when it’s time to graduate to the next level. That’s a tricky proposition for some players because it’s difficult to assess your own progress.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In poker, you’ve got to start at the bottom level and work your way up. This advice applies to the limits that you play and the sizing of the bets that you make.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Swallow your pride and be completely objective about your own poker skill level. Only then can you implement an effective betting strategy.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The correct strategy in heads-up poker is based on identifying and acting upon your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In poker, position is power. When you’ve got position, play more hands and apply more pressure before the flop.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“I’m terrible at golf, but I love the game with a passion.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Some golf instructors get overly technical and teach the mechanics of the ideal swing. That approach didn’t work for me. So, I found a pro that didn’t insist that I learn Tiger’s swing. He accepted my physical limitations and improved my game by focusing on the minimal golf skills that I have.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In golf, no one learns to hit a draw, a fade, or a cut shot until they’ve been taught how to hit the ball straight. Similarly, novice poker players need to learn how to ‘hit it straight’ before taking on more difficult concepts.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“While sophisticated plays can work in poker, if attempted by an inexperienced player, they’ll usually backfire. Elaborate bluffs and check-raises are best left to experienced players. It’s just like golf: don’t try to hit a tricky flop shot with that 25-handicap of yours!”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Playing correctly from the small blind can be frustrating and confusing. On the one hand, you already have half the bet in the pot, which should entice you to play more hands. On the other, you’ll have to play out of position on every street, which suggests that you should actually play fewer hands.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The best advice when playing from the small blind is to mix up your play. The general rules are to fold garbage hands, limp with marginal hands, and raise with hands that are strong enough to play big pots with. Don’t allow your opponents, however, to pick up patterns in your play.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Before you even consider making a value bet, try to determine if the bet will have any value at all. Attempt to put your opponent on a hand that he’d likely call a bet with on the river. To do this, you’ll have to mentally play back the details of the hand. Think about your opponent’s playing tendencies.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In tournaments, players typically raise when they enter the pot. In cash games, though, players are more likely to limp in before the flop. That’s because cash games are usually deeper-stacked, meaning that players will have a higher ratio of chips in relation to the blinds than they would in a tournament.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In cash games, you’re apt to see more players staying in to see the flop. If you have a hand worth playing, your best options are to either limp in or make a slightly larger pre-flop raise to build the pot and narrow the competition. A raise of four times the big blind should do the trick.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In tournaments, you want to steal the blinds as cheaply as possible without risking a high percentage of your chips.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Powerful drawing hands, like a pair with a flush draw or even conventional straight and flush draws, are often good opportunities to try a semi-bluff – making a bet or raise that you hope will not be called, but leaves you some outs if it is.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Don’t try to make a big bluff on the turn with a drawing hand. With only one card to come, even a big draw is an underdog against a made hand. Keep the betting small.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Here’s one general rule that applies to No Limit Hold’em tournaments: Avoid playing coin flip situations for all of your chips.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Table talk is a part of the game, and frankly, it’s the part of the game that I enjoy most.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“How players react to questions that you ask can give definitive information as to the strength of their hand. Even an opponent who says nothing at all might be sending a silent signal. A mere shrug, an awkward smile, or even a frozen stare can be meaningful.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Never underestimate the importance of preparation for any single poker session or tournament.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In the world of poker, it’s not heroic to try to function on a couple hours of sleep.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Missing even one night of shuteye will impact your ability to concentrate the next day. And it only gets worse if you deprive yourself of sleep night after night.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“We’ve all heard stories about poker players grinding it out for two days straight. Believe me; I’ve got stories like that of my own. But the bottom line is that these stories usually don’t have great endings. That’s because the mind starts playing tricks after a marathon poker session, especially after a losing session.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The best tournament players actually try to avoid risky plays altogether. They prefer to wait for their opponents to make the risky moves. They’ll wait patiently until they catch a strong hand. When they do, they’ll take down their overly aggressive foes.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“To be sure, playing it safe isn’t a flashy style of poker. Some even claim that it’s too weak and passive. That being said, playing safe poker is still a proven recipe for success in the world’s biggest poker tournaments.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“You don’t need a Ph.D. in mathematics to be a successful poker player.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Success at poker is ultimately the result of solid fundamentals and the ability to read your opponents’ betting patterns. This is especially true when playing online. But playing live poker is a completely different animal. In this venue, the presence of physical tells can not be overlooked.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“Picking up a tell – a hint that a player unknowingly gives that reveals the strength of his hand – often means the difference between winning and losing a big pot.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“The art of reading physical tells isn’t an exact science.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“In order to maximize your profits at the poker table, your goal should be to play completely opposite of the way other players at the table perceive you. Simply put, if opponents label you a conservative player who never bluffs and only plays premium hands, you’ll do better playing aggressively and bluffing frequently.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“To be a great poker player, you’re going to have to learn this fact: Everything that’s said at a poker table is worth listening to. It’s all information that you can use to make better decisions, whether people are talking about baseball, politics, or, oh yeah, poker.”
― Daniel Negreanu
“If you want to make money playing poker, find a game with a few suckers, fish, donkeys, live ones, or whatever you choose to call a bad player. Just don’t let that sucker be you.”
― Daniel Negreanu
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