Daniel Negreanu wasn’t kidding when he said changes were coming following a rough 2023 year. The Poker Hall of Famer took second place on Wednesday behind Philip Sternheimer in a $10,200 buy-in PokerGO Tour Dealer’s Choice event.
Action took place inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas with 47 players registered, seven paid. Five players returned for Day 2, including Phil Hellmuth, who started the day with just a couple big bets and was the first one to go at the final table in fifth place for $37,600.
PokerGO Tour Event #7 Final Table Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philip Sternheimer | $164,500 |
| 2 | Daniel Negreanu | $103,400 |
| 3 | Adam Friedman | $68,150 |
| 4 | Maxx Coleman | $49,350 |
| 5 | Phil Hellmuth | $37,600 |
New Year, New DNegs
Negreanu lost over $2 million in live tournaments last year, including nearly $800,000 at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP). At the end of the year, he vowed some changes in 2024, which included playing fewer events to give him more time to sleep. Thus far, it’s clearly working.
Entering Wednesday’s final table, he held a moderate sized chip lead over Sternheimer, whom he would eventually end up facing heads up for the title. After Hellmuth busted, in Omaha hi-lo, Negreanu would clip Maxx Coleman in fourth place for $49,350.
Adam Friedman, with A♦Q♣, would get it all in preflop in pot-limit hold’em against the bigger stacked Sternheimer, who had him beat with A♣K♦. There was no help on the board for Friedman, who was sent home in third place, good for $68,150.
Heads up play would then begin with Sternheimer having “DNegs” covered by a decent amount (4,180,000 to 2,865,000). But it took minimal time to turn it all around.
In a pot-limit hold’em hand, PokerGO’s live reporting action picked up on a board of 4♣7♦2♦6♥J♣, and Negreanu had made a pot-sized raise to 1,330,000 with 6♦4♥. Sternheimer took some time to ponder his decision with A♥A♣ before making the call only to find out his hand was cracked.
That hand changed the complexion of heads up play, but only briefly, as it put Negreanu, who won a PGT event in January, out in front 2-1 in chips.
Shortly after, Sternheimer would regain the lead by winning back-to-back sizable pots. He never relinquished the chip lead and finished off Negreanu in stud hi-lo. The champion took home $164,200, bringing his live tournament cashes over $2.4 million, according to The Hendon Mob. Negreanu, as a consolation prize, received $103,400, his second runner-up finish this year in seven cashes.
The PokerGO Tour Mixed Games Series continued Wednesday with Day 1 of Event #8: $10,200 Big Bet Mix, and two additional tournaments will take place this week to wrap up the series.
Daniel Negreanu Says Changes Coming After Losing $2 Million in 2023
PGT Mixed Games Series Results to Date
| TOURNAMENT | WINNER | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $5,100 H.O.R.S.E. | Maksim Pisarenko | $117,450 |
| Event #2: $5,100 8-Game | John Hennigan | $120,150 |
| Event #3: $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. | Mori Eskandani | $201,600 |
| Event #4: $10,200 8-Game | Dan Zack | $195,200 |
| Event #5: $10,200 Triple Stud Mix | John Racener | $151,200 |
| Event #6: $10,200 Triple Draw Mix | Jerry Wong | $164,500 |
| Event #7: $10,200 Dealer’s Choice | Philip Sternheimer | $164,500 |