Hushing the Critics: Daniel Negreanu and the Las Vegas Golden Knights
The action in Las Vegas is reaching mid-summer temperatures as the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl looks to crown its fourth victor and the Las Vegas Golden Knights chase their second win in the Stanley Cup Final versus the Washington Capitals. While the Stanley Cup is still three wins away for the NHL’s newest franchise, led by three-time Stanley Cup winner Marc-Andre Fleury, their biggest fan on the felt looks to close out the biggest win of his Hall of Fame poker career today.
The contrast between the Golden Knights and Negreanu’s couldn’t be more prominent on paper. Negreanu already has been inducted into poker’s Hall of Fame; he’s the all-time money list leader in live tournaments, has six World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour titles while the Golden Knights are still only in their inaugural season.
"I don't care about any naysayers saying that we don't deserve it."
Upon taking a closer look, however, Negreanu and his new favorite sports franchise have one huge thing in common. While the Golden Knights players were coined “a band of misfits” by their fourth-line winger Ryan Reaves after being selected in the expansion draft, Negreanu continues to battle with his doubters and haters.
“Every couple of years, during my entire poker career, people say ‘Oh you're done, you can't win anymore, and you can't beat the young guys.’ Even when I was only 28, people said that I was over the hill.”
The Golden Knights have met similar doubts, as all pundits predicted them to finish with the worst record in the league this season. Negreanu listened to all the critics, and the Golden Knights proved him right every step of the way.
“Eventually people said, 'I can't believe they got this far, they're going to lose to Winnipeg,' and now they're in the Stanley Cup Final, and guess what? They have a great chance to win."
With a win today, Negreanu would end a prolonged streak of second, third and fourth-place finishes in marquee events, proving to himself and others that he’s at the top. Just like the Golden Knights.
“If I can win now against this elite field, then that’s something I can be really proud of."
Pride is something that Las Vegas oozes, rallying behind their Golden Knights in their inaugural season. The rest of the league, however, with many teams not having seen Stanley Cup success in several decades, is not universally in support of the new kid on the block.
Negreanu, having grown up in Toronto, a city that’s amidst a 50-year Stanley Cup drought, has strong words for those that put their own sports misery ahead of the joy that Las Vegas is experiencing.
"I live and die with this team, but doing this on my own is still superior to that.”
“I don't care about any naysayers saying that we don't deserve it. I’m sure there’s plenty of hockey fans out there that have waited for their team to win the Cup for a very long time, but we were waiting for a damn team. Vegas had no hockey team or sports team since forever, and we're so happy to have a team, and I'm so blessed to have it be this good.
"Before the playoffs started, I predicted them to make the Conference Final, and I thought they would lose to either Winnipeg or Nashville. They won that series handily, and I think they're going to win this one too.”
First things first, however, as his number one focus is on accomplishing one of the most significant feats in his poker career with the honors of being called Super High Roller Bowl champion within reach.
“The Super High Roller Bowl is the pinnacle, and a win today earns a level of respect that I haven't gotten in the last few years and should hush the critics just a little bit. I live and die with this team, but doing this on my own is still superior to that.”
Daniel Negreanu entered the final table of the Super High Roller Bowl second in chips behind Mikita Badziakouski. The remaining players are guaranteed a seven-figure payout while the winner walks away with the $5,000,000 first-place prize along with the championship ring. Watch the Super High Roller Bowl live right now from PokerGO Studio at the ARIA Resort & Casino or follow along with the Live Updates on PokerNews.
