Negreanu In the Zone

Daniel Negreanu is in the zone.

We've seen it before. He'll grab a quick snack of some overly healthy food, then order up a table massage. And get in the zone. The conversation opens up as he gets more smiley and chatty, though you'd be a fool to think he's just playing a friendly game of cards. The darting eyes and intense focus on every pot, the quick actions and the increasing banter — these are all signs that we're watching someone who is in the zone. And his stack is really reaping the benefits.

In the last pot, Negreanu flatted an opening raise from Casio Pisapia, and the two men were heads up to the {Q-Diamonds} {2-Spades} {2-Hearts} flop. Negreanu called a bet of 7,300 there and another 12,700 after the {8-Diamonds} turn, and the {7-Diamonds} completed the board. Pisapia was beginning to get a little thin on chips, and he decided a check was in order. Negreanu was acting instantly on every street — he's in the zone, you know — and he quickly stacked up a bet of 22,200.

It took a minute or so for Pisapia to make the call for a good chunk of his remaining stack, and Negreanu showed down {A-Spades} {Q-Spades} . "Good hand," Pisapia acknowledged, flashing his inferior {Q-Clubs} {10-Clubs} .

After the hand, Pisapia quizzed Negreanu about what sort of hands he'd value bet there, and Negreanu engaged in a quick conversation where he admitted that he might have called with queen-nine preflop.

"You're flatting me every time I open," Pisapia said with a smirk.

"Well, sorry I have the best hand every time," Negreanu joked back at him. It's easy to keep the mood light when you're among the chip leaders approaching the bubble. We eyeball his stack at 265,000 now — quite likely the biggest in the room.