Fresh off a final table appearance at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe in London, Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu will now see his cash game expertise unfold on GSN beginning this Sunday, March 1st, at 9:00pm ET. Negreanu is one of a handful of poker pros who will appear on the fifth season of High Stakes Poker and sat down with Poker News Daily to talk about his experience.
Poker News Daily: Describe the atmosphere on the set of Season 5 of High Stakes Poker. For fans watching at home, what goes into making the show and what’s a typical day like as a player?
Negreanu: This season is going to be more intense than in the past because the level of play has increased to a point where everyone is good, the stakes are bigger, and there are more exciting moves. This year, it’s slightly less about the interaction among the players and more about the poker. Depending upon what shift you get, they film about 12 hours per day. It’s pretty fluid considering the production and tape changes going on; very few breaks take place. It runs a lot like an actual cash game.
PND: Due to its airing on television, is the game’s competitive environment different than what you’d find in other high-stakes cash games around the world?
Negreanu: You have an eclectic group of players on High Stakes Poker. There are online guys, old school guys, and business guys looking to give it a shot. It’s not typical, but it inspires a lot of viewers to say that they can do it.
PND: You’ve been involved in some of the richest pots in High Stakes Poker history. Talk about the personal allure for you of participating.
Negreanu: I enjoy it. I enjoy playing in live cash games. It’s spooky walking into that room because of all the memories of past shows I have. I’ve been lucky in my lifetime in tournaments and had my bad luck in cash games displayed on High Stakes Poker.
PND: Who on Season 5 of High Stakes Poker impressed you the most?
Negreanu: Tom Dwan. I hadn’t had a chance to play against him before. He’s relentless. He plays a great big stack and has a lot of money. He keeps the pressure on, makes moves, and also makes big lay downs.
PND: You finished fifth in the WSOP Europe Main Event in September and won the British Columbia Poker Championships two months later in your native Canada. Talk about the run you were on to close out 2008.
Negreanu: I’ve been playing some of the best poker ever in terms of tournaments. I haven’t been letting luck play as big of a role as others do. I’ve rededicated myself to what was successful in 2004 and beyond. It’s a system that works even better against online players who are a lot more aggressive. They cannot possibly keep beating me. My strategy is being cautious and letting others do what I call the “Matusow Blowup.”
PND: Is it just a matter of being patient or is there more to your strategy than that?
Negreanu: It’s a whole small ball system. If I were to compare it to boxing, it consists of throwing a lot of jabs, but keeping my guard up. I’m looking for them to lay their guard down and then go in for the knockout punch. I would describe it as “weak-loose-passive.”
PND: The 2009 WSOP schedule, which was announced last month, will not feature any rebuy tournaments. Talk about your thoughts regarding rebuys and why they should or should not have been included.
Negreanu: I’ve been playing in rebuy tournaments my whole life. I think they’re fun, but I don’t think they belong in an event where we crown a World Champion. Everyone should be on a level playing field aside for their background. Guys like Phil Ivey, Dwan, and me can succeed because we’re not afraid to rebuy 20 or 30 times. If these records are supposed to be considered “clean,” then everyone should be on an even playing field.
PND: Finally, Doyle Brunson has seemed to take quite an interest in your golf game, including a few jabs in recent blogs. Talk about your game. Is it really that bad?
Negreanu: It was that bad when I used to play with him. I’m actually on my way to a golf course right now!