Daniel Negreanu, one of the most recognizable poker players in the world, announced on Wednesday that he has signed on as an ambassador for GGPoker.
Didn’t see that coming
His reveal came via a one-minute video on Twitter, recorded as he was walking down the Las Vegas Strip.
“In a very short time, GGPoker has really made a name for itself in the online space,” Negreanu said. “Their last GG Series, you’re talking about $50 million in guarantees, up from $3 million the year before.”
He also raved about GGPoker’s built-in staking platform, which allows players to sell their action to other GGPoker customers right there in the software. Daniel Negreanu is not shy about selling pieces of his tournament play – he recently did it for the World Series of Poker Europe – so it is no surprise that he would really like this feature.
Negreanu parted ways with PokerStars almost exactly six months ago. That was also a bit of a surprise; Negreanu had been with PokerStars since 2007. Stars has been moving away from poker pro sponsorships – Liv Boeree and Igor Kurganov just left – and more toward celebrity, streamer, and athlete endorsements, so at the same time, it wasn’t an absolute shock.
GGPoker making a name for itself
GGPoker is not the household name that PokerStars is, but it is a significant player in the online poker industry. According to PokerScout, its network, GGNetwork, ranks third in the world in terms of cash game traffic, with a seven-day average of 1,500 players. PokerStars and IDNPoker are way ahead with 6,800 and 6,600 cash game players, respectively, but GGNetwork leads the rest of the field.
The main reason that the GGNetwork is not top of mind is because it is primarily an Asian-facing poker network. Composed of 14 member rooms, including its flagship GGPoker, the network was founded in 2014. It has been gradually increasing its presence in Europe and Canada, though, and this signing of Daniel Negreanu should definitely give its visibility a boost.
To celebrate Negreanu’s ambassadorship, GGPoker is launching the $100,000 Guaranteed Daniel Negreanu Challenge. The Challenge will consist of four shootout tournaments, with the top two finishers in each advancing to the final table. At that final table will be Daniel Negreanu. The nine players have their stacks reset and will compete for a $100,000 prize pool.
The four qualifying tournaments will run on consecutive Saturdays beginning on November 30th. The first tournament will be a freeroll, with the next three costing $5, $25, and $100, respectively. The second, third, and fourth tournaments will have unlimited re-entries.
GGPoker’s most notable ambassador other than Daniel Negreanu is Bryn Kenney, who is the all-time live tournament money leader with $55.5 million in earnings.
Negreanu himself is third on the all-time list with just over $42 million in live tournament winnings. The Poker Hall of Famer has won six WSOP bracelets and thought he had won the World Series of Poker Player of the Year title this year, only to find out that a data entry error elevated him to first place by mistake.
