Daniel Negreanu with fourth WSOP braceletDaniel Negreanu earned his fourth career WSOP bracelet about an hour ago, giving Team PokerStars their first bracelet of 2008 and Canada their third. His victory came in 2008 WSOP Event #18, which was a $2,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em event. This was the same event he had won his third career bracelet in back at the 2004 WSOP.

This event’s 480 entrants created a $873,600 prize pool with Negreanu capturing the $204,874 top place. This was enough to advance his career tournament winning over the $10 million dollar milestone becoming only the fifth player in history to have done so.

With his victory tonight Daniel Negreanu has leapfrogged both Phil Hellmuth and his buddy Allen Cunningham on the all time money list, which the top five now looks like this:

Jamie Gold $12,170,024
Joe Hachem $10,729,894
Daniel Negreanu 10,183,056
Allen Cunningham $10,117,131
Phil Hellmuth $10,082,284

A recap of the 2008 WSOP Event 18 Final Table

When the day started David Baker was on top the leaderboard with 409K chips, followed by Mirage Poker Room manager Ugur Marangoz with 402K, Team PokerStars Daniel Negreanu was in 3rd with 308K, more as follows:

David Baker – 409,000
Ugur Marangoz – 402,000
Daniel Negreanu – 308,000
Greg Wohletz – 301,000
Richard Li – 195,000
Derek Lerner – 133,000
Fu Wong – 67,000
Hien Tran – 58,000
Jeremy Kottler – 47,000

While most of the players in this field had impressive resumes coming into this event Daniel Negreanu was the only name commonly known in the poker world, but there is one other player certainly worth introducing and that is Fu Wong. Originally from China, Wong was an unknown prior to this year’s WSOP, but he’s now making his second final table of 2008. He finished runner up in the $10K 7 Card Stud Championship earlier this week.

Let’s get into final table coverage…

When the final table started play was at level 20 (5,000/10,000 stakes). It didn’t take long for the table to lose one of the short stacks, on the final table hand #4, Hien Tran called a preflop raise made by Fu Wong and the flop came Qc 10c 7d, Tran check called and the turn was 9c, this time Tran bet and Wong called. The river was 9d and Tran bet his final 8,0000 chops and Wong called and turned over pocket jacks and Tran mucked, heading to the rail in 9th place to collect $18,782.

It would a little over an hour before the next player would be eliminated, this time courtesy of Daniel Negreanu. On this hand Negreanu raised from the SB, and Derek Lerner re-raised from BB and Negreanu called. The flop came Jh 6d 3s and Negreanu lead and Lerner raised for his remaining chip turning up Ah Qc well behind Negreanu’s Qd 6h. The turn and river came 7s Th and Negreanu took the pot. Derek Lerner finished in eighth receiving $25,334.

During seven handed play both Jeremy Kottler and Greg Wohletz had looked several times like they’d be the next players to be eliminated, but Greg Wohletz managed to triple up early and then he and Kottler would each double up. In the end it turned out that all they had managed to do was delay the inevitable, 45 minutes after having tripled up Greg Wohletz was eliminated in 7th receiving $31,886 and moments later Jeremy Kottler was eliminated in sixth receiving $40,622. About 20 more minutes later the tournament was down to four handed after the following hand:

Daniel Negreanu raised preflop, Fu Wong called and the flop came Jh 7d 4s. Wong checked, Negreanu bet, Wong completed a check raise, Negreanu responded with a 3 bet, and Wong Called. The turn was 10h and this time Wong checked, Negreanu bet and Wong put in his remaining chips. When the cards where turned up:

Wong: 5c-6s
Negreanu: Qd Jc

When the river was a deuce Negreanu took the pot and Fu Wong was eliminated from his second 2008 WSOP final table. He collected $51,542 for his fourth place finish.

Four handed play lasted about an hour exactly and our next elimination occurred on this hand: Richard Li raised, Ugur Marangoz 3 bets Li called and the flop came 7s Qc 2d. Marangoz bet, Li called and the turn came 8c. Li tossed in his remaining chips and the cards were turned up:

Marangoz: {9-Clubs} {9-Spades}
Li: {K-Clubs} {5-Clubs}

The river was 5s and Richard Li was eliminated in fourth place earning $63,335.

When three handed play began the chip counts were:

David Baker 1,085,000
Ugur Marangoz 415,000
Daniel Negreanu 405,00

After 40 minutes of three handed play Daniel Negreanu managed to go from short stack to chip leader. It would not last for long though as both players took turns having the chip lead. About 20 minutes later, David Baker found himself as the short stack and then eventually on the rail. Here is his final hand:

Daniel Negreanu raised preflop and David Baker called, the flop came 2s 8h 10h and Negreanu bet and Baker again called. When the turn came an Ah Negreanu again bet but this time Baker raised and Negreanu called. River was the 9s and Negreanu bet and Baker tossed in his remaining chips. Negreanu said “Staight” revealing QJ which showed his double gut shot had completed on the river. Backer mucked and headed to the rail in third place to collect $78,624 for his finish.
When heads up play started Negreanu had about 1.2 million chips and Ugur Marangoz had roughly 700K. At this point the stakes were 15K/30K with no ante. On the very first hands of heads up play Negreanu would gain a massive chip lead when the following hand occurred:

Marangoz raised preflop, Negreanu called and the flop came Ah 5h2h; Marangoz bet and Negreanu called. The turn was Ks Marangoz checked, Negreanu bet, Marangoz raised, Negreanu three-bet, Marangoz four-bet and Negreanu called. The river was the 5c Marangoz checked, Negreanu bet, Marangoz called and Negreanu tabled pocket hearts and took down the massive pot.

Marongoz would surrender his blind on the next few pots and on the 5th or 6th hand of heads up play Daniel Negreanu limped, Marongoz checked. Both players checked to the river and the board had come 5d Kh 5s.Qh 3h. After the river Marangoz bet out and Negreanu raised and Marangoz called all in. Daniel tabled 9s 5h which was good enough to give him this pot, $$204,874 and his fourth career WSOP bracelet. Ugur Marangoz received $126,671 for his runner-up finish.

Daniel Negreanu was noticeably excited and either pumped with adrenaline and/or caffeine during his post victory interview. He spoke at a rapid pace talking about how it takes so much work to make a final table and what a great feeling it is to win one. He also mentioned how the last time he won a WSOP bracelet was at this same event back in 2004, and how his game is now clicking well. He went on to explain that this is how it works, “momentum sets in you get on a roll and a second, third or even fourth additional bracelet this year is not all that unlikely”.

He also shouted out to the crowd: Ivey 0 Me 1, referring to a WSOP bracelet prop bet, which can earn him even more than his cash tonight.