You've heard of the name Daniel Negreanu, right? In fact you might have. In fact, you can most likely hear him from wherever you might be on the planet presently. He's that outspoken! The Team PokerStars Pro is recognised as being of the most efficient players within the world, you wish to have only take a look at his $18,539,856 in live winnings, five WSOP and two WPT titles to attest to that. Negreanu came painfully as regards to winning his Triple Crown earlier this year on the EPT9 Grand Final but finished 4th (€321,000) in arguably some of the toughest final tables of all time. Examine that here. Right now, his focus is elsewhere: another WSOP bracelet and the risk to seal the number 1 spot at the WSOP Player of the Year leader board.

Negreanu has won the Player of the Year title once before (in 2004) and is painfully just about making it his again . UK mixed game specialist Matt Ashton is currently leading the race, no little way to his $1.77m Players' Championship win over Jonathan Duhamel and George Danzer, but can't score any longer points. Negreanu can and has.

Daniel "Kid Poker" Negreanu

In fact, the POY is currently Negreanu's to win. "Kid Poker" is average-stacked with 13 players left within the WSOPE High Roller event and may he finish strongly then the Player of the Year title is sort of certainly his.* The tale isn't finished yet though. Just behind him in chips in France is Marc-Etienne McLaughlin who's also a number of the final 13 and may be a number of the nine remaining players within the WSOP Main Event. Should McLaughlin fall...

*Of course, the €725,000 first prize is an incentive, too.

WSOP Player of the Year race1. Matthew Ashton 649.752. Daniel Negreanu 598.343. Loni Harwood 487.204. David (Bakes) Baker 475.355. Donald Nguyen 466.136. Marco Johnson 439.387. Tom Schneider 438.518. Chris Klodnicki 400.809. Jared Hamby 395.7310. Anthony Gregg 390.00

It might all be over today, but with echoes of last year's tussle between Greg Merson and Phil Hellmuth, Negreanu fans could have one more reason to observe the November Niners play right down to the win. We'll keep you recent with the placement. Good luck today, Daniel!

Rick Dacey is a staff writer for the PokerStars Blog.

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